Curiosity, enthusiasm, and the challenging art of decluttering

One thing I like about myself is that I like to try new things. I’m constantly curious about too many things. Don compliments me about it all the time.

I wouldn’t change that about me if I could. But as I sit here in my office typing this, I’m realizing there is a dark side to this trait.

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I’m currently drowning in the accumulated gear of all these curiosities. Decluttering it all is a challenge.

I had to get some stuff out of my closet. So I pulled out the inflatable kayak I bought last year. Turns out I really like to kayak on rivers, but on Lake Union — not so much. Now I have a kayak, paddles, life vests, air pump, and a little dolly to move it around.

Next to that is the giant computer I bought over Christmas break — to see if I wanted to mine some bitcoin. I got it working and figured it I couldn’t profitably compete with all the big Bitcoin farms in Eastern Washington. So I need to figure out what to do with that. There’s an entire section of this room that looks like an electronics grave yard. A spare monitor, an old Xbox (with the ring of death that I can’t bring myself to throw away), and two drones.

Next to that is my growing pile of books. I want to read them all. Really, I do. Like I said, I’m curious. But after a day spent reading the news and scanning websites for hours on end, the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is reading.

The books sit next to my home yoga station. I have the mat, the foam rollers, some dumbbells and a stretching ramp. And I actually use this a few times a week, if I can just keep the other stuff out of the way.

The art of decluttering

I could keep going, but I think you get the point. I’ve just spent the last two weekends decluttering the other part of the house, and now all the stuff I can’t let go of is now in this room.

The obvious answer is that I need to focus my enthusiasm on the art of throwing stuff away. I even bought the Marie Condo book “The Life Changing Magic of Tiding Up.” It’s sitting in the stack with the other books waiting to be read.

I know I should donate a lot of this stuff, or sell it on Craigslist. But I don’t have the time.

So as spring cleaning fever hits full force, I’m determined to let go of the clutter this year.

Wish me luck.

You can hear “What are we talking about here?” everyday at 4:45 p.m. on 97.3 FM.

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