For several years now I've been keeping a list of annual goals. Sort of like new year's resolutions, but these are things I plan to actually do, rather than fail to do! Top of my annual goal list is, once again, not to purchase anything that is not needed, or adds to a hoard, or is not absolutely to my taste and size. According to Juliet Schor, in her 2010 book Plenitude:
In 1991 Americans bought an average of thirty-four dresses, pairs of pants, sweaters, shirts, underwear, and other items. In 1996 that number had risen to forty-one. By 2007 per-person consumption had soared to sixty-seven items. American consumers were purchasing a new piece of clothing every 5.4 days.
Since reading those words I've kept a running list of all the clothing and footwear I've bought each year and have tried to be absolutely conscious not to buy anything I won't use regularly. It's actually quite fun, as it forces me to be selective and to choose items I really like and really want to add to my wardrobe; to choose quality over quantity. It's also a good excuse to completely boycott the summer sales that are making the shops so chaotic this week! By keeping purchases to a minimum I'm also reducing wastage of materials and energy, saving money, and reducing clutter.
Some other goals on my 2016 list include ...
Happy New Year!
In 1991 Americans bought an average of thirty-four dresses, pairs of pants, sweaters, shirts, underwear, and other items. In 1996 that number had risen to forty-one. By 2007 per-person consumption had soared to sixty-seven items. American consumers were purchasing a new piece of clothing every 5.4 days.
Since reading those words I've kept a running list of all the clothing and footwear I've bought each year and have tried to be absolutely conscious not to buy anything I won't use regularly. It's actually quite fun, as it forces me to be selective and to choose items I really like and really want to add to my wardrobe; to choose quality over quantity. It's also a good excuse to completely boycott the summer sales that are making the shops so chaotic this week! By keeping purchases to a minimum I'm also reducing wastage of materials and energy, saving money, and reducing clutter.
Some other goals on my 2016 list include ...
- continuing my three regular volunteer jobs
- doing more Coursera courses
- cooking more spicy food
- continuing to support my favourite good causes and make Kiva microloans
- exercising at least 90 minutes per day (a phone app polices this!)
- minimising intellectual clutter by avoiding unnecessary mailing lists and 'loyalty' programs
- treating time as if it were money and spending it wisely
Happy New Year!
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