Wednesday Makeover - Tammy’s multiplying books
(www.myorganizedbiz.com) - Do you have a lot of books?
Maybe you’re the kind of person for whom having books is really important and getting rid of them is almost painful. Or you might just have a lot of them by default and could be ready for a good purge.
My basic belief is that the books you surround yourself with need to represent who you are and where you’re going. If you have books that represent old parts of you or past careers that have fallen by the wayside, these can keep you energetically stuck and struggling in your business.
Avid reader, Tammy asked me recently:
“What do you do with the books that muliply like Topsy (I’m a reader - I do recycle, but some books are meant to stay forever). I have 3 floor to ceiling double wide bookcases in my office and one in another room, and a 1/2 bookcase by my desk. And they’re full to overflowing! Including the art magazines which I am loathe to get rid of. The basement is my studio (another bookcase down there - stuffed). Any ideas?”
If Tammy and I were working together one-on-one, I’d want to know what her books mean to her personally and what they represent for her. It’s really juicy stuff!
But for the purpose of this Wednesday Makeover, I want to suggest a process I use in my consulting work (and on myself).
1. Notice that you think of what’s in a container as one solid unit - a whole shelf, a whole box. It looks like one big thing, but it isn’t. Recognize that they’re full of separate, unique items.
2. Identify a space you want to work in and then pick up one book and ask yourself:
- Does this still represent who I am?
- Does this represent where I am going?
- Is there someone who can use this information more than I can?
3. Use your intuition. Instead of letting your head/intellect run the show, check in with your heart’s wisdom. What does it tell you about the book in your hand?
You will find that you’re able to remove individual books and other reading materials that are no longer serving you - leaving what actually supports you. And it can feel satisfying to know that someone else’s life can be enriched by sharing the information that was once so useful to you.
Libraries, thrift stores, and Amazon are all great places to donate or sell the materials you no longer need.
How do you decide how and when to get rid of your books? Is it a difficult process?
Tags: amazon, book, bookshelf, business, clutter, library, office, Office Furniture, Organize, overwhelmRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Declutter and downsize, Office Furniture, Wednesday Makeover
2 opinions for Wednesday Makeover - Tammy’s multiplying books
Ann
Apr 30, 2008 at 11:47 am
I recently took two large bags of books to the used bookstore. The offered me $90 in credit, or $33 in cash. I took the cash. Otherwise, I’d fill up the shelves again with books bought on impulse or because I had the credit. This wasn’t easy for me - I love books - but I felt so relieved to walk out of there empty-handed! and I went straight to the bank and deposited my little check.
Kristen King
May 7, 2008 at 7:21 am
Ann, I recently did the same thing. It’s so hard to take the cash instead of the books, but getting more books sure doesn’t solve the problem!
My community has a really crappy library with like zero selection, so now when i’m going through all of my stuff, I tell myself that every book I part with is a gift I’m giving to a library that desperately needs me help. :)
Textbooks go to Amazon, current reads go to the used book store, and everything else goes to the library.
I tend to hang onto books on the premise that I will one day read them (kind of like those jeans that will one day fit again!), but I’m finally coming to terms with how unlikely that actually is for some of these items, which I have moved to 3 different homes without yet opening them. Those are the first to go. :)
The thing is, the books don’t define who you are — YOU define who you are. Remembering that was the key for me in cutting down my collection.
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