Hasta La Ideas

I tend to view the world through the eyes of an economist. When I make a decision — small or large — I typically do a cost-benefit analysis first. I know that the world isn’t dichotomous, and that there are unlimited shades of gray, but I still tend to weigh all my decisions as trade-offs. I have to give up X (or a part of X) to get Y.

To buy a car, I have to save money each month for a few years until I have enough in a bank account to buy a car that best suits my needs. Each month when I put money into savings, I’m choosing not to spend that money on something else. I’ve decided that Y (a car) is more valuable to me in the future than X (whatever else I could have spent the money on) is now, and I eagerly make the trade-off.

When uncluttering, these trade-offs are sometimes less obvious, but they’re still trade-offs. If I want Y (a clutter-free life focused on what matters most to me) I have to give up X (clutter). Except, it can be difficult to see how an old t-shirt or dusty sports equipment is keeping me from achieving a remarkable life. It’s not until the clutter is gone that the benefits of removing it are so obvious.

In my line of work, I hear a lot of reasons about why someone can’t live clutter free. These are really statements about trade-offs. When someone says, “I can’t unclutter because …” whatever comes after the “because” is what matters more to the person than uncluttering. “I can’t unclutter because I have to cart my kids back and forth to piano lessons, soccer practices, and swim team,” is a statement that the person values her children participating in extra curricular activities more than getting rid of clutter at home. In my opinion, this might be a decent trade-off. Having a clutter-free house might not be a priority for the person. What is important, though, is being honest with yourself about your priorities. If a clutter-free home is what you want (Y), then know you will have to give up clutter (X) to get it and you’ll have to spend your time uncluttering (Y) instead of relaxing (X) to make it happen.

Compare the benefits of an uncluttered life to the life you’re currently living and decide which you value more. Is an uncluttered life your Y? Are you willing to give up X to get Y? Only you can make this decision.

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