pare down my belongings: Get rid of 1,000 things by December

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” {Antoine De Saint-Exupery}

I realize I was trying to keep track of the exact number of items I’d gotten rid of. In the chaos of the move and everything I’ve lost track. I’ve both gotten rid of many things and taken in MANY things. So I’ve decided to call it a wash at this point.

I’m sticking with 300 things gone… 700 things to go.

Also, I’ve decided that once the move to California is definite I’m going to get rid of (preferably in exchange for money) these things:
- My mattress and platform/frame. OMG it’s so comfortable. But there are other beds out there. I will find another.
- My TV. I actually just acquired it from my parents when they moved to Florida. But it won’t be going with me to Cali. It’s too big and not essential enough.
- (Probably) My “Blues Clues” reading chair. I never thought I’d get rid of it, I’ve had it for over 15 years. But it’s starting to show. The seat is sinking deeper and deeper, and the back is unpresentable thanks to years of cats.
- My vanity/desk. If I don’t get rid of it sooner.
- Pretty much all my furniture, I guess. I’m not sure about the cabinet I use as a dresser, but has also used as a pantry in the kitchen. I may or may not keep it…probably not though.

I did acquire 2 tall, yet slender bookcases from IKEA when I moved. I don’t think I’ll be getting rid of them. But I’ll probably make some more cuts to the books and movies.

So, I’m sticking with 300 as the number to work from. I’ll start trying to keep track again. And hopefully I can stay focused on (or try to REFOCUS on) getting rid of not bringing in things. These things are only temporary, temporary comforts, however comforting they are.

oh my! (omg cheesey I know!)

So during and after my ex and I broke up I had some time to kill and a mind that needed occupying.
Coincidentally I also had boxes and boxes of photos from middle school, high school, college, and more recently; in addition to a bunch of other random memory stuff from many years, and multiple trips, back.
I did end up purchasing a bunch of white memory boxes and photo albums, so maybe I didn’t technically didn’t get rid of anything. But the result is a MUCH more organized, digestible, and streamlined collection of memories.

Plus I through away lord knows how many negatives from those years, and all the old shoe boxes I was using to store stuff in (replacing them with nicer, matching boxes from Micheals.)

I also “scrapbooked” almost all of my trips—all of my big trips at least: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and my US Roadtrip. That freed up a lot of space, both physically and (senti)mentally.

I’ve been paring down more and more. I’ve accumulated over 200 things to either try and sell, donate, or simply trash.
I’m also gathering stuff from my parents and brother to sell. Hopefully I can make some $ at the upcoming yard sale.
I’m also keeping a list of closet items I’m doing away with. I’m currently at 74 and will post when I’ve purged my closet of 100 things. (bringing my overall total to 300+ things)

This was shared with me by a fellow 43Ter and it really resonated with me. Especially the point that clutter is a manifestation of both holding onto your past and dwelling in the future—thus not existing in the here and now. Thank you, Carla, for sharing this with me! :)

http://carlaconfidential.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/decluttering-can-be-your-zazen/

“Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify.” {Henry David Thoreau}

I got home from my cross country road trip impassioned to (make some money…then) move to California. In the long 4+ day drive from San Diego to Baltimore, I had a lot of time to think logistics. I would want to bring all my stuff—leave nothing in storage back home.
And I’ve got a lot of stuff.
Some big: a bed frame/platform, full mattress, reading chair, vanity/desk, dresser. And lots of littler stuff: shelves of books, magazines, albums, boxes of photos and “keepsakes”, pretty little knick-knacks, art supplies, completed art projects, etc. Then there’s the closet, not to mention cosmetics, kitchen supplies, and (somewhat-newly-acquired) camping equipment.
Needless to say, as I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, I need to seriously pare down. What do truly need? What will I really use in the future? What can I absolutely not live without? These decisions are always difficult for me because I always feel like at some point in the future I’m going to need, or at least really want, to have all my stuff. But I don’t.
The road trip did help me (somewhat) understand that I’m capable of living a much more minimalistic existence. I packed for a little over 2 months, and I still wildly over-packed. Perhaps it’s because I’d never ventured on a journey like this before. Either way, I had lots of stuff that I never used, or even touched, some that I’d downright forgotten I’d packed in the first place.
Okay…okay… so back to the point of this entry:
I was unpacking last night, getting re-situated in my room. And I started adding to a box I’d made (prior to leaving) for an upcoming yard sale. I decided I was going to find 100 things in my possession that I no longer needed, wanted, used, ever-used, etc. and either throw it away, give it away, try and sell it, and/or donate it.
I like (and dare I say, need) concrete goals! Within an hour or so, I was plying through my bookshelves, boxing up what I knew I’d never read… at least not before October. I kept a list (because I love them so) and accumulated over 100 items to get rid of! :) Even though they’re still in the house, so I technically haven’t gotten rid of them, I’ve made my piece with letting them go in the near future.
I’d like to continue this process until I’ve discarded (in one way or another) 1,000 possessions.

