We all accumulate more stuff than we can easily manage during our lifetimes. Many ITEMS FIND US and stick around, not because we chose them but by pure coincidence. How can you sift through a lifetime of objects and know what is essential for you going forward? The answer lies in your average suitcase.
When I was eight or nine, I had a favorite tie-dyed sweatshirt. It was typical for the end of the ’80s and the beginning of the ’90s. I hung on to this particular sweatshirt for years! While packing for a move to Sweden in 2004, I unearthed the shirt from the depths of my closet.
The Sweatshirt posed a problem it was nostalgic, and I’d kept it 14 years after it became too small! It was hard to justify getting rid of it. Yet, I had limited bag space for my move across continents.
The move forced me to ask, ‘’What was essential for my life?’’ At that point, I’d never heard of minimalism, and Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus hadn’t yet formed the minimalists and made this a common question. I lived with a consumerist mindset and didn’t like reducing my things to the bare essentials.
It was painful to ask, ”Is this essential?”
Yet, everything had to fit in my bags thus many sentimental items didn’t make the cut.
Childhood dolls found homes with younger cousins, various toys went to neighborhood children, and we drove clothes to a donation center. I never left that many items at any particular house. I found joy in giving one or two things to those I hoped would appreciate them.
Seeing others enjoy my belongings prompted me to give away my favorite sweatshirt. It was much too small, and I knew it would wait years before I had any actual use for it. I told the sweatshirt farewell and donated it to a local second-hand store. I still have fond memories and pictures, and that’s enough.
We can all benefit from pretending we’re moving and asking ourselves, ‘’What is truly necessary?’’
Since then when I feel stumped by decluttering decisions I play the traveling game.
The Decluttering Travel Game
To play the travel game…
First, choose a category (clothing, toys, etc.) or a room (Bedroom, living room, etc.) to declutter.
Second, Drag the biggest airline-approved bag you own to the center of where you’re decluttering.
Third, Decide on a time frame for your decluttering (A weekend works well). Give yourself a start time and a stop time. You should leave yourself enough time after you finish decluttering to pick up and relax on Sunday evening.
Fourth, Pretend you’re moving across the globe and everything you keep must fit in your travel bags! (This game works best for clothes, bedrooms, home decor, living rooms, etc. decluttering big items like furniture won’t allow you to put them in the bag. If you’re deliberating over big items remind yourself that it will take thousands of dollars to ship the items to your new home. Is it worth it?)
Fifth, Knowing what you would take with you on a cross-continent move clarifies what is essential for your life. The rest is nonessential.
Sixth, You may choose to keep some nonessential items, but I encourage you to let the bulk of nonessential objects go!
Seventh, Take all the items you’re donating and put them in your car. Make sure you leave them the next day at a donation center!
Eighth, Put your ‘KEEP’ items away.
Ninth, Pick a different room or a new category for your next declutter, set a date and follow through!
I decluttered my storage room and all my clothes this way. I actually reduced my clothing to the point that all my clothes including my coats and ski pants (excluding shoes) fit in my biggest travel bag! Although I will admit I had to extend the zipper and sit on it to get it shut!
Fitting all my clothes in a bag meant I could fit all my clothing in my tiny closet! I no longer need to go to the storage shed to retrieve clothes for special occasions. It feels good to easily see what I own. That allows me to make quick decisions about what to wear every morning!
I love clothes and I love to shop! If I can curate my wardrobe so can you!
Check out my video about how to help your family declutter when they don’t want to!
Copyright Annie Eklöv
