De-cluttering

Clearing clutter makes us reflect, forces us to drop persistent habits and frees up capacity for change.

Society makes us develop a regime and it is embedded in educational approaches, cultural norms and economic reward systems. So it is not surprising that change requires purpose, a determined effort and a re-questioning of our past rationale.

There was a logical reason why we purchased that shirt, that can of produce and the gadget that lies around. Was it on an act of impulse, a gesture of self reward, a true need that so many years ago or an echo of sentimentality? Whatever the reason it was, it does not matter now that I realise I have not used it in the past 3 months.

There can be that work office momento.
It can be that sensational cooking aid. There can be an accumulation of household stuff that once was utilised happily by more occupants. The reckoning comes with a limitation of storage space, less users and experiencing a different stage of life.

In our throw away contemporary society, there is a decreasing reward for the not unenviable attitude of taking good care of our possessions. Manufactured stuff are made obsolete in even shorter time cycles. The faster advent of technology attracts us to change to newer models that are more responsive. 

On the other hand, it can be argued that the construction of mass produced items, be they be housing, communications enablers or transport vehicles, may not have the same crafted quality of items made in the past with lesser numbers and more passion.

The emphasis on acquisition, especially of trivial items in a consumerist society, encourages the constant flow cycle of household stuff. When landfills, recycling and resale allow the clutter of a household to be reduced, on line purchases, physical shopping malls and children ensure the arrival of potentially more clutter through another door. Is it a fruitless and unwinnable process? It is up to each person to want to declutter, in goods, nutrition or in society's demands.

Millennials who value mobility more than possessions are an encouraging example of decluttering. They do not want to be tied down with a vehicle, furniture and pets when they know they have an adventurous life with only portable items and still be connected with the bigger world out there.

This all works out so well until the arrival of the baby.

In the end, each individual is best placed to first declutter the mind of unnecessary things and perspectives. Then only go to throw out the unhealthy food, the out of fashion trousers or skirt, the souvenir and the Facebook posting.

#yongkevthoughts