My mindset changed the moment I realized that everything is a tool. 

We use the word tool typically to describe fix-it devices: products with the sole purpose of manipulating a thing to make it better or no longer broken. We all know that the tool doesn’t do all the work. The tool enables the work to be done more easily, better. Choosing the right tool is extremely important. A hammer can drive in a nail, in just the right spot, or be used as a weapon.

I began to see all my attributes- every single personality trait- as tools. There are no good or bad traits, just tools that can be helpful or harmful, depending on their use. I happen to be adept at time management and planning. These are undeniably useful skills but they can be harmful if I allow them to let me become rigid, lose sight of the big picture or close me off to spontaneous adventures. 

If everything is a tool, then religions, philosophies, self-help systems, and even minimalism are also tools. Any type of lifestyle approach is a tool to accomplish a given goal. They can be used well or miss the point entirely.

I also see all of the items I own as tools, rather than the typical classifications of objects. When considering it as a tool, what is it’s function? What purpose does each item serve? It’s easier to adopt this mindset with items in the kitchen or office but what about furniture, hobby supplies, pieces of art, or sentimental objects?

As I wrote in The Tyranny of Nightstands and Throw Pillows, we take many household items for granted because we assume we need them. And if we have them, we tend to use them in some way, even if it’s not what’s best for us. Instead, if we take the tool approach, we can ask ourselves whether a couch is fixing or improving something. What function does it serve and can that function, if needed, be served by a different tool?

This doesn’t mean that a possession with a sentimental or historical purpose no longer has a place, but the questions surrounding whether or not it should be kept can improve. No one would choose a tool to make them sad or guilty, but perhaps a sentimental item is a tool to connect with a loved one that has passed. Much like only needing one or two hammers, you only need a couple items to forge that relationship connection in the material world.

This approach works well when considering repurposing items rather than trashing them. Even something as simple an old toothbrush becoming a grout scrubber. A toothbrush is a tool for cleaning teeth and tile. If each item is a tool, you can choose the purpose or multiple purposes that it serves. The focus on functionality is the basis for understanding whether something adds value to your life.

Try on the toolbox mentally this month. It’s best used as an all encompassing mindset as it requires a retraining of your mind. Once the shift takes place, it’s easier to see your truth more clearly. It trains you to ask questions about the value of something, and it’s purpose in your life from a functionality perspective. This mindset shift allows you to move away from treating ideas, personality traits and objects as good or bad. It removes judgement. These are just things that serve different purposes. Consider this the beginning of your life’s toolbox curation, so that you can be ready for anything.