And I don’t mean what happens to fingers and toes when they are in the bubble bath too long.
I’m talking about the process of cutting away the dead, useless stuff. The stuff that just sits there and doesn’t improve production, but just ends up being ugly and sometimes counterproductive.
*we found an old trumpet in the boxes…they must have driven the neighbors completely nuts all day, walking around blowing on that thing*
You see I was reading the other day about how most of us are habitual collectors. How we are always seeming to want the next new, super-shiny thing. And yet we never prune. We just keep adding and adding and then we choke.
Supposedly, we only use 20% of what we see sitting around us in our living and storage spaces. That means roughly 80% of what we see and have tucked away is primarily dead growth. Not being used, seen, or appreciated.
Just a’sittin’ there.
When I saw that statistic I went on a rampage. Now, these types of rampages aren’t new to me. When I got into my teens and my parents began home educating me, I realized I wanted the space I lived in to be neat, tidy, and somewhat sparse. I realized I produced better that way. During this time I realized just how very much I could get rid of and never really feel it.
So, I started giving and throwing anything away that wasn’t being actively used on a daily basis.
*my old hat, found by the little girl, worn for three days straight*
Fast forward a few years to the night before my wedding. All of my earthly goods fit into 4 egg boxes. My Tim couldn’t believe it. But there it was.
Fast forward another 9 years and those four egg boxes and whatever stuff my hubby had, have expanded to fill a 2,000 sq ft home and small attic. The other day I realized I was choking.
So it began. I started at one end of the house and found much satisfaction in randomly pulling out boxes, emptying them out, sorting, but mostly just trashing or giving away the whole, darn thing.
*Six-year-old plates I made myself in a pottery class while in the throes of postpartum depression. I like ‘em, but don’t know if I’ll keep ‘em…hmmm*
Two trips to Goodwill, a garage sale, and two huge piles of garbage later, there is still much of the household that hasn’t felt the scourge of my unrelenting hand. But it will. Oh, it so will.
*out in the garage…I made these in the first few, very poor years of marriage. Just some printer paper and real, pressed foliage in old, decrepit frames I repainted. Kinda cool, now, huh?*
*our wedding quilt. lost and now found and remarkably with no damage. made by Tim’s Grammy who was Amish as a young woman. She make quilts like some people make sandwiches. Always something on her frame. I feel privileged and relieved to have found it. Beautiful, no?*
And you know what? I can feel the air is almost more breathable now. I no longer feel that building panic whenever I enter a room.
It just feels right.
Now, I know not all people like sparse. Heavens, some friends I know are actually more productive when surrounded by all their creative paraphernalia. I totally get that. That is why I highly recommend this book. Yes, she is popular, and yes, you might think perhaps she’s too corporate. Or whatever. But she has the most balanced and fair view of organization i have found to date. My fave quote from her book?
*You can’t tell if a person is organized or not just by looking at their space*
Now if that isn’t encouraging, I don’t know what is.
So, let me know. What are you feeling as this economic downturn is helping you re-prioritize? What have you decided you can do without? What kinds of things have you been willing to let go?
Would love to hear.
The more the merrier, I say. *wink*
I am very much in this mode as well. My goal for this summer is to reduce the amount of stuff in my house by HALF! (Mostly toys) I used to dream of a bigger house, but I am happy where I am. And, I can’t imagine moving so much useless stuff to a bigger house? Simplify!
I LOVE purging! There is such a thrill that comes from knowing that everything in a room is useful or beautiful. I had a total change of perspective when we were evacuating during the California wildfires a year and a half ago and I walked through each room of our house to pack the essentials. Some rooms were left completely untouched. Now purging is a way of life for me.
When you’re done pruning there, come tackle my house!
During our remodel, we honestly got rid of a whole dumpster full of stuff… *blush* A lot of it was construction materials, but still! Man, things accumulate! We are blessed to be recipients of many people’s former treasures, but it does add up fast!
Oh, how I can relate. I’m on a similar rampage around here. I’m so tired of the clutter. I’m tired of handling the same unused items again and again. It’s amazing how “stuff” can eat your time. I started my “Baby Steps Out of the Chaos” project this week…blogging my way through our Spring cleaning and adding some homemade goodies to our space as I go. It’s breaking up the monotony a bit.
Oh, how I can relate. I’m on a similar rampage around here. I’m so tired of the clutter. I’m tired of handling the same unused items again and again. It’s amazing how “stuff” can eat your time. I started my “Baby Steps Out of the Chaos” project this week…blogging my way through our Spring cleaning and adding some homemade goodies to our space as I go. It’s breaking up the monotony a bit.