I had an ant problem a few months ago and had to clear everything out in the kitchen into the bedrooms and it made me literally see all the stuff I have. My boyfriend says that I don’t have a lot of things, so I guess this is subjective, but in my mind, it feels like I have way too much stuff. Because I feel like I only use a fraction of it. And I realized that this stuff I don’t use is actually weighing me down. It’s taking up space, I often have to look at it every day, and I feel guilty about throwing it away.
But not anymore! I’m either donating or throwing stuff away, and I’m not feeling guilty about it. I donate anything that is in good condition and usable by others. I throw away things like makeup from 10 years ago, worn-out shoes that I’ll never wear again, or empty product boxes that have been sitting in my closet.
Some things I’m donating:
- Couch covers. I had them when I first got my beige couches to protect them, but they’re ill-fitting and make it look like these couches are covered for painting the room or something. I made the bold move of taking off the covers and using the couches as-is and for the most part, they’ve stayed clean-ish. Probably because I don’t have kids lol. I also use the trick of turning over the pillow and hiding the stain underneath. 😉
- Books. I seem to have an endless amount of books, so as I find them, I’m donating most of them.
- DVDS. I used to love reality TV and especially The Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. But they’ve been divorced for ages AND remarried AND with kids. So maybe it’s time for ME to move on as well, LoL. I’m getting rid of most of my DVDs (because that stuff is becoming ancient like VHS tapes), except for a few select favorites.
- Old t-shirts. Some of these are from college (Society of Women Engineers club) or from events or from past jobs. Do donation places even accept shirts with random logos on them?
- Certain things that people gave me. Okay, this is a hard one, but sometimes people give you stuff because they think you may need it or may like it. But because someone else gives it to you, it isn’t something necessarily you would buy yourself. Sometimes it’s extremely useful and you use it every day. Sometimes it just sits and collect dust, along with your guilt for not using it. Express appreciation for those items and the person who was so thoughtful to give it to you. Then it’s time to let go of the guilt and let go of the items.
- Carnival game stuffed animals. There was great memories from going to the Alameda County Fair from a couple years ago with my friends. I was so excited when my boyfriend won this giraffe and a little turtle for me, but I guess my excitement wears off. Sorry babe, lol! And these things just sit around and collect dust. I think someone else would get more joy from it. But I still have the pictures and memories to cherish!
- Bike helmet from Google. At one point, Google gave out bike helmets for everyone at work, to encourage more biking to work, but I lived 45 minutes away by car, so there was no way I could bike (given my biking skills). Hence I never used it, and it’s still in the same plastic wrap it came in. Donating this.
- More stuffed animals. These are two little Victoria Secret dogs that I got from a workshop in college (over 10 years ago!), and I’ve put it on display for a long time, but I think it’s time to let these things go and find a new home. They still have their tags on them. -_-
- Supplies I bought for my storytime events that I don’t need. I bought decorative items for my storytime events but I never used them, so instead of hanging onto them and waiting to use them one day, I’m going to let them go. I couldn’t return them to the store anymore. Trust me, I tried.
- Nightlights. I used to be afraid of the dark LOL. Not anymore, thankfully!
- Old bedsheets. I switched from a full size mattress to a queen size mattress, so I don’t need the old bedsheets anymore. And even a bedskirt. Good bye.
I also need to figure out a place to recycle old electronics. I have an old router that I need to get rid of.
OBSERVATIONS
*Deep breath* Whew. That makes me feel so much better. Even writing it out makes me feel like I’m releasing it from my life. I think it’s easy to forget how many things we own – especially when they’re tucked away in drawers or closets.
One pattern I realized is that I get tired of decorative items, so maybe clear counters and spaces would be better for me.
I also realized that my preferences have changed. I used to love love love stuffed animals (well into adulthood haha) and especially winning them at carnivals. But now I don’t feel the need to have all of these in my possession.
I’m realizing that it’s necessary to let go of the past of who we were and what we liked, to make space for our present selves and allow for growth.
A CLEAR HEAD
My goal is that by clearing my physical space and creating order, I can have a clearer mental state. Because every time I see or walk past clutter, it makes me feel heavy or burdened knowing that I need to take care of that pile at some point. But clearing that surface makes me feel lighter. Also it’s nice to see the counter or the floor of a closet or an empty shelf.
Anyways, I still have a lot of decluttering to do, but that’s my progress so far! What do you need to get rid of?