Buying more than we really need
Well, it is that time of year. The time when everyone searches deep into their souls and pulls out lots of non-sustainable resolutions that, generally, affect only their immediate lives.
That sounds pretty cynical, as I just realised...not exactly the squishy, copywritten magazine version.
This new year, one of my goals is to be more conscious of what I use and spend on. This means:
As I did my bi-monthly closet cleanout today, I realised that a lot of the clothes that I don't wear anymore or as much are mostly because I don't take care of them.
My vow then, is to take better care of the things that I have already purchased--those end-of-the-day beauty binges at Watson's (come on, ladies, we've all done it!) have left me with more body lotion and facial cleanser than I can use for all of 2010. I bought it for a reason (on impulse or not), so my new resolve is to actually use all of what I have to the fullest.
For clothes, that means discipline. Most of my clothes come out of the washer and onto the drying rack, where they will inevitably sit for days, get covered in Tangie's cat hair, and then be resigned to a crumpled mess of half-foldedness on the bed (or next to it) for a few days until they are put away in drawers or hung up on a plastic hanger from the 'Japan Home' across the street. It's a sad life for most of them.
Damien has been lovely enough to get us an awesome clothes steamer, which I really recommend to everyone. Now, when the clothes are dry I bring them straight to the steamer and get them put away immediately. Then, those cute shirt-dresses (that always seem to be crinkled...) have no reason to stay in my closet - everything that goes in there must be perfectly pressed and ready to pull out at any moment! The idea is that if I care for each and every item that I own, I will feel more inclined to wear it! It's just human nature, right? We want to choose the 'newest' thing to wear because we then feel the most confident.
This makes me think of Peggy Bundy, the Married with Children wife who buys all of her clothes new so she doesn't have to do laundry. Hehe. Although it's dramatised, how many of us think that's the dream situation? We feel at our best when we pamper ourselves with nice things.
Above: If what you own is clean and organised, you'll be more compelled to use it. : )
It's this human trait that's gotten us into the 'throwaway' habit that seems to consume most of us. The trips to the coffee places using takeaway cups, the styrofoam packets, the 'This Fashion' (a store selling very cheap-under USD$8 clothing)...everything about society in Singapore (and of course in the USA too!) tells us that it's okay to use and toss. The built-in garbage chute in my kitchen is almost the ultimate convenience--we use, we throw, we forget...
So, my resolution is not to completely change my life. I am by no means a poster-girl for green living. But, I can (and you can, too) make small changes that make a difference in the coming year. By becoming more aware of the things I can do (and what I'm not doing now), I am immediately changing my mindset and rescripting my own patterns of daily life.
A resolution is not a quick fix--a button you can push for life-transforming results. Good resolutions take time and become forever ingrained in our outlooks and behaviours.
What do you want to resolve to do?
Wishing you a happy (and organised) new year!
That sounds pretty cynical, as I just realised...not exactly the squishy, copywritten magazine version.
This new year, one of my goals is to be more conscious of what I use and spend on. This means:
- not buying products with excessive packaging
- buying (and eating) only what is good for my body that it really needs
- refraining from purchasing any clothes for the first six months of the year to see if I can focus on my true style
My close friends are now saying to themselves, "didn't I just see you with a Starbucks in your hand?" or, "what about that renovation you just did?"
The answer is this: the goal is to be more conscious, not change my lifestyle overnight. And also, purchasing things that really add value to my quality of life (i.e. the newly 'renovated' kitchen) definitely are okay! The goal is to improve life quality through purchasing or using quality things that are sustainable.
As I did my bi-monthly closet cleanout today, I realised that a lot of the clothes that I don't wear anymore or as much are mostly because I don't take care of them.
Actually, for women, I think this goes for lots of things: clothes, toiletries, beauty products, accessories, bags, you name it...the minute an item gets dirty or more used than the original condition, we stop using it or chuck it. We are constantly craving for the new.
My vow then, is to take better care of the things that I have already purchased--those end-of-the-day beauty binges at Watson's (come on, ladies, we've all done it!) have left me with more body lotion and facial cleanser than I can use for all of 2010. I bought it for a reason (on impulse or not), so my new resolve is to actually use all of what I have to the fullest.
For clothes, that means discipline. Most of my clothes come out of the washer and onto the drying rack, where they will inevitably sit for days, get covered in Tangie's cat hair, and then be resigned to a crumpled mess of half-foldedness on the bed (or next to it) for a few days until they are put away in drawers or hung up on a plastic hanger from the 'Japan Home' across the street. It's a sad life for most of them.
Damien has been lovely enough to get us an awesome clothes steamer, which I really recommend to everyone. Now, when the clothes are dry I bring them straight to the steamer and get them put away immediately. Then, those cute shirt-dresses (that always seem to be crinkled...) have no reason to stay in my closet - everything that goes in there must be perfectly pressed and ready to pull out at any moment! The idea is that if I care for each and every item that I own, I will feel more inclined to wear it! It's just human nature, right? We want to choose the 'newest' thing to wear because we then feel the most confident.
This makes me think of Peggy Bundy, the Married with Children wife who buys all of her clothes new so she doesn't have to do laundry. Hehe. Although it's dramatised, how many of us think that's the dream situation? We feel at our best when we pamper ourselves with nice things.
Above: If what you own is clean and organised, you'll be more compelled to use it. : )
It's this human trait that's gotten us into the 'throwaway' habit that seems to consume most of us. The trips to the coffee places using takeaway cups, the styrofoam packets, the 'This Fashion' (a store selling very cheap-under USD$8 clothing)...everything about society in Singapore (and of course in the USA too!) tells us that it's okay to use and toss. The built-in garbage chute in my kitchen is almost the ultimate convenience--we use, we throw, we forget...
Above: By keeping things accessible and easy to see (getting a transparent storage box helps keep dust away and things visible), you can keep all that great jewelry and beauty products in rotation and rediscover your own sense of style!
So, my resolution is not to completely change my life. I am by no means a poster-girl for green living. But, I can (and you can, too) make small changes that make a difference in the coming year. By becoming more aware of the things I can do (and what I'm not doing now), I am immediately changing my mindset and rescripting my own patterns of daily life.
A resolution is not a quick fix--a button you can push for life-transforming results. Good resolutions take time and become forever ingrained in our outlooks and behaviours.
What do you want to resolve to do?
Wishing you a happy (and organised) new year!
posted by Unknown @ 11:44 PM
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