How to Throw Things Away: 3 Phases
Published January 11, 2024 · 9:24 · 195,271 views
About This Video
A three-phase decluttering system built to defeat sentimental value: the demon that destroys organization. That is the real enemy here. Phase 1: home storage in military-grade Hardigg cases until the items begin to annoy you. Phase 2: the storage unit, where you label every box with contents and date, and leave them in the truck overnight to tempt fate. Phase 3: donation, where the resentment of paying monthly storage fees has sharpened your killer instinct.
The side effect of going through all this trouble: acquisition resistance becomes instinctive. Once you've decluttered, a voice in your conscience tells you not to hoard, and for a little while, you listen.
Transcript
Organization and acquisition-resistance episode living in tight quarters teaches us the discipline of organization and acquisition resistance before acquiring a new item we train ourselves to ask where will this go our organization Integrity can be challenged by events such as the arrival of a new creature in our life but we do not use these events as excuses but rather as calls to action clutter what clutter has been bothering us clutter clutter is our clutter a symptom of trouble in our organizational system or have we simply over acquired the current decluttering you are witnessing now was triggered by the imminent arrival of a new creature and the acquisition of two vintage video cameras the demon we must slay during the course of our decluttering adventure is the demon of sentimental value sentimental value can destroy our lives and the world sentimental value manifests in the item in two ways one sentiment or Nostalgia for a time or person that the item represents Van's been talking about this thing like it's the Holy Grail and he spent the last 2 weeks on eBay trying to find it and now he found it and they just arrived in the mail which he just picked up and he's about to open it Factory sealed in the Box folding varet French sunglasses and two sentiment for the money we spent on the now nearly worthless item that's clogging our space we use a three-phase system to slay the sentimental value demon the first phase is home storage store sentimental items in your home storage until their uselessness begins to annoy you until they begin to clutter these waterproof cases manufactured for the military by a company called Hardigg help facilitate home storage these have traveled all over the country for moves between cities cluttering Adventure Phase 2 your storage unit don't have a storage unit you do have my respect box your sentimental items label the box with the items or item themes also label each box with the date this will come in handy for phase three these are all camera stuff I can't get rid of cuz I need to use it sometimes hard drives backup hard drives oh oh I don't know I don't know okay don't don't procrastinate I think is one of the biggies you have to just maybe you can procrastinate to later that day later that day Phase 2 can be emotionally heavy as you contemplate your departure from sentimental items a sort of loss or death maybe you're having second thoughts probably not but maybe here's a pro tip leave the boxes in the back of the pickup or in the unlocked car overnight to tempt fate maybe some thief will make the decision for you don't worry another phase remains another chance to hold on phase three donation phase three serves two functions first ridding yourself of useless sentimental items and second decluttering AKA organizing your storage unit itself by now by phase three after moving your sentimental junk from your house and spending thousands of dollars to store it each year a resentment will inevitably have been built and your Killer Instinct will be easy to harness organize organize kill kill be careful don't get crazy and start throwing away family photos and Grandpa's Super Eight reels steady steady notice the dates on your hoarded boxes are they over a year old will next year really be any different you are now ready to donate you are ready to share the junk as you approach the Goodwill or wherever you will find that your sentiment for your junk has been replaced by feelings of relief and excitement we're really doing it though aren't we buddy yeah once you've crossed the threshold of the Goodwill the Gratitude from the friendly donation workers will act to shame you from turning back your dignity will not allow you to quit a side effect of going through all this trouble is that it makes you much more reticent about getting more stuff once you've decluttered and organized you will find it easier and more pleasant to create work and you will feel a deep impulse in your conscience a voice that tells you not to acquire hoard and clutter in the future and for a little while you will listen to that voice