I hear myself talking about downsizing but I never seem to accomplish this task. I say how important it is to me but I can’t seem to make any significant headway. Don’t get me wrong, I am in a better place than I was in the past but I still have too much stuff. I go into the basement and riffle through some boxes but get distracted by my stuff and by all of the boxes that don’t belong to me. I find something small I can throw out or put in a donation box, I putter for a few minutes and then give up; retreating to the living room couch to play on my computer.
If I follow my own advice, I should start thinking about WHY downsizing is important to me. WHY do I want less stuff? Less clutter? Less shit piled up around me?
OK so let me think write about this!
I am easily distracted by my environment. A poorly organized space gives me an excuse not to do the important things that I want to do. When I look in my closet and drawers and see clothes spilling out or falling off hangers I feel the need to fix it. Sometimes this requires, literally pulling everything out of the closet (yes, I mean everything) and reorganizing. It also means emptying all of my drawers and refolding everything inside. I’ve read Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and fold everything in thirds but it is hard to keep it that way when things need to get shoved in!
I have moved a lot during my adult years and used to joke if “it doesn’t fit in my Tercel, it isn’t coming”! Between 1988 and 2011 I would estimate I moved more than 15 times. Only the last 3 moves required renting a truck. I still have a bit of that mentality. I love to read The Minimalists Blog to hear about success stories where less cluster leads to a more meaningful life and to get ideas of where else to declutter.
Individually and collectively we put too much emphasis on stuff, on belongings, on obtaining new and shining objects. I don’t want to be part of that mentality. I want to put my focus on people, on the environment, on engaging in activities that I enjoy. Sneakers, shoes, flip flops are easy to buy and hard to wear out. I would bet I own over 25 pair of footwear, all for my size 8 feet. I also have a thing for jackets. A co-worker and I once had a discussion about our love of jackets. At the time, I counted 17 in my closet. Today I have less but still more than I need (13 at last count).
I know when I moved in with my honey in 2014 I had boxes of stuff on two pallets in the basement. Today, I have boxes of stuff on one pallet. So I am making progress. I can’t say that this has led me to live a more meaningful life! My honey and I are on two different sides of this spectrum. I find solace in a simple, uncluttered space. My honey finds comfort in being surrounded by her belongings.
Another reason I want to downsize is that I daydream of living in a tiny house or a van. I love the idea of everything having a space and knowing exactly where to find things. Hmmm, maybe my honey and I are not so different after all! Honestly a lot of my stuff, and I would guess yours is old, outdated, not terribly functional and simply in the way. Clutter is disconcerting to me and only serves as a distraction. For that reason, I will continue on my quest to minimalize! Just yesterday, I got rid of 4 snow tires for a car that I no longer own! Yeah me!
Having to essentially “shelter in place” for weeks on end has given me some time to continue to work on this never ending project. I continue to make slow progress. I have a couple of boxes ready for donation, however the donation centers are all closed here in New York due to COVID19. I have also managed to get rid of plenty of paper in the recycle bin and a big batch that my honey cut up for scrap paper. So – yes, I keep talking about downsizing and it is a never ending task. However when I look back over the years, I have made a lot of progress and will keep toiling away because I choose to!
Choose Happiness!
Lake Girl
