Garden Tool Set

"Collecting" : The everyday struggle

As many readers of this blog will know, I admit to having that hoarding instinct. Sometimes to make ourselves feel happier with what we're hoarding we call it collecting.

That can make it much harder to deal with if we see that it's a problem and want to deal with it.





For instance, the other day I was in a book store and there was a book about the gardening at the Eden Project down in Cornwall. It was a bit tatty, but was only £1.99. I felt those familiar pangs of wanting to buy the book and to place it on the shelf with my "collection" of gardening books.

Luckily, I'm quite well versed with this now and as I leafed through the books I asked myself the standard questions:
1) If I buy this book will I have time to read it immediately; if not would I make time? No.
2) Do I want a book specifically about the Eden Project? Not really.
3) Is there anywhere else I could buy this book - probably in better condition for less money? Yes. Many options online!
4) Is there anywhere I could read this book or a book like it for free? Yes. The library
5) Do I want this book? No.

What this made me realise is that I would like to read a book about the Eden Project. But not in isolation. I'd like to read a book about the Eden Project just before we next visit it - which as we made our second trip to it last year, is unlikely in the near future.

It made a lot of sense to say no to myself about this book. I have a very intensive OU module that I'm currently studying that requires I read many books leaving me with little time. In addition, I've asked for a couple of books for Christmas, ones that I've researched and ones that I'd decided months ago I wanted - not ones I'd stumbled upon accidentally and wanted because of the 'now' factor - the feeling of short lived happiness I'd get from buying the book before the long lived disappointment that I caved in to myself and bought a book that I might read (at the soonest) in a couple of years, but might never read.

It just goes to show that even a successful decluttering project doesn't mean we're fixed forever. It's something that we have to recognise and question constantly if we're to keep aligned to our goals!

Happy minimalism to you all :)