It was easy at first, I would go through a drawer, cupboard, or closet each week and get rid of things we didn’t need or want. In the first month we took 25 bags to Goodwill.
Then it started getting harder. We were down to the stuff we wanted, but we physically COULDN’T fit it all into the RV. For example, my clothes. I love my clothes. I bought them for a reason. I had an entire walk-in closet to myself in the house and I took advantage of that and filled it up. Anytime I had an excuse to buy something fun to wear, I would. When I started moving my clothes into the RV, I quickly noticed they would totally fit…if I didn’t have a husband, didn’t need food, and didn’t need the bed. That was NOT the case.
At first, I put some clothes in a bin under the RV and my closet space inside was PACKED top to bottom with my clothes and shoes. But month after month, living in the RV, I realized I didn’t need all those clothes. In fact, I wore maybe 10 things over and over again. And I realized, contrary to popular belief, no one notices what we wear most of the time anyway!
So every Tuesday, I challenged myself to get rid of stuff I didn’t need. I did this in all the areas of my life: books, DVDs, kitchenware, bathroom stuff, office supplies, etc. And by the time we set sail, I had taken another 25 bags of stuff to Goodwill.
I no longer live in an RV (and no longer have the husband), but still live in a small space with two dogs and a 5-year-old. I still challenge myself every single Tuesday to toss (or give away) at least 10 things. Sometimes it’s garbage or cleaning out the fridge or cupboards, but sometimes it’s making tough decisions like getting rid of a fun belt I never wear or a cute pair of blingy jeans I haven’t worn for the past 3 years. I’m constantly going through Coura’s clothes, toys, and books, since she has a TON of stuff. We also have a rule that if I hurt myself stepping on something in her room, it goes in the trash or to Goodwill.
I have realized over the past 10 years, that stuff is just stuff. I still have an emotional attachment to some things, but not as many things and not as badly as I used to. One thing I used to do with physical stuff was put it in 3 piles. Yes, no, or maybe. I would toss the “no” and keep the “yes” and “maybe” piles. A month or a year later, the “maybe” pile gets sorted through again, and since my life and priorities are always changing, my needs or desires for certain material things are always changing too.
In addition to my material things and physical space, I also work on simplifying and decluttering my schedule, laptop, phone, photos, contacts, distractions, etc. So even if I’m not home on Tuesdays to toss things from my house, I can go through my phone, workspace, car, etc to find 10 things to toss.
I challenge you to toss 10 things today!
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See you soon!