Lagom is a Swedish principle that means “not too much” and “not too little.” In America, we are consumed by excess. Storage units are one of the largest growing industries in the United States. Bringing in roughly 36 billion dollars last year, we are literally paying billions to store our old junk. Lagom teaches you to do with less without doing without. Here are some areas where Lagom can help all of us.
At Work
How many hours do you work in a week? Are you being efficient or do you waste time surfing the web or goofing around with co-workers? If you can finish your work in less than 40 hours a week, aim for that goal and go home early. If you have so much work that you can’t possibly finish everything in 40 hours, talk to your boss or consider moving to another job. Working hard is important and is lacking in our society, but taking time to enjoy life with your family, friends, and community will help you live longer and be happier. Remember, not too much work and not too little.
At Home
When you move in to a new house, do you immediately go on a spending spree to fill the empty space? How often do we blow our budgets on a new living space only to get rid of the items in a few years at a garage sale?
Lagom teaches us to keep items out of extreme necessity or extreme nostalgia or personal significance. That signed Babe Ruth baseball from your grandfather . . . that’s a keeper. That five dollar end table from Wal-Mart you bought to pile junk on three years ago . . .gone. Spend a week on each room in your house or apartment and declutter your life. Sell items on eBay or Craigslist. Sell clothes on Poshmark. Turn that extra money into a unique experience with your friends and family. Cook out for your neighbors or church group. Invest the money for your next house or early retirement. My guess is that you have hundreds if not thousands of dollars cluttering your home. Use it to buy a self storage facility. The irony.
In the Community
Lagom can sound a bit like our socialism. Make no mistake, this is a capitalist blog, but sometimes, making sure others have enough when you have excess is beneficial. How do you spend your extra time? Binging TV? Sleeping? Eating? Take some time to meet your neighbors. Spend some time volunteering in your community. 
I guarantee those around you could use help with a project. Building closer communities will help our society prosper in the future. In a time where trivial things like pizza and football divide our country and its deepest level, take time to help others and share your wealth (time or money) with those who actually need it. Helping others will clear your mind, improve your health, and avoid conflict. Instead of fighting with your neighbors about leaf storage and yard maintenance (I’m looking at you, Rand Paul), clean up someone else’s yard.
Lagom . . . live it
h/t to Lifehacker
-B&T