Are you really going back to look at the magazines you have stacked in the corner of your bookshelf?

I know from where I speak. I used to have a huge stack of magazines, some read, some waiting to be read. Sure they had great designs in them. Problem was when I wanted to be inspired I had way too many magazines to look through.

So I didn’t.

How about you? What does your stack of unread magazines look like?

All those magazines just take up space in our environment and at the same time rob us of something we really need, like energy to do our work.

So what to do about that stack that you have that just keeps getting bigger? Here are some ideas:

1. When the magazines first come in, take a quick look through the contents. Neatly tear out the ones you want to refer to again. Store the articles in a folder or binder.
2. Create an inspiration journal and save particular designs in it.
3. If you can’t bear to tear into the magazine or don’t have time to really read something, put a sticky note on the cover and mark the pages with content you need to read. After you’re finished, file the articles to save and toss the magazine
4. Periodically go through the articles or patterns you’ve saved. You may find your tastes have changed. That’s what I noticed, and then I just tossed what I saved. No need to save what no longer interested me.

How about the influx of mail order catalogs? I start by removing the order form. Then as I go through the catalog, if something sparks my interest, I remove that page and paper clip it behind the order form. Once I’ve finished checking out the catalog, it goes into the recycle bin. I place my order as soon as I can so I can toss the extra papers. If I find I don’t order within a short time, I just toss the papers.

Here’s a quote to motivate you to eliminate.

“One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” Bruce Lee