I'm trying to declutter - home, email, habits, et cetera.
I've noticed I keep an awful lot of emails because they have a link in them that might be useful, some day, for some project. New 14th century manuscript digitized! New book on Italian Renaissance dance out!
Except that, experience has taught me that on the off-chance that I actually need a 14th century manuscript or a book on Italian dance, I'm not going to say, "Oh, hey, I've got that email from 2009 that I haven't looked at in three years!" No, I'm going to go to Google and search for it. Or go to the library's online catalogue. Or WorldCat.
I have a habit of doing this with physical objects as well. "A travel-sized hair comb! No matter that I already have one in my overnight bag. I could lose it, and then I'll need this one. Let me put it here in the closet." Not a bad idea in theory, but in practice it contributes to clutter I don't have time to clean up, and the uncleaned clutter stresses me.
Delete, delete, delete.
I still save some things: anything related to my current research themes, or some ideas for competitions to run at events. But anything that's just related, somehow, to medieval music and performance? Good-bye. I may have the disc space to store you, but you're occupying brain real estate I'd like back, thanks.
