The Basic Laws of Stuff -

The more you accumulate, the less you control

By GEORGENE LOCKWOOD

Stuff: intractable and even invisible The irrational accumulation of things we don't use, don't need and eventually don't want is what I call the acquisition Trap.

We all fall victim to it now and again. The Acquisition trap is actually a system of assumptions about the nature of material things and what they can do for us. It's the idea that owning, something will make us sexy or successful or smart. It's the belief that a particular object or possession represents love, happiness, self-esteem, joy or knowledge. Owning a library of beautifully bound books won't make you an educated person. Reading them does.

Toting a $500 briefcase won't make you successful in business. Experience, determination and creativity do.

Paying attention to your habits will ultimately lead you to living a freer more organized life.

Keep the following 10 Laws of Stuff in mind every time you get the urge to collect more stuff. The 10 Basic Laws of Stuff.

1. Stuff breeds - the more you have, the more you need. Well, OK, if you leave two objects in a dark corner; they don't actually reproduce, but it seems that way. Let's say you buy a computer system. This basic system consists of a keyboard, the computer itself and a monitor: Oh, and of course there are all those manuals.

The first thing you probably decide you need after you get it out of the box and set it up is a printer. Next you need, a printer stand and some paper: Oh, and an extra printer cartridge. Then you need an anti-glare screen for your monitor and some stuff to clean it with. But the stuff to clean the screen with is different from the stuff you need to clean the monitor screen itself, so you need to get that other stuff, too.

If you have a mouse, to keep it working properly you'll probably need a mouse pad and a cleaning kit. Next, you'll start buying software, floppy disks and CD-ROMs. (You're getting the picture, aren't you?) Lots of things operate like this.

Consider the food processor and all the attachments, racks and caddies that go with it, not to mention cookbooks and whatever else you need to get the most out of your appliance.

Maybe you're thinking about starting a collection of some kind? All those collectors plates need hang¬ers, holders or shelves. Those baseball cards need albums or boxes to keep them in. The cute little porcelain figurines need a display case or even a piece of furniture. Even the stuff used to store your stuff, such as Tupperware, just begs for something to hold all those lids when you1re not using them!

2. Useless stuff crowds out the good stuff. The more junk you have that's useless, obsolete, broken or just plain junk, the harder it is to find (and find places for) the stuff you really value and use often. Finding the good stuff takes twice as much time and doubles your blood pressure in the process. This law is true on a bigger scale as well. The more you have in your life that's extraneous, the less time and energy you have for the good stuff.

3. Dust loves stuff. Bugs love stuff. Rodents love stuff. Moisture loves stuff. When you store something for long periods of time, the odds are when you finally need it (if you ever do) it'll be useless anyway.

4. Stuff loves to stay where it lands. It takes time and energy to put things away. That's why the coat or sweater that's flung over the chair tends to stay there forever. It would follow, then, that the easier you make it to put stuff away, the more likely it is that it will be put away.

5. Stuff expands to fill the space available. The bigger the house and the more storage space it has, the more stuff tends to accumulate.

6. Over time, stuff becomes invisible. You knew you had a jar of honey on the shelf, you just didn't see it because other jars and cans were hiding it, so you bought another anyway. This principle covers the disappearing-bulletin-board phenomenon as well. Ever notice how once you put something on your bulleting board, in a few days you can no longer see it? Things disappear through familiarity.

7. Stuff costs you money more than once. First, you pay to buy the item. Then you have to take it home. This may involve your car, public transportation or shipping charges. Next you have to store it, which may involve a security system, not to mention any insurance premiums you may have to pay. If you move to another house (which will probably be bigger because you need more storage), you nee tot pay to move it. And if all this isn't enough, you stuff costs more money even beyond the grave, when you saddle your family with the unpleasant task of getting rid of it after your die. Think about the real costs of stuff next time you rush out to grab that bargain.  

8. Stuff has a powerful effect on your state of mind. The more stuff you have, the faster life seems to disappear. The more stuff you have, the less time you have to yourself and others. Stuff gets in the way.

9. Stuff takes on a value only when it is used. Unused stuff is just junk or clutter. How often you use it determines its value. Less use, less value. That's not to say that something has to have a strictly utilitarian value to be worth keeping. Some stuff is enjoyed by your eyes. It adds beauty to your life and therefore is being used. These esthetic additions to your environment should be chosen with great care and give you enjoyment every time you look at them. If you decide you need something for particular task, ask yourself if you'll ever use it again after that task is completed. Would it make more send to rent? Borrow? Share? Sometimes it's not the object that isn't useful, it's the location that makes it unusable. Just relocating something may completely transform it from useless junk to good stuff. By putting an unfinished needlework project next to the TV, it goes from being junk to a current project.

10. Stuff doesn't make you happy; you do. This law speaks for itself. You know the drill: Money can't buy happiness. Well, it's the same with stuff. Both are just tools to help you achieve your own happiness. Unstuffing begins with understanding how things get into your life in the first place. Getting control of your stuff is the beginning of gaining control of your life.

This article is excerpted from 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life.'