On the days leading up to New Year’s Eve and continuing into the new year, I follow the old Scottish tradition called “Redding the house.” Basically, that means cleaning it out. It doesn’t follow my usual decluttering formula of starting in a room and working clockwise through it. Instead, it’s more like how people procrastinate on more important things by doing housework instead. “Cleaning a closet is nearly a silver bullet when it comes to jump starting one’s productivity” is something I read somewhere once upon a time. And this year, I had out-of-town guests coming for a party, so the house had to be orderly and clean. I didn’t want anything stagnant rolling over into 2013.
One problem some people have while getting organized is known as the Endowment Effect: having something in your possession makes it seem more valuable than if you didn’t have it but wanted to buy it. For example, something right now seems worth $10, but if it were at a garage sale you’d pay no more than $4. If it’s worth something, has a use, or seems wasteful to throw out, it becomes harder to get rid of.
Enter the disinfectant of sunlight: since I learned that this is a normal bias, it’s made it easier to get rid of things. If it has a value or a use, it will have a value or a use for someone else. Be generous and let them have it!
Unless I love it, can realistically expect to use it, and I have an unobtrusive place for it, then why keep it? I’ve easily sold my old books on Amazon, gave them away in a targeted way, or returned them to the materials stream (recycling).
Don’t short-shirk objects kept for beauty and love. That kind of bias is good for you. It can transform a utilitarian apartment or workspace into a home.
And if you’re the type, like everyone else, who has bags of bags and boxes of boxes, remember what someone once said: “Whether it’s in your house or in the landfill, it’s still just trash!” (Note: always opt to reuse or recycle!) Keep just a few bags and boxes on hand for storing objects or for giving things away. If you have more than a drawer or a shelf’s worth, take the rest to the originating store, or a thrift store that can use them immediately. Or put them out on the kerb for recycling.
Keeping your space organized as the day passes is a basic life skill. Try to review the usefulness of your things in an unbiased way. This helps you rid your attachment to a lot of stuff. Find the best place is to keep something, and always put it back when you’re done using it.
Resolutions
Come New Year’s, I always ask people what their resolutions are. Most people say “None, resolutions are only made to be broken,” but I disagree; that’s all-or-nothing thinking. Some people surprise me with something ambitious or unusual that they want to do. Last year, I did some resolutions and goal work with a friend, and she accomplished more than she thought she would. This graphic (above) from 13 Rules for Realizing Your Creative Vision was what she found most helpful.
So I finished my planning for the next four months within the week limit for “banish procrastination or else throw it away.” The things that affect anything homestead-related are:
- take a course to become a wildlife rehabber
- finish my quilt (border, bagging, binding in slow progress)
- rip up the asphalt driveway: install two cobble and field-stone wheel paths, moss, grass, native species, and narrow water barrel
- provide homes for solitary bees; see if there is any way I can keep honey bees (I don’t have a flat roof, so this has so far been tricky)
- the front fence that’s outstanding from last year – the stuff is ready to go so yes! It’ll happen!
- plant a tree every year: a fruit tree, or swap an ornamental for a fruit tree
- carbon neutral: own a hybrid car; go solar
- turn the house into a real BnB or business; or put down a deposit of some kind to buy a farm or other dwelling in the country.
- increase my blog readership by 10 X or more
Epiphany: Christmas trees for birds
While I was still redding the house for New Year, someone put a Christmas tree across the street into a snow bank. I planned on getting it when I put out the garbage on Monday morning, but I got distracted and the truck came by before I got it.
Why would I want someone’s old Christmas tree? Because they stay green over the winter, and they are delightful habitat for the birds. Here; this is a living tree is by the McLennan Library at McGill, where someone casts seed for the pigeons and sparrows. Look among the branches:
When I take other people’s old Christmas trees for my front yard, they become temporary trees for my birds for the rest of the winter. And the birds definitely use them!
Thank you very much for your advice, Rolf! I am embarrassed I did not notice it sooner in my Blogger interface (I didn't get a triggering email 😕 so I will look into that.
Also your comment is very timely as my paroxysms of gardening are winding down and the seedlings have almost all made it into the ground and everything cleaned up. This means new installations, such as your recommendation, are welcome. I will soon be posting with new photos of the garden and reports on visitors. And a bee box.
How’s the homestead, Jane? If you’re looking to keep honeybees, all you need is a wooden box, open on one side, fixed to a sunny fence or wall. Fill it with blocks of wood or small logs in which you have drilled small holes. Solitary bees can actually use these as nesting sites. The box does not need to be deeper than 8ins, but must have an overhang at the top to keep rain off. You’re free to do what you will with the box. You can make it as big as you want or as small as you want. As for the roof, I had it at an incline to deflect rain.
Rolf Matchen