Being somewhat of a minimalist, having more than a little OCD as far as my "things" are concerned and having a huge crush on efficiency, I was thrilled to see this guy, Dave, challenge himself to live with just 100 things. In an effort to resist and even fight consumerism, according to his blog, Dave has vowed to pare down his belongings and live with just 100 things by November 12, 2008 and carry on this way for a year. This is an awesome and inspiring project- and based on the internet buzz, including coverage in Time Magazine, hundreds of people agree. It seems this guy, Dave has become a bit of a hero.
What started with Dave getting fed up has led to over 250 people joining him in one way or another (from some whittling their belongings down to 100 to others committing to downsize and raise their own awareness). Based on my experience as an organizer, I'm very aware of what a difficult task and challenging commitment this can be for most people. De-cluttering, downsizing and de-collecting your life can be a very emotional and taxing experience- but one in which once the ball is rolling, the benefits are felt in nearly every aspect of your life. Seriously, it can be that big. And that difficult. Thus the onslaught of professional organizers, many of whom play a secondary role of therapist.
See what you can do for yourself or your family and look again to Dave for ways to work around those who prefer to watch the downsizing from the sidelines (it seems his wife and daughter aren't quite as fed up as he is). Try talking with your friends and neighbors about things that they use all the time and you use once a year, and vice versa, maybe you can share items. I once realized that I had shuffled a curious box around from apartment to apartment and that was the only time I saw that box, when I moved. Get rid of the box you only use when you move. Really open your eyes and exercise your strength, you may surprise yourself.
And for those of us who continually fall for the manipulation of marketing (like Fall into the Gap marketing), remember, whoever dies with the most stuff doesn't win, they just leave a bigger burden on their grieving children.
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