My Stuff – Update 1

I have too much stuff.  I think I may have mentioned that once or twice?  I thought I would share an update as to how I’m doing with purging and getting rid of it.

A few weeks ago I shared how my worldly possessions have been weighing me down and how I want to deal with them and clear them out of our home, my studio and my life.   { You can read that post HERE. } And I thought I would try to do some regular updates, partly to keep me accountable on some level and partly because I know this isn’t a battle I face alone.  I know that there are lots of you out there who are dealing with similar issues.

Minimalist Challenge Take 2 – I did that challenge last year and we’re at the end of it again.  The basic idea is that on Day 1, you purge 1 item, on Day 2, 2 items and so on.  And I have to say that I certainly missed some days but I am also determined to make up those days, too.  I know which days I missed so I when I’m purging, I’ll track it and register the items.  By the end of the challenge, you should be down 465 items { if I did the math right 😉 }  If you are interested in taking on this challenge, you can read about it HERE.

My friend, Alena, started a Facebook group called Living Lighter { you can join HERE } and she’s currently running a similar challenge that I decided I would join because, yeah –  #toomuchstuff!! I’m trying not to cheat and overlap my posts and I’m really using this second challenge to get rid of even more stuff.

 

So, you might wonder what kind of stuff I am clearing out.  Welllllll, obvious ones are clothes that don’t fit or that I hate wearing, shoes that no longer fit the girls, old magazines that I’ve stashed from 2010 – seriously, if I haven’t read or needed them since then, I should probably let them go, right?  I’m also trying to clear out my stash of furniture, which honestly is a struggle for me.  Also purging old make-up, utensils that just take up space or are broken….like that stupid broken funnel that always jams the drawer, yep, I finally threw it out!

I’m recycling old catalogues from suppliers I no longer deal with from home  – why should they get real estate in my cozy back bedroom?  It’s crazy things like that that sit unseen for so long.  It takes really opening your eyes and looking around you to see, and I mean really see, what is in your home.

Here’s the other thing I’ve found out.  Sometimes, the things that needs purging are the items on your To-Do list.  I have a running list in my notebook.  It’s 4 pages long.  4 PAGES LONG!  That doesn’t include things like Go To Work Monday-Friday Full-time, Take the Girls to 4H or Riding Lessons, Laundry, Cook, Do Barn Chores.  It’s things like Paint the Interior Doors Black, Send so-and-so a Thank You Card, Contact this Company For the Blog, Sew the Bedroom Pillows, Drop Off Saddle for Repairs, etc.  Most things don’t have a deadline, but are still things I want to accomplish.  But, here’s the thing, this list has mental weight.  So, do I toss the list or do I focus on crossing stuff off it?  I know me, I need to cross stuff off.  I will add items I needed to do, after they’re done, JUST SO I CAN CROSS SOMETHING OFF!! Lol – but, ‘fess up – you do it, too, right?  There is such satisfaction in crossing something off the list.

I know I need to tackle my clothes closet, too.  I have stuff that I love that doesn’t fit, stuff that fits that I don’t love and that is not helpful.  I have my favourites that I wear time and time again, too, some which are getting a little worse for wear.  I want to explore a capsule wardrobe, so stay tuned for more on that.  Plus, there is stuff in there that doesn’t belong in there – like the girls old schoolwork – why???

So, that’s where I’m at.  How about you?  What is your relationship like with your stuff? Do you think you have too much stuff?  Does your family think you have too much stuff? 😉

To be continued,

Lori