Evening star., 1925-03-25
Elimination of the Non-Essentials
by LYDIA LIE BACON WALKER.

persons accomplish much, while others
do but very little, when all have an
even amount of this precious stuff
that is so eagerly desired and with
out which nothing can be done?
The matter resolves into an urge
for accomplishment rather than a re-
quest for the unattainable. Put in
this light, every person may we'll
voice the idea, couched in some such
phrase as:
"Oh, how I do wish I could get more
donev'
1t is such an urge as this that
prompts persons to make the most of
their time, day by day. If it is amaZ-
Ing how little some persons get done,
it Is equally astonishing how much
some others accomplish. Both have
an equal amount of time. Circum-
stances and environment enter into
the equation, with time, and the first
two things may vary, but the last
one, time, is undertaking, and this is
the thing most longed for, appar
emily.
Some Solutions.
There is little advantage in consid-
ering this subject that is so vast and
awe-inspiring in its inevitability and
magnitude, unless we can arrive at
some helpful conclusions, IL not posi-
tive solutions. So let us see what
ideas can be wrung from the discus
sion that may in some measure help
to solve housewives perplexities.
The first idea Is elimination. De-
eide between the essentials and the
non-essentials in the work, and refuse
to allow yourselves to worry over
things left undone that must give
place to those of more value.
Hampering Things.
Do not permit yourself to be
hampered by an accumulation of
things. Make the best use of every
thing, but do not for moment be-
lieve that you should get the final use
of all things. Let some one else get
some benefit from them. There is
more time wasted in going over and
over unused articles that may some
time come in handy; in airing and re-
packing them in closets and draw
ers than any future use of these
same things would warrant. OF
course, we are not now considering
precious heirlooms or things valued
for associations rather than future
usefulness. What we are speaking
about are those things that are kept
merely because they may some day
Hi some use, however SHldli. hSdH-
while we are cramped for closet room,
and bemoan the fact that we have
not enough bureaus! We are making
work for ourselves that takes time,
and hampering housework from run
ming smoothly. Moreover, there are
many in positive need who could be
made comfortable by these very
things that are occupying US to no
account.
Avoid slow transitions. 1t is sur
prising how much precious time is
lost merely by this one thing alone.
Instead of going to new task di-
rectly we have finished another, we
allow ourselves to be diverted by al
most anything as we change our oc-
cupations We neither rest, work
nor enjoy ourselves. We merely slow
up our speed unnecessarily, and con-
seQuently lose time in a futile way.
Time for Pleasure.
1t is a mistake to prod ourselves on
from one task to another, with no
rest or recreation. Strange as it may
seem, this is one of the most common
ways of home-makers losing time. If,
instead of making transitions slowly
and working in lazy fashion, we
went about the housework with Zest,
we should accomplish the maximum
amount without encroaching on time
which we should devote absolutely to
relaxation, to pleasure, or to getting
sufficient sleep. Working every min
ute does not accomplish. the most
Energetic work, interspersed with
positive pleasures and rest, is far
more productive. Accomplishment
counts, not the mere spending of time
in work. We can learn to be thrifty
in our expenditure of time.