When we moved to Fort Collins six years ago, we put everything we owned into our car and drove 16 hours from California. Since then, we acquired a few more items (including a dog). We’ve also been throwing out a few more items, mainly in anticipation of the move.
The great thing about moving is purging. I love throwing things away. There’s a freedom in empty space. (I highly encourage everyone to watch the Minimalism documentary on Netflix).
Break up with your stuff
There is so much stuff that we hoard that we don’t use or need and we keep it for what purpose? The only joy we get from it is when we donate it. It’s time for some spring cleaning.
Things you need to ask yourself when you are going through your items:
- Does this item serve a purpose in my life?
- Is this item useful and convenient to me? Is it saving me time?
- Do I get joy out of this item?
- Is this item in good condition? (seriously, how much stuff do we keep that’s broken, ripped, etc?)
- Do I have another item that does the same thing?
How/What to Toss:
- Start in one room. Focus on one area of your home and go through that room corner by corner, drawer by drawer.
- Pare down your supplies. Do you need 5 sets of scissors, 50 pens? Probably not.
- Backup all your music/discs, etc onto an external hard drive.
- Donate books to your library (unless they are Harry Potter books. Those can stay).
- Check your medicine cabinet and bathroom for expired goods. Toss makeups/hair products, etc. that are expired, unused.
- YOUR CLOSET! Oh my goodness, your closet. So many people look at their closet and then pass out, run away, cry, hide, etc. Project 333 will save your life. This is what my closet looks like: you can learn more about my love for Project 333 in my Throw it all Away post (are you seeing a theme here? Because I am!).
When we clean out, we are physically cleaning and donating items to people in need, serving our community and doing good. But we are also cleaning out and creating space in our homes and lives for other things. Things like relationships, conversations, peacefulness, contentment with ourselves and a feeling of peace with our situation. The less things we have the more time we have to spend on things that really matter.
Do you have a hard time cleaning or getting rid of things? What are your tricks for staying organized?
Erin Maglione 