De-frag your life. The "100 Thing" Challenge. A special guest blog appearance by Red Karpitz.

I've always struggled with the contradictions of being a keen acquirer of shiny new things (clothes, shoes, kitchen gadgets, film posters, upholstery fabrics, furniture, bedding and the like) as well as an unsentimental 'chucker' of stuff.

This is mostly due to my fondness for William Morris' adage, “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” 


I'm reminded of that fantastic line in the sitcom "Ned and Stacey" where Thomas Haden Church's Ned takes a look at his housemate Stacey's bedroom and shudders with disgust, "It's not just a messy room, but a messy mind...a messy soul." Muddy Karpitz and I truly understand his horror.

Which is why more and more we're coming around to the notion of something more than just an uncluttered home - an uncluttered life - and if we might paraphrase the late Mr Morris, 
"Have nothing in your lives that you do not know to be enriching or believe to be loveable." 

And why Red Karpitz's Toastmasters' speech (No. 3 in the Competent Communicator series - Get to the Point) 100 Things really spoke to me.  In it, Red talks about the value of divesting yourself of the things you don't need (unused stuff, excess material possessions) and paring your life down to the barest essentials, leaving space (both physical, mental and emotional) to focus on and enjoy the things that really matter - relationships, friendships, ideas and experiences.  A noble sentiment, well-expressed Red. Everyone else, enjoy. 


The 100 Thing Challenge


Mr Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and esteemed guests, today I would like to take you on a personal journey of consumerism and the salvation I found in the 100 Thing Challenge. 

A wise friend of mine once told me that I knew the price of everything and the value of nothing - she was right. Until recently, each pay-check rolled by to satisfy my never-ending desire for ‘stuff’. If I was able to get something for half price it was a bargain. Computers, mobile phones, tablet devices, clothes. There was an aching hole in my soul that could be filled with just one more item – a fantasy world that was always just out of reach.

Today’s peak was tomorrow's plateau, an un-winnable game. The latest fad would temporarily satisfy my novelty-seeking ways – at a cost. Promotions and salary increases did little to alleviate the relative poverty that plagued my existence.    How does a person break free of the cycle of spend and repeat?

A little investigation led me to believe I wasn’t alone in this thinking. A lot of people around the world felt “stuck in stuff.” They felt that their closets and garages were full of things that didn’t really make their lives any better. Closer to home, the feeling remained the same with the average Australian owing over $3000 on their credit card.

We have never been so rich; we had never been so in debt. 

I was convinced that consumerism is the religion of the Western world.

Recently, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a website called the 100 thing challenge. The goal of the 100 thing challenge was simple enough - to break free from the confining habits of Western-world consumerism and live a simpler life.
The author, Dave Bruno, outlines three main points:

• Point number one – Reduce  - Get rid of some of your stuff
• Point number two – Refuse to get more new stuff
• Point number three – Rejig your priorities

The first point was the hardest. It involved a stocktake of things I had collected in my twenty five years of existence. Items that defined me as a person, or so I thought.  Memories that I wasn’t too eager to throw away. 

I boxed up and passed on old and ill-fitting clothes. I gave away the majority of computer related components that I was hoarding for that rainy day. I sorted out the contents of my digital life – both an emotional and liberating experience.

As this process progressed I felt the weight of the digital and physical worlds lifting from my shoulders.  A sense of relief and excitement swept upon me as all the items I had made identity meaning out of were being purged from my life.
By clearing out all this physical, digital and sentimental clutter I was making room for the new.  

Freeing space up to move, to breathe, to live. 

Point 2, refusing to get new stuff, was about being conscious in consumption.

If I wanted something new could I borrow it? Rent it? Could I ask to get it as a gift? Could I delay gratification and avoid paying the early adopter premium?

Did I even need it in the first place?

I am pleased to say that I have been able to postpone big ticket items thus far – including that all important three piece suit that all adult males should have.

Point 3, rejig, was about redefining what is important.

I am convinced the real poverty we experience in the Western world is not a material one, rather one of time and experiences. It is not about having more - rather it is about doing more and being more. 

Last week I had my first near-life experience for some time – I went rock climbing in the city with friends – an amazing test of physical and emotional resilience that changed me. I want to do more of the things I enjoy with the people I enjoy. 

Ultimately, I must confess that I didn’t get down to one hundred items; my personal library contains more the one hundred books alone. However, without a doubt, the 100 thing challenge was a valuable and liberating process.

As a takeaway from this speech I propose that you all play ‘The Sims’ computer game for two weeks and determine if your life as a consumer has any more meaning than the characters you control in the game.

As for me I’ll be aiming to consume less and contribute more. Reducing, refusing and rejigging the items in my life as I strive to stay off the never-ending treadmill with the dangling carrot that is always out of reach.

The time, energy and money I save will be better invested in education, experiences and relationships. 

Clearing the clutter out of my life has allowed me to focus on what truly matters.

Thank you.