De-Influencing from Things You Don’t Need
Have you considered this question: What kind of life do you want to live? And how is that related to organizing your life?
Organizing, the action of assessing your things and making decisions about how you want to use them, is about values more than anything else. You are making decisions in every moment about what matters to you, and organizing them puts those values in clear order. We are influenced all the time to buy new things and to fit those things into our lives. Our culture wires us to seek something better, newer, and nicer all the time. I can't tell you how many gizmos and gadgets, items born out of trends or convenience, I have taken out of my client's homes. I spend my professional life trying to help make people's lives easier, and that often involves some purchasing, but it involves a lot more letting go than anything else. What kind of life could you live if you stopped buying things that you didn't really want or need?
This is difficult because we can't go anywhere, or do anything, without being sold something. Billboards, newspapers, buses, magazines, decals, and posters are just the beginning. Email marketing, promoted search terms, and targeted advertising on social media mean that we can't go online without being reminded of the things that we don't already have. Sites where we go to buy things encourage us to buy more with sales, promotions, and shipping minimums. In our world, so much of purchasing is passive. We might see 4-6 ads in a day for something that we had never considered buying or didn't even know existed. It's so easy to buy it with a single click, and not think about the fact that this item might have been constructed thousands of miles away, perhaps sourced from a company that doesn't value its employees, with packaging that needs to be recycled or thrown away, and can arrive at our door in less than 24 hours. Sometimes that item will be returned to the warehouse, where a third of returns are tossed and not reused. Often that item will end up in a pile in a corner with other things we never really wanted. More often, and we see this all of the time, it just will be thrown away before anyone has a chance to even open the package.
All of our work at TLD is completely customized to the values and needs of our clients. So many of the conversations that we have around our things end up back at one question: what kind of life do you want to live? Think about what's most important to you. If you love to read with your kids, let's focus on making your books accessible to all ages. If listening to music is the most important activity in your life, let's ensure that your speakers are in an optimal acoustic location. If your home centers around your kitchen and meals, let's prioritize a system for your spices so they are easily found. If you love to take photos on your phone, let's create a digital system so you can enjoy them without constantly scrolling or being overwhelmed by the sheer number of photos on your camera roll.
None of us can run or hide from all of the advertising and the influencing. But we can recognize it when it's happening and make an informed purchasing decision based on our values. As a consumer, the number one thing that we can do to live a more sustainable life is to stop buying new things. We can work to de-influence ourselves from the things that we are constantly being influenced to buy. Excited about that new book? Put it on hold at the local library. Hoping for some fun new toys for your little one? Host a toy swap at their elementary school. Tired of your wardrobe? Check out the newest thrift store for something totally unique. Intrigued by that trendy new water bottle? See if a friend has one that they aren’t using (I promise, they do). Looking for some furniture for your home? Consider browsing Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or a local furniture consignment store before buying something mass produced.
Imagine if all of us intentionally decided to buy less and recycle more during Earth month. It might just be the start of a new habit. You can start the next time you get that urge to "Buy With One Click." Take a beat. Is that new thing going to help you live the life that you really want to live?
