Eliminate the stuff from my life that doesn't fulfill me spiritually, emotionally or creatively

My sister came to visit me in NYC this weekend, and along with her enthusiasm and sense of fun, brought her car to help me tote away some “things” that were occupying much needed space in my life.

• My gorgeous bicycle, Janeway, which I loved owning and love riding when I made the effort, but which I didn’t do enough of to justify the expense. Becky took her to Glens Falls, where she’ll be able to bike to and from work, getting exercise and alone time, and saving some serious money that her little family can better use for other things. (She also took all of the accessories for the bike—helmet, air pump, lights, locks, etc.)
• A box of books that I no longer need on my shelves. I remember thinking that someday I’d like to have a library in my house; now that I live in NYC and have to deal with city dirt and soot and dust, I can’t stomach the piles and piles of paper; I’m only keeping the ones that are truly meaningful.
• Three bags of clothes that don’t fit. I have a wardrobe that’s functional; I don’t need to hold onto clothes that are too big or inappropriate for my life in the city.
• A stack of baskets and plastic Rubbermaid bins that I don’t need; they’ll be put to good use in the basements of my family members upstate, who always need more storage pieces!
• A 36-gallon tub full of art, family heirlooms, knick-knacks, and specific clothes and books that I’ll be giving to close friends and family members. These are things that are important to me for the memories and sentimentality that they hold, but not things that add value to my life when I have them around. I’ll be giving each one to someone who will appreciate it and derive joy from owning it.

My apartment feels large and light and airy without those items cluttering it up. That’s exactly the result I was hoping for, and I’m so relieved; there’s a physical sense of lightness that I’ve missed!

When I first found 43things in the spring of 2006, the goal that immediately caught my attention was “Someone wants to give away 50 things they don’t need.” It started me on a pattern of evaluating the “stuff” in my life that I carry around for no reason, and allowed me to think of better uses for it. I gave away books and clothes and kitchen implements, gardening containers, electronic apparatus, craft supplies, athletic equipment, and lots of other things that I just didn’t use anymore; things that were cluttering my life and keeping me from seeing the things that were really important. I started reading books and blogs about minimalism and simplicity, about only holding on to that which has meaning. That then lead to acting and dreaming with spiritual intent, and the environmental focus of “creating happier people and a happier planet”.

I do a decent job with possessions; I don’t hoard things that don’t matter, and I think critically about the items in the world around me that appeal to the more possessive side of my nature. My wants and needs revolve around having experiences and developing new skills now, more than anything else, and that makes me very happy. Now, though, it’s time to move beyond “things,” to expand my understanding of “stuff.” People, places, activities, projects, work, play, dreams—I want to take the time to really evaluate and understand each one, to ensure that my full, robust, wonderful life is what I want it to be, not what others insist it should conform to.

On my vacation this week, I’m taking a Digital Hiatus from the things that stress me out. After one whole day, I don’t miss the social networking aspect at all, but I really wish I’d brought my computer so that I could edit the photographs and video I’ve shot of my nephews. After a couple of panicked hours thinking I really did need to be plugged in at work despite all of my careful planning, my boss assured me that he’s “got it covered” and that I “need to put down the blackberry and really go on vacation now.” I haven’t felt the need to check my work email since that moment yesterday at lunch, but I kind of miss gmail and being able to keep up with my friends. I would like to write a blog entry about my day yesterday, but know that I would compulsively check the comments stream to be sure I responded to everyone who had a thought about what I’d written; instead, I’m going to write about it in a journal, on paper, with a pen. And I’m writing about my goals here, on 43things, where my list is public but I really do feel accountable only to myself.

It’s telling that the things I wish I was able to do all match up with goals on my list. Learn to take really good photographs: only happens with practice. Write regularly: I don’t need a computer or an audience to be accountable for the words I put on a page, but I do need to take the time to collect my thoughts. Play the guitar (last post): what I’m doing with my afternoon.

Vacation is good. But this goal is about making my life good, so that I don’t need to take a vacation from it in order to feel balanced and fulfilled.