Which Coffee Mug Best Defines Me?
It was 7:30 on a Friday night when I walked into Publix to buy dinner for my girlfriend and myself. While walking through the coffee aisle toward the meat section, I stopped in front of the coffee mugs. I started to wonder, did one of these coffee mugs define my life? More importantly, did they define me better than the 30 coffee mugs we already owned?
The white coffee mug that says “Leave Your Drama For Your Llama” sounded like something I’d say. On the other hand, the refined wood-covered stainless steel travel mug matched my beard and flannel shirt.
So many options and they all have the same endpoint. Me, trying to stack them into an already overwhelmed cabinet.
As I have decluttered my life, I’ve also started to declutter my shopping habits. I did so by learning the right questions to ask while shopping both in a store and online.
- What Value Does This Add To My Life? Is this coffee mug going to make my life better by owning it?
- Does Something I Own Already Add That Value? It holds coffee well, but so do all the other coffee mugs I own. Do I need another one?
- Will That Value Last? The people at my office will love that Llama Drama coffee mug when I bring it in. What about the day after, or the day after that? How long before it’s just another coffee mug?
- Why Do I Want This Thing? Do I want this coffee mug because it holds coffee, or to make myself more interesting? Is it about coffee, or about being the guy in the spotlight?
If you go to Publix, it’s on Aisle 4 that you’ll find a Drama Llama coffee mug and a wood-covered stainless steel coffee mug. Because as great as they were, they didn’t add value to my life. They would be another coffee mug in a cabinet filled with coffee mugs. In essence, they were going to add to the clutter.
I suppose, in a way, that is what minimalism is. Freedom from too many coffee mugs. Realizing every mug serves the same purpose. Owning more mugs doesn’t mean more value. It means more things to hand wash.
If you’re dealing with clutter in the home, try asking yourself these same questions in the store. Decluttering works best when you don’t bring more clutter in.
