The Ten Percent Solution - Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

They say we only use 10 percent of what we own. Think how much space we would have if we gave the rest away. Think how much money we would have if we stopped buying stuff we don’t need. Think how much time we would have if we didn’t have so much stuff to take care of.

What’s important to you?

I’ve moved into a smaller place. My office is now in one corner of my living room rather than having a whole room to devote to it so I’ve had to do some really serious choosing.

Since it’s in my living room I care how it looks – there is no door to shut if it gets messy. So I need some tidy systems for tracking what I need to have on hand.
I use binders for my courses and ebooks but books are warmer looking. My binders will be on the lower shelves and my books will be on display.
What books do I want to keep? When I knew I was moving I threw away a lot of things but I need to give away more. I have the library so I could access some books again if I wanted to. Novels come and go that way. Even business reference books are up for release. There is a half price book store in town that will buy my books.
Clothes need a good reality check. I have lost some weight and really must trust that I will not go back to that larger size. I can release those clothes. And under the bed storage has to be for a change of seasons, not a storage place for clothes I’ll never wear again.
Kitchen stuff is huge. I don’t have as much kitchen space but I have a pantry so I’ve stuffed a lot in the pantry and as I need things I bring them out and put them in the prime locations. And I’m giving away duplicates and odd cooking tools I never use. I can’t reach half my cabinets in the kitchen and that is only storage space so why don’t I get rid of what I might put there? I have arranged my spices into plastic bins with baking spices in one and cooking spices in the other and can easily cart them out of the pantry to bake. And my favorite spices are close at hand. I do not need so many pans since I’m no longer cooking for four children. Again, I will pull out what I use and see about giving away the rest.
The put-abouts are the hardest. I have a ton of crystals, way too many Buddha and Quan Yin statues (they remind me to stay centered and calm) and a lot fewer spaces to put them on. This is my second downsize in a year and I have not given any of my put-abouts away. But I need to do that.

What do you really need?

Garages are lethal. Its way too easy to put things out there rather than give them away so they can stay in service. Too many closets let you keep things you don’t need. Too many bookcases let you keep things that could be passed along and big kitchens are for storing way too much stuff. Choose an area of your life and tidy it up. You have changed. Your needs have changed. What do you really need? Then get rid of the rest and you’ll have room to breathe!!!!!