Tapping Into My Inner Minimalist

 

Keeping and maintaining a clutter free home is an ongoing project that, for most of us, will never end.  Just like laundry or dishes it is something we still need to do on a regular basis so we don’t become overwhelmed by our stuff.  I make a point to routinely go through cupboards, drawers and closets to cull the items I no longer want, need or use, basically items that are no longer serving me, and every time I am amazed by how much I still find.  Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I really know how to pack things away in a closet or a drawer.

 

Things were stuffed in and hanging over the edges

Now that I have the goal to prepare my home, and myself, to make a big out of state move, I have been feeling like I still have too much stuff.  Even if I wasn’t planning that move I still think I would feel this way because after all of these years of decluttering I still feel like I am left with far more than I truly want or need.  If I had to pack up and move tomorrow it would be a complete waste of boxes, my time and my money to move most of the stuff I still have, there is no doubt in my mind about that.  Just that thought alone is enough to compel me to go through and really reevaluate the things I’ve chosen to keep and the “why” behind those decisions.

 

Swedish death cleaning is a good tool to use whenever you are evaluating many of the things you have when you find yourself asking yourself “why do I have this?” because the hard truth is  no one else I know will want the vast majority of what you have.  Case in point, I recently found a forgotten jar of coins.  Twenty one Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars, three half dollars and three $2 bills were in there plus a bunch of loose change.  In all honesty I have no recollection of collecting all of those dollar coins or why I did.  I know my kids don’t want them for any special reason, they’re just coins.  So I gathered them all up and deposited them into my savings account.  I even added the flip top jar to my donation bag.  Done!  It freed up a lot of space in that drawer for things I actually do use.

 

Bag it up!  Move it out!

“What if” or “just in case” items are another struggle.  I kept a pair of dress shoes I’d never worn and a pair of dress boots I hadn’t worn in years for “someday” when I might need them.  Truth is I will never need them.  They are now gone and in their place are the shoes I actually wear.

 

I literally had boxes of boxes

In my garage I had a collection of cardboard boxes taking up an enormous amount of space for when I might need one.  Okay?  Really?  Cardboard boxes are anything but scarce, you get one every time you order something online, so why was I hoarding them?  I have no flipping idea.  I broke them down and stuffed them into my recycle bin and after the bin was emptied I filled it up again.  And then I went back out and found some more and filled the recycle bin again!  It was, to say the least, ridiculous.  At the same time I also realized I need to stop saving bubble mailers.  You do not need an entire plastic bin full of bubble mailers.  You don’t.

 

In my home I only want to keep the things that I truly want.  Only the things I actually use.  I don’t need to keep the items that frustrate me like the mini muffin tin that sticks no matter how much I oil it, same with the bundt pan or the heavy rectangle baking stone I never use.  The extremely well worn out snow shovel when I have already purchased a replacement?  Nope.  Or all the old towels for rags.  And what is with the good rags vs. bad rags?  Aren’t they all just rags? And how many rags does one person really need?  Paper?  Craft supplies?  Fabric?  Pillows?  Linens?  The list goes on and on.  So much stuff!

 

Love 💖

Once again I’m reminding myself that I only need what I need.  My children don’t need me to save stuff for them because they aren’t going to want it and, as they have demonstrated, they can take care of and provide for themselves.  I no longer need to provide things for other people.  I only need to provide for myself.  Old habits are hard to break sometimes.

 

Simple

In my heart and my mind I prefer to have less stuff.  I always want to live with a smaller footprint.  As I continue my decluttering journey I’m going at it much differently.  I’m tapping into my inner minimalist and I’m dialing in more on what my home is supposed to look like, feel like and have in it for me.  I’ve made a lot of progress so far, but I still have a ways to go.  I know I can do this!  Who’s with me?