“I recommend you dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely.”
Marie Kondō,
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
This week I’m doing a little winter cleaning. Starting the process of condensing 30+ hard drives of videos and photos over the years down to one 4T hard drive. A greatest hits if you will. And the best of the best will also be stored on 1T in the cloud.
Something I’ve put off for years because it’s an overwhelming task with no billable hours. But I have a plan and Anne Lamott’s “bird by bird” theory (that she learned from her father) that’s keeping me sane.
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
Anne Lamott
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
So I’m taking this hard drive by hard drive. I just finished going through my first drive so it feels good to get out of the gate.
I think the “bird by bird” concept is simple and profound. Whether it’s cleaning your house, writing a script, or editing a project. The following quote has helped me get get rid of many books, movies, items, and clothes this year:
“Imagine what it would be like to have a bookshelf filled only with books that you really love. Isn’t that image spellbinding? For someone who loves books, what greater happiness could there be?”
Marie Kondō
If you need a jolt to kick start some organization in your life check out the podcast interview Tim Ferriss did with tidying master Marie Kondo.