So I just moved back into my parents basement. (Is that not the most cliché 20-something sentence? Humor me, please.)
Anyway, I’ve always found that moving helps with getting rid of crap I’ve held onto. Why pack and haul a bunch of shit you’re not really sure why you have in the first place?
But this move was a tad unscheduled. It was a few months early, really. And rushed.(Long story short: to save money and an important friendship I moved back home for the first time in years.)
I ended up moving stuff I didn’t need., wanting to make the switch as hastily as possible. That was about a month ago. I have since gotten a 5×10 foot storage unit (I rented a 10 foot U-haul truck and everything… You shoulda seen me driving that thing!) I stored my mattress, bed frame (really a wooden platform), “Blues Clues” reading chair that I love, a green area rug, kitchenware, and other currently-unnecessary house wares stuff.
During the unpacking, assessing, and consolidation process I began a box of get-rid-able items—possible regifting ideas (don’t judge me), and the yard sale and/or Good Will bound. There’s also the things I just plain threw out (crappy worn belts, old socks) or deconstructed (I took apart all my CD cases, extracting the jackets for safe-keeping, recycling the empty plastic shells).
I know I have more work to. I know I still have MORE than I need.
I’ve now giving myself until March 2011 before I make my next move. I know I want to go to Savannah, GA for St. Patrick’s Day this (soon-to-be-here) year. So why not do it then? I’m still not sure where I’ll end up, or what will really happen. I’m clearly going to do a bit more research before the big day arrives. But I know I’ll be out of here. Baltimore, that is. And I’m headed south.
At that time I’ll pack my car for an extensive road trip and the rest of my belongings are in storage. My parents are looking to sell their house and move to the shore this Spring. So everything of mine has to be out.
All my photos, albums, mementos, souvenirs, and keepsakes.
All my art supplies: my storage bin of magazine cutouts, other papers, empty un-adorned boxes, printmaking tools and linoleum cuts, mosaic materials, and paints. All my portfolios and projects. My college notes, writings, and research too.
My books. All my books. I suppose I’ll want to take a few with me, but how will I decide? There’s also a few that I may be willing to part with by then.
Some clothes perhaps too. I doubt I’ll be able to take all my shoes. (Gasp!) But which will I leave behind?
But the trouble is: I previously established that this goal would be “complete” when I moved everything from my mom’s to where I was living before. Now that things have changed a bit, how do I quantify my progress? Since I know I’ll be keeping my 5×10 unit, I guess I could tell myself I can’t upgrade to larger space—whatever doesn’t fit has to go. Furniture has to be considered too. But I want to keep all the pieces I have (mattress, frame, chair, dresser/chest, desk/vanity, matching chair, a few small shelves).
I think it has to be a bit more small scale…in a big kind of way. For example, I have shoeboxes upon shoeboxes filled with photos. And others filled with ticket stubs, cards, programs, general future-scrapbook memento material, etc. I need to sync up the photos with events, organizing (and inevitably paring down) into photo album/ scrapbooks…. Which I will then put into boxes and then store-away come Spring.

I went through some bins I’ve been storing in my bedroom closet (which seconds as my arts and crafts storage area). I got rid of a bunch of stuff, like heaps of dead pens/ highlighters/ markers, expired condoms (??), and etc. “memory” items I’m not really sure why I was keeping.
It also gave me a chance to take stock of what I have and organize it accordingly. For example, I now have a drawer (in one of those plastic 3-drawer storage containers) completely dedicated to cards and stationary stuff. I really do LOVE organizing!!
I like doing this on a regular basis to not only help me get rid of stuff I clearly have no use for, but also to remind me of what I already have so I don’t purchase more just because I forgot I already had it (or something just like it) at home.
Since it’s getting nicer out, I’m also planning a yard sale soon. This should help me (and my roommate, who I’m forcing to join me) get rid of some stuff, as well as make some extra money.

I recently added another bookcase to the one in my bedroom (where MY books are kept in the house). I was able to get the rest of my books from my mom’s house, and also have room for my photo albums. I like it this way. There’s more room—they’re not all so crammed in. They’re organized. And now I know what I have. I can see them all, and it makes me want to read them all.

I’m also glad I’m starting to get stuff (boxes at a time) out of mom’s.