Too Much Stuff / New Years Resolution
In the United States there are about 50,000 storage facilities creating around 2.35 billion square feet of self storage space. That is a lot of resources and space being used to house things. There are a variety of reason people need to rent a storage unit besides having too much stuff. Perhaps they are moving, maybe they use it for their small business, or a variety of other reason. However, for many it is because they have so many possessions that the place they reside can’t hold it all. I have helped a lot of people move and every time the people I am helping are amazed at the amount of junk they have accumulated. Big or small we tend to fill up this “empty” space in our homes.
As I pack, it becomes obvious that I too possess a lot of junk. A DVD here, a book there and pretty soon these things take over. How much do we really need? I have watched “Star Wars” over 100 times and will probably watch it 100 more. But why do I own “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”? I have read the Harry Potter series multiple times and lent them out to friends on more than one occasion. I will not be reading “White Fang” ever again and definitely won’t be recommending it to other. Why do I have 3 copies of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” floating around? I have 2 dresser drawers filled with t-shirts. I do not buy t-shirts, they are given to me as gifts or for free promotions. Maybe it is time to donate that MS Walk shirt from 1999 that I never wear. Then there are the larger items that get bought with the best of intentions. Exercise equipment that we hope will get us in shape or organizational items taking up space rather than saving it.
This year I hope to focus on What do I need? What do I want? Why am I holding on to it?