Living Lean
We've had a number of major natural problems / disasters in recent weeks. One was major flooding in the river that runs through our city. The others were finding termites and mould in our rented unit. These are loosely related because the same extended rain periods that caused the floods also caused excessive moisture which termites love and causes mould.
The floods have been terrible and my thoughts go out to those affected. Fortunately, the impact on us was only minimal... so far. And treating the termites has been reasonably convenient so far. The mould is the trickiest to navigate. These occurrences have made me think about why I've been minimally impacted. It is largely luck, but it is also a 'living lean' philosophy I try to live by.
It stems from my software development profession and a methodology call Lean Software Development. Which is a term coined by Mary Poppendieck and inspired by Toyota's manufacturing process. At it's heart is the removal of waste from a process. These values are also present in Extreme Programming and other 'agile' methods of developing software. In short, computers cause so much complexity that it is only with hindsight that we know we are writing the right software. But I digress...
How does this apply to lifestyle? Well, it may seem counter-intuitive but we actually try to throw away as much as possible. "But that is waste!" I hear you exclaim. And yes, it is. But the key is understanding that it is more wasteful to hang on to items that are no longer or rarely used. The true cost is seen in the space used and issues with cleaning and hygiene. Not to mention the devaluing from decay over time, and just plain not knowing what you own and what you don't.
I'm sure you've seen instances of 'hoarding' that are obviously a bad choice. But I think you would also be genuinely surprised at how few possessions one actually needs to live. Even more so when a lot of one's hobbies happen inside a laptop or on the Internet.
Here are a few tips...
Give It Away If Necessary
If it has some value but not enough to warrant the time in selling it then give it to a friend or a thrift store or, in our case, a church fund raising garage sale. Call it a 'karma' payment.
Impulse Buying Policy
In general, never buy anything on first sight. I always try to leave the store and then have a think. Usually I realise I don't need it. Borrowing from a friend is a great way to decide if you actually need one. Alternatively, going home to do some homework on prices relieves the impulse too.
Don't Pay Full Retail
Buying things second hand or heavily discounted is also a great way to save space. Not up front but when you don't use it any more. Giving it away or selling it cheap doesn't sting as much and is less of an obstacle.
A Downsizing Process
If I'm trying to downsize, I first locate some large boxes. Over time, anything I come across that I haven't used in the last year will probably go into a box and will be sold or given away (or thrown out).
We'll that's a pretty good rant. Just remember, don't let your possessions own you.
The floods have been terrible and my thoughts go out to those affected. Fortunately, the impact on us was only minimal... so far. And treating the termites has been reasonably convenient so far. The mould is the trickiest to navigate. These occurrences have made me think about why I've been minimally impacted. It is largely luck, but it is also a 'living lean' philosophy I try to live by.
It stems from my software development profession and a methodology call Lean Software Development. Which is a term coined by Mary Poppendieck and inspired by Toyota's manufacturing process. At it's heart is the removal of waste from a process. These values are also present in Extreme Programming and other 'agile' methods of developing software. In short, computers cause so much complexity that it is only with hindsight that we know we are writing the right software. But I digress...
How does this apply to lifestyle? Well, it may seem counter-intuitive but we actually try to throw away as much as possible. "But that is waste!" I hear you exclaim. And yes, it is. But the key is understanding that it is more wasteful to hang on to items that are no longer or rarely used. The true cost is seen in the space used and issues with cleaning and hygiene. Not to mention the devaluing from decay over time, and just plain not knowing what you own and what you don't.
I'm sure you've seen instances of 'hoarding' that are obviously a bad choice. But I think you would also be genuinely surprised at how few possessions one actually needs to live. Even more so when a lot of one's hobbies happen inside a laptop or on the Internet.
Here are a few tips...
Give It Away If Necessary
If it has some value but not enough to warrant the time in selling it then give it to a friend or a thrift store or, in our case, a church fund raising garage sale. Call it a 'karma' payment.
Impulse Buying Policy
In general, never buy anything on first sight. I always try to leave the store and then have a think. Usually I realise I don't need it. Borrowing from a friend is a great way to decide if you actually need one. Alternatively, going home to do some homework on prices relieves the impulse too.
Don't Pay Full Retail
Buying things second hand or heavily discounted is also a great way to save space. Not up front but when you don't use it any more. Giving it away or selling it cheap doesn't sting as much and is less of an obstacle.
A Downsizing Process
If I'm trying to downsize, I first locate some large boxes. Over time, anything I come across that I haven't used in the last year will probably go into a box and will be sold or given away (or thrown out).
We'll that's a pretty good rant. Just remember, don't let your possessions own you.
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