Discardia_ More Life, Less Stuff - Dinah Sanders [82]
Time out can dilute drama. So, too, can repositioning. Be more grounded with heavy stuff. Move big, hard things closer to your foundation physically and mentally to avoid back pain, earthquake injuries, and unnecessary emotional drama. Handle what’s tough from a stronger place. Have intense conversations when you’re well rested and can take time to work patiently through the issues. Tackle emotionally loaded discarding when you’re feeling good about yourself and well supported by others. Find your firm footing and then take on that challenge you’ve been avoiding.
Over time, use your moments of peak confidence to strengthen your foundation and eliminate causes of unpleasantness. How can you make your life richer? What expenses of time and energy could you cut out? When you’re not sure where to start, look for any big cluster of negative emotions and you'll find something very worthy of letting go.
As Erin Doland said, “If it makes your stomach churn when you see it, this is a pretty good sign that it’s time for the item to go.”
Spend less of your time bathing in emotions that exhaust you.
Symptom #33: *SIGH*
Solution #33: Transform that Annoyance
If it doesn't make sense, challenge it. If it appears broken, fix it. If it doesn't work for you, change it.
—Michael Lopp
Lean on that which can be changed for the better
I bet you have a tool you use every week—maybe every day—that bugs you. It's adequate, which is why you haven't replaced it, but it is suboptimal and it slows down your day or doesn't put you in a good mood.
Replace this tool with a better version and learn what a difference truly well-designed things can make. Maybe this means having to do without something else for a little while, but as you skip that fancy coffee drink or pack a lunch or don't go out to dinner, think of all the days ahead where you won't have to put up with that leaky-spouted teapot, low-suction vacuum cleaner, nose-slipping eyeglasses, or streak-leaving windshield wiper blade anymore. Routinely watching for what is sub-optimal is an act of optimism. Really!
Something around the house bugging you? Is some minor breakage or missing piece holding you back from doing a particular thing or using favorite stuff? Just take care of it. Sew that button back on. Replace that broken drawer pull. Save up and buy a backpack that doesn't have a broken zipper. Change the damn lightbulb already! It'll take less than half an hour and will finally quit annoying you.
There is probably a sharp edge in your life. It's gonna get ya if you don't deal with it. What about that nail starting to come up out of the floor, or toenails that run the risk of hamstringing your spouse one night in bed, or the stupid, decorative, metal light switch cover at the top of the stairs, which threatens to tear a sleeve one of these days? Today, right now, get rid of that problem. Homes shouldn't bite.
Renters: Call your landlord and report broken stuff that they're supposed to fix. Owners: Bring in a pro and take care of the most irritating home flaw. Everyone deserves to live without dripping faucets, broken doorbells, dead stove burners, holes in walls, and similar nonsense.
Make a little quiet time today to look at every room in your house and find the things that aren't how you want them. Particularly watch for two aspects: “easy to change” and “drives me nuts.” Fix at least one of the easy ones today, and put in a solid 30 minutes—and remember that writing down a plan can count as progress—on the most crazy-making thing. Shift your world toward “less irritating.”
Friday Night Look-Back
One opportunity to identify these annoyances is when you are taking a Friday Night Look-Back. Ask yourself, “What worked well this week?” and optimize for more of this in the future. Also ask, “What wasn't so great?” and upgrade that or phase it out.
The items you use all the time—your daily tools—will provide the most reward for upgrading them.
Bruce Sterling said, “The everyday object is the monarch of all objects. It's