Today, we’re continuing our “Clear the Clutter” series. I’m going to share a tip that might be emotionally painful for you as a writer… but it’s essential if you want to clear items from your life you don’t need anymore.
I’m talking about getting rid of books that no longer serve you.
In the course of my ministry, teaching, and writing career, I’ve moved offices several times. Every time I do, I realize that print books are a huge pain to move!
As a voracious reader, and now as a full-time writer, I love books. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get a book or two in the mail. Over time, these have added up and I’ve run out of shelf space more than once.
Every year or two, I do a “book purge.” It works like this: I take a couple of hours to go through all my books and set aside the ones I no longer need. I try to use the “moving next month” principle, in which I ask myself, “If I were moving next month, would I want to pack this book and take it with me?”
It’s OK to have overflowing shelves of books right now. However, the fact is that those books will need to be moved at some point in the future. Whether it’s you or perhaps your spouse or kids after you die, somebody will need to figure out what to do with the books.
The older I get, the less sentimental I feel toward books. If you have moved anytime recently, you know the lack of sentimentality you have when actually lugging all that stuff around.
That’s why I believe in an aggressive approach to book purging. Unless you have a particular sentimental attachment to a book, or you’re going to need it in the next few years, you should question whether to keep it.
Using this principle, I have downsized my library by a couple of thousand books over the last few years. I’ve either sold the books on Amazon, or more recently, donated them to Goodwill.
Every time I go through this process, I come across books that were once important to me, but no longer need to be part of my journey going forward. A book should earn its place on your bookshelf.
But if it’s not relevant to you right now, it might be helpful to someone else. That’s why I advocate for liberal generosity when giving books away. Plus, you can always buy another copy or get the ebook or audiobook version, if you need it again.
Please note: A book is just a collection of ideas and stories that represent a particular author’s viewpoint or experience at that point in their life. It might have been important to you at one point, but it isn’t anymore.
But if it is, then keep that book and re-read it! Give it a prized place on your shelf. A great book that helps you is a wonderful lifelong companion.
Today’s Challenge: To get started, take one minute and look at a single shelf of books in your home or office. Select at least one book you no longer need. Gift it to a friend or donate it to Goodwill.