As I sit here typing I'm about to embark on my third move since arriving in this country. Finally we have found something a little more long term. I'm moving out of my current place because it is a vacation rental and already full of someone else's (the owner's) stuff. I can't deal with it. Seriously, it's one thing to have your own clutter but when it's someone else's !?! Being here has made me more aware of what junk we just don't need. This place has boxes of crayons, spices, empty pop bottles, old magazines, I could go on... I guess the owner keeps them so they can use them when they visit, to each their own. I can't take it anymore.
Being surrounded by so much stuff is overwhelming. I can't concentrate, I just wander around in circles, paralyzed by clutter. Clutter has an effect not only on our physical state but our mental one.
There are some that will read this and think they are already minimalists. If you have a second closet full of clothes or a cabinet full of fancy items you only use once a year, or maybe never. You are not a minimalist. Organized, maybe. Minimalist, no.
I'm not judging, I've had that box of crayons. I've had a packed closet. I'm telling you, it's better over here on the other side. I'm able to pack all of my belongings in a few hours, I can find what I want when I need it and it feels great! Planning for this move got me thinking about the simplification process and I thought I would share some of the ideas that helped me.
First, give yourself time. When I started this process I wanted to get everything done quickly, it took longer than I'd hoped. The more you get rid of, the more you will find. There's a good chance you've got more stuff than you think.
Make a list. Some choose to go room by room, others prefer to go by category. Whatever you decide, write it down and go through items methodically. You might decide to go through the junk drawer (you know you've got one), or a storage closet. Do the first thing on the list and move on to the next one. This will help to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
Take a half hour each day or a few hours once a week, whatever works best for your schedule.Just do something regularly.
When removing items, start with what you no longer use. It might still be useful but if you haven't taken it out of a drawer, or closet in a long time it's no longer useful to you. Think about donating it, or giving it to someone who might appreciate it.
Next move on to items that you don't love. Maybe it's a nice dress but it makes you feel uncomfortable. Get rid of it, only keep items that you love and make you feel great!
Now there's the stuff that cost a lot of money, it's still good, and it would be a waste to get rid of it. Sell it. If you can't sell it and you're still not using it, keeping it isn't saving you anything. It was still a waste of money because you are not using it! Get rid of it, we all make mistakes. Move on.
Here's where it starts to get harder. Those items you still like but know very well you rarely use. What worked for me was putting it in a bag and out of sight. If I didn't miss it or find myself needing it, I let it go.
And then there's the keepsakes. There are some things you will not want to let go of and that's o.k. When making your decision about what to keep try to decide if it is something that you will be willing to put on display or in a box. If the answer is that the keepsake will be kept in a box, take a picture of it and let it go. An item in a box isn't making a difference in your life, it's sitting in a box getting old.
What to keep? Keep what you love. That dress that looks perfect every time. The jeans that work with every outfit, and that blender that always makes the perfect smoothie!
By keeping only what you love, you appreciate what you have, enjoy using it, and feel good every time you get dressed.
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| Less stuff, more peace. |
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