Remove the Guilt By Removing The Excess STUFF

image by julian bialowas

What would your life look like if you had fewer material objects, by choice? Would you then be freed up to do more of what you wanted to do because you had less STUFF to take care of? It's been my experience that that is totally how it works.

It takes so much time to think about what to buy and to then feel regretful about buying whatever I bought, and to then think about returning the item(s) because of the guilt, and then to make another trip down to the store to actually return the item, or package it back up and mail it back and wait for the money to be put back into my account and then the keeping of tabs on that to remember that I need to call the online shop if the money doesn't get refunded before too long, or look around the store to exchange the original item for something else I probably don't need and might be guilt-ridden about too!

Ugh. Totally exhausting.

Moral of the story: material stuff takes up a crap load of time. At least it does for me.

Do you find that accumulating, managing, and maintaining all the things in your life is taking up more time than you'd like it to? Is it time to minimize and shift the focus back onto what you really truly care about in life? If so, it might be time to do something about it. That cycle of guilt and remorse and time-sucking does not have to rule your life any more.

Step out of the cycle. Be done with it. 

Sometimes I slip back into my old thought process and realize how much time I've been spending thinking about things I want to buy. It makes me sick when I think about how much time has been wasted and how many other worthwhile things I'd rather be doing with my time. 

Do you find your thoughts consumed by material objects? How do you control those thoughts and urges to buy?

Comments

[Amanda]

I wish I knew the way to control the thoughts (I don't). But part of what has helped me to feel better recently is down sizing. Hello ebay! Goodbye closet full of clothes I don't wear.

[Rich]

I am constantly amazed at how much stuff we have managed to accumulate in our 25 years together. I really miss the days when everything we had fit into our Honda hatchback. I think we were more in the moment back then; enjoying the experience of life instead of trying to "get ahead' and buy stuff. I look around our house at all the clutter and I find it psychologically draining. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is to wade into a storage area and start getting rid of stuff we have not used in at least one year. Very therapeutic.

[rich]

Hmm, my previous comments have not yet appeared. Odd.

Anyway, has anyone read "Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic"? Ithas been on my "To-Read" list for quite awhile. Think I'll mosey on over to the library and see if the have the e-version.

[Anna Newell Jones]

Haven't seen it yet but it's on my list of ones to check out. Would love to hear what you think about it if you see it soon.

[rich]

Our library does not have the e-version but they do have an available, physical copy. I just finshed a book yesterday and am looking for another. i'll let you know how it is. The reviews on Amazon were overwhelmingly positive, although a few of the ones stating the author gets a little too preach blaming all the ills of the world on American consumerism worry me a bit. However, I always (except one time) finish books I start, even when they are a painful read. So, I will read the whole thing and let you know.

[Rosemarie Groner]

Excellent point. My husband and I got inspired to do a spending fast from reading your blog. We're on day 21 already! It was hard in the beginning, but for the first time in years, we're actually using all of the things that we bought before but were too busy buying new things to actually use. Keep up the good work!