Put Stuff in Its Place

Understand the limited value of the things you can buy. The pursuit
of all things bigger and newer drives people to jump on an unfulfi lling
treadmill of getting money and spending money. Defi ne the things
you truly value, but do not let yourself get caught buying for the sake of
buying.
PAM HELPS PEOPLE organize their stuff. “People get too much stuff, and
it starts to take over their homes,” she says. Pam changes the layout of
closets, helps consolidate things, and ultimately tries to get the owner to
consider how much of what they have is really necessary. “Then, after
I’m done, if I’ve done a good job, their home functions better and stuff
won’t overwhelm them,” Pam says.
Her theory is that clutter drains energy and creativity, and that getting
rid of it opens the door to greater productivity, personal growth, and
peace.
It was a sad irony for Pam when her aunt died and Pam inherited her
aunt’s home. “It was packed with things in no discernable order,” she
recalls. “There were valuable items mixed in with things that were sentimentally
valuable mixed in with things that seemed to have no purpose
whatsoever.”
Pam encourages people to think through what they have and what
they value, especially items of personal and family signifi cance. “People
think they will have endless time to sort through things and make sense
of it all. But it slips down on the list, and if they don’t act, many unique
and personally treasured items get lost in the crowd,” Pam says.
People for whom materialism was the main priority had the lowest life
satisfaction. (Ryan and Dziurawiec 2001)