Reflection
Twenty years in one house. That’s a lot of time for a lot of stuff to accumulate. Even as I don’t consider myself a hoarder, clutter bug or even someone who tends to hold onto stuff too long, I’m shocked at the amount of stuff cluttering our home. We are moving soon, certainly within the year. This makes it necessary to physically remove things we no longer need.
But what about the mental and emotional need to rid ourselves of unwanted items? Both Mike and I find it very emotionally satisfying and fulfilling to rid ourselves of two decades of things. Clearing out spaces enables us to put a distance between us and yesterday. We have such exciting plans for our next stage of life together. Every item we sell, donate or trash feels like a step closer to entering the next chapter of life.
My Solution
Some of my favorite, most healing clear-out projects lately include:
• Hall closet: A large hall linen closet had somehow become home to spent electronics and all sorts of other things. Items I tossed include a half dozen digital cameras from the early 2000s, wrinkled Christmas wrapping paper, unfilled photo frames and a first-aid kit that expired 15 years ago.
• Pet ashes: This lovely five acres of Ponderosa Pine and flowery meadows has been home to countless horses, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys and even a turtle. While several of these domestic animals already rest in the earth (along with a few wild unfortunates), several others were sitting quietly in urns on a dark shelf. We made the decision to return the ashes of several Colorado pets to the soil here. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
• iPhone contacts: Over the years, I had accumulated 1,150+ iPhone contacts. I neglected to prune these over time, just due to being busy. Cutting this list down to fewer than 300 contacts meant deleting several deceased people, politicians no longer in office, a landline for a remote cabin I no longer own, and out of business vendors (including the US Airways service line!)
• The garage: What a satisfying couples project this was! We pulled everything out of the garage, sorting things into piles (keep, dumpster, donate, sell) and cleaned the garage. What a difference this has made. The garage floor is clean, there’s plenty of space to move around and things that we still need are easy to find. So far, this has been the most therapeutic project.
We still have a way to go, but now we have a system in place to make these clear-out projects efficient and effective.
Key Takeaway
Even if you aren’t moving, I urge you to begin tackling a cathartic clear-out of things. And if you do plan to move soon, step on the gas and get rid of material possessions with the veracity of a weed whacker. I want to share some of our tips for clearing unwanted things out of your home and your life.
• Tackle one project or space at a time so that the effort isn’t mentally overwhelming.
• Schedule enough time to complete a project in its entirety, avoiding the burden of “leftovers”.
• Don’t feel pressured to get rid of highly sentimental items. Maybe you can do so in the future.
• If you’re on the fence about an item, ask yourself whether or not you want to pay to move that item. Often, the answer is “no”. Get rid of it.
• Don’t try to mentally sort items. You need to physically sort your possessions into keep, sell, donate and trash. Do this for your own sanity.
• Be realistic about what can be sold or donated. Somethings have served their purpose and need to be trashed, especially if they are damaged.
• Find an appropriate place for toxic materials, including solvents, lubricants and electronics.
Getting rid of clutter is mentally liberating. Moving is stressful; the less stuff, the less stress. I encourage you to schedule a clean-out project this week!