The “Just-in-Case” Trap: Why Your Stuff is Owning You

In the newspaper business, we have a term called “dead wood.” It refers to the words, sentences, or even entire columns that are taking up space without delivering value. My job was to kill the dead wood so the news could breathe.

Lately, I’ve noticed that most modern homes look like an unedited first draft. They are packed with “just-in-case” objects: the spare cables for electronics you no longer own, the bread maker you used once in 2019, and the three identical black coats because you couldn’t find the first two when it started raining.

The Psychology of “Mental Rent”
Everything you own pays “rent” in your brain. You have to clean it, store it, repair it, or feel guilty about not using it. When your environment is cluttered, your focus is fragmented. You aren’t just looking at a messy desk; you’re looking at a list of unfinished chores.

Physical clutter is just delayed decision-making.

The Editor’s Guide to a Minimalist Inventory
You don’t need to move into a white box with one chair to find peace. You just need to apply the “Red Pen” to your living space. Here is how to start the edit:

The 20/20 Rule: If you are keeping something “just in case,” ask yourself: Can I replace this for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes? If the answer is yes, let it go. Your local hardware store is your external hard drive for “just-in-case” items.

Touch It Once: In the newsroom, if a memo stays on my desk for three days without being read, it goes in the bin. Apply this to your mail, your laundry, and your projects. If you pick it up, decide its fate immediately.

The “Would I Buy It Today?” Test: Look at that gadget in your kitchen. If you were in the store right now, would you pay full price for it? If not, why are you letting it take up three square feet of your expensive real estate?