What are your favorite things? Can you list them off the top of your head? Do you know where you put them last time you used them? Have you used them at all? Why not? Are you saving them for a special occasion? Or, like Maria in The Sound of Music, are most of your favorite things not things at all?
Favorite things are those items that make you smile just to know you have them. I love to use my favorite things as often as I can. That way I can smile often with little extra effort. Favorite things are to be enjoyed, cherished, consumed, used up, and replaced only when absolutely necessary.
You might be wondering what all this has to do with organizing and simplifying your work and life. Well, here’s the thing, knowing what your favorite things are can help you keep your clutter to a minimum. Why get something new when this one works great and is a pleasure to use?
When a favorite thing is an actual thing, it will feel good to use, or just to look at. So, using or seeing it often will have an amazing effect. These are just 3 ways not saving your favorite things for a special occasion will change your life.
1. Feel more professional. A treasured briefcase, electronic device or pen can help you convey a sense that you know what you are doing and your place in the world. Especially if it is the right tool for the job and of the best quality you can afford.
2. Feel more worthy. Wearing the one cashmere sweater everyday can make you feel abundantly rich, cozy, secure and loved. Especially if it is in your favorite color and fits just right. People won’t even notice because you will appear confident and happy.
3. Feel inspired. Sitting on a chair of exquisite design, eating with utensils of a certain weight, seeing that splash of color in the painting on the wall can help you feel inspired to do your best. That is what art is for.
Many of my clients keep their favorite things in the closet, tucked away for a special event. Eat off your china if you like it better than your everyday, use white legal pads if you don’t like yellow, only use black pens if blue doesn’t do it for you. Give yourself permission to use your favorite things often and start enjoying your tasks!
I promise that opening your mail is so much less of a chore when you use a silver letter opener that your dad gave you for Christmas almost 20 years ago. So, go dump all the versions of things you bought just so you could preserve your favorite, use your favorite, feel better and get some stuff done!
