99. Get Rid of All the Extras

When I started college, I threw out all my old emery boards and, in what seemed like an extravagance on my student budget, decided to go for broke and purchased a stainless nail file that was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

I was fond of that little file. I carried it back and forth across the country and around several continents for fifteen years.

Once I started generating some discretionary income, I splurged and bought half a dozen more stainless nail files. I wanted one in my handbag, one in my desk, one in the glove compartment, one in the nightstand, etc.

But then a curious thing happened. When I had only one nail file, I always knew where it was. As soon as I had several, I could never find a nail file when I needed one. Over the years, I’ve discovered that same phenomenon applies to many things.

For example, a person with one watch knows what time it is, but someone with two watches is never quite sure. And what’s worse, he’s become a collector. Now, not only does he have to deal with the maintenance and upkeep of the collection, but he also has to keep track of where each item in the collection is at any given moment.

In no time at all, having extra sets of things can get very complicated. I long ago got rid of the extra nail files, and more recently I’ve gotten rid of the extra eyeglasses, sunglasses, fountain pens, umbrellas, pocket knives, hammers, and all kinds of specialized tools, even the extra computers. It’s made my life so much simpler.