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Tuesday, March 9, 2021

I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I NEED IT…

Photo (c) Kimberly D. Miller


I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I NEED IT…


Working with people in my capacity as a Professional Organizer, one of the discussions we have most often is about need vs. want.  We all like to buy things and for various reasons, some of which include depression and boredom.  


Part of the intrigue of shopping for things we really don’t need, is the process of picking them out...even online. You get to see what’s new and what’s trendy, especially during a holiday, and it can be enticing and fun to find deals and coupons, but the best way to save money is not to buy it at all.  The process of shopping and picking things out passes time, creates euphoric gratification but for some, can also be followed by buyer’s remorse.   There are two categories when shopping:  needs, i.e. groceries, clothing, medicine, shelter and personal hygiene, and there are wants: toys, games, trinkets, chochkies, accessories, etc.


What if we were to follow the process of need vs. want before things actually followed us home?  I have had to pare down to practically no belongings, which is no easy feat as a mixed-media artist, to move into a fifth wheel.  During the paring down process, I made myself think about each item before it was either boxed for the move or tossed out/donated.  That question was this, “Do I actually NEED this item, as in does it serve an actual and functional purpose, or does it represent a sentimental reason for hanging on?  If the answer was anything but yes, it went into the toss/donate pile.  There was no “maybe” about it.  I had to be realistic though, about sentiment.  Many of the items that had been cluttering up my life for so many years were being kept merely due to sentimental attachment which, let’s face it, is the reason most of us keep so many things we never really use or look at.  I then found a practical and satisfying way to hang onto the sentiment of the item, but not the item itself.


The same approach for physical health and one that I use in my nutrition-coaching sessions, is choosing food that your body needs vs. what you want because it’s either easy and you’re tired or because it’s full of sugar and chemicals and tastes really good.  You can lose a lot of weight this way and, if you prefer a “type” of eating plan and a healthy lifestyle change, I highly recommend the Whole Foods plan, especially Whole Foods 30.


The moral of the story is this...for a healthy life, carefully weigh out your needs vs. your wants.  If you need it, I mean really need it (without making excuses to get something you don’t really need), then go ahead and let it follow you home.  If you don’t need it however, with the exception of the very occasional treat, walk on by (also a very good song by Dionne Warwick).  You will thank yourself every day as you begin to notice that your life contains no clutter and gives you freedom to go and do as you wish without the anchors of clutter holding you down.


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