Less is More: Discovering Decluttering
I don’t know about you, but every time we move I find myself with a problem.
About halfway through unpacking the endless boxes, I find I’m perfectly happy with how the house looks. Closets have clothes, but aren’t overflowing, shelves have stuff but aren’t packed to the brim, cupboards have items but with plenty of space. At this point, I’m done. And not just done because moving and unpacking is hard work, but done in the broader sense.
I’m done because the balance of things to available space is just about perfect.
And then I look out in the garage and realize there is still so much more work to do!
So. Much. More. Stuff.
At this point, I usually freak out. Where will the rest