Swedish death cleaning and Lagom
Mafe, my beloved spouse, has been asking me recently to start disposing some of the old stuff that have been untouched in our attic. After all, I’ve accumulated quite a ton of books, magazine and school stuff from studying and teaching all these years. And even my clothes and gadget collection (men stuff) have remained to pile up. It all came to head recently when she shared Margarita Magnusson’s new book, “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.”
I read through it and it dawned on me that yes, it made sense to start letting go of stuff we don’t need in life. Magnusson, a Swedish artist “somewhere between 80 and 100” years old is preparing for the end of one’s life by ridding herself of unneeded possession. It’s a merciful act to unburden your next of kin when the inevitable happens, as well as a satisfying personal experience. As presented in the blurb of her book, her guide is an invigorating, touching and surprising process that helps you or someone you love immeasurably and offers a chance to celebrate and reflect on all the tiny joys that make up a long life along the way.
The Swedish word is “dostanding” or the art of death cleaning, where the elderly and their families set their affairs in order. Whatever your age, death cleaning can be used to help us de-clutter our lives, take stock of what is important, make our lives comfortable and as less stressful as possible.
A few years ago, I connected with a friend who lives in Los Angeles and she recounted to me the unfortunate fire that razed her house. What amazed me however was how she related the process of her recovery. She said afterwards that she realized more than one half of the stuff she possessed including clothes and other personal items were things she could live without. We live a life accumulating a lot of material things that at some point were probably functional, but outlived their usefulness. A good number of these are not necessary for our happiness.
Another book, this time by Niki Brentmark entitled “Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced/ Happy Life” echo this sentiment. Wikipedia define Lagom as “just the right amount.” Lagom carries the connotation of appropriateness although not necessary perfection. It implies filling your space with just the things you need and enjoy and nothing more. Brentmark says a Lagom lifestyle could be the key to reducing pressure, as it encourages finding balance in every area of life. Living with less is Lagom; decluttering the house to declutter the mind and investing money in less pieces but which last longer.
The question Magnusson wants us to ask in getting rid of possession is this: “Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?” Eventually you won’t be here anymore, and your love ones will be left to deal with your junk.
In almost the same vein, there is the Japanese approach to decluttering. Marie Kondo, best selling author and organizing consultant, has popularized a new way of keeping tidy. Kondo asks people to consider whether an object “sparks joy” in them. And Kondo recommends that people “thank” the objects they’re getting rid of before letting go of their service. And she has introduced a very practical and revolutionary method for simplifying, organizing and storing.
Whether you adapt the Swedish or the Japanese method, it is important to examine what really matters in the things we have accumulated. Death cleaning represents a very mundane and realistic application to the physical world. After all, even our most loved possessions will not be ours forever and we might as well share to our family, friends and even to charity, those possessions that can still spark joy in other people’s lives.
It’s no different for organizations. The concept of decluttering can lead to major transformation especially for those that have been in existence for a long time. Although we focus on the decluttering of material things, it can also be applied in the conceptual sphere as the process is one of disruption which can lead to strategic reinvention, and a change of perspective. For organizations, it can be based on the need to adapt and innovate, and the death could refer to ridding the entity of old habits that need to change in response to the challenges of a new economic and world order.
(Benel D. Lagua is Executive Vice President at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and a long time advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs. The views expressed herein are his own and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX.)
benel_dba@yahoo.com