Happy Monday, friends! Today is wonderfully gray and windy, and I couldn't be happier than to be cozied up on my couch typing this post. Like I mentioned in several previous posts, minimizing and simplifying possessions is a topic that has been close to my heart at this time. Right before the new year, I had the hubby bring home some empty boxes from work, and I readily filled them with items to donate or sell. It felt so freeing to load up the truck with seven large boxes to take to Goodwill! Our space is cleaner and more open because of it, and we're better able to enjoy the items that we really love and use often. I'm not quite done--I still have to tackle all the boxes in the shed--but this has been a great way to start off the new year and to work on my goal of simplifying.
Today I thought I would share a look into my process of minimizing. I've done a lot of reading over the years about how to reduce clutter, and through all of that, I've come up with a process that works great for me, and helps diminish all the unnecessary things I've been holding onto. Here are my top ten tips for simplifying your stuff:
1. Get yourself in the mood. Get your favorite playlist going and grab yourself a drink to get yourself motivated. :) This makes the process feel much less like a chore!
2. Tackle one section at a time. Divide your space into sections (the smaller, the better!), and approach each one by itself. For example, it might be rather daunting to declutter your entire kitchen in one go, but if you choose to take just one drawer or cupboard at a time, the process becomes much more manageable.
3. Lay everything out. So with that kitchen drawer, take out the entire contents and lay them out on the counter. This way you can see everything clearly, take inventory, sort, and get rid of excess. For some reason, I had seven spatulas cluttering my kitchen drawer. I cut it down to three.
4. With each item, ask yourself questions like: What purpose does it serve? How often do I use this? Do I have something else similar? Can I do without it? Does it bring me joy? And answer them honestly. Your answers will show you if it's time to let that item go.
5. Don't hang on to things simply because you "might use them someday." There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but if the chances of "someday" happening are less than 75%, chances are it may be time to pass that item on.
6. Don't think about how much something cost. There are a few things that I hung on to far longer than I should have simply because I remembered how much I spent, or felt guilty because of how much someone else had spent on me. If such an item still has worth, you can try selling it, or passing it on to someone who will use and enjoy it more.
7. Try to remove sentimentality from the equation. I have to admit, this is really hard for me. I hung on to so many things from my childhood simply because of the sentimental value attached to them. But think of it this way: if you don't use it or display it, what is the point of hanging on to it? If it lives in a box in your garage and is only pulled out by accident when you're looking for something else, is it really worth keeping? I ran into this problem last week when my husband was sorting through his shirts to get rid of the ones that had shrunk or were too worn..."But I LOVE that shirt on you!" He managed to talk me out of keeping all of them as nightshirts, thank goodness.
8. If you're having a really hard time getting rid of something, try taking a picture, or a scan. This is also a good way to cut down your files, or to save children's artwork. Pictures only take up space on your hard drive, as opposed to physical space.
9. What about gifts or items that were inherited? Don't feel like you're obligated to hang on to something just because it was a gift or an inheritance. If it's not your style, if you hate it, if you never use it, what is the purpose of keeping it? I struggle with this, too--I held on to an ancient, creepy doll that I inherited from my great-grandma for years (it lived in the back corner of my closet), because I felt obligated to keep it. Then when I was moving, I discovered that my sister-in-law's aunt collects old dolls, so I readily gave it to her. If you're not a fan, pass it on to someone you know will love it, donate it, or sell it, and feel better knowing that the item is going to make someone else happy.
10. Think about it. If there's something you're not sure about, give it a few months. See how often you use it and how much you like it at the end of that time, and if you didn't get a lot of use from it, or if you feel indifferent toward it, get rid of it.
Finally, remember this is an on-going process (especially if you have kids!). There are always going to be more clothes that don't fit and items that are worn from use, or are no longer being used. Just edit these things as they come up to keep the clutter from accumulating.
And there you have it! This was a fairly generalized post, but I'm planning on also writing one on simplifying your closet, and also a couple on how to keep the clutter from building back up.
Do you have any decluttering tips you'd like to share? I'd love to read them!
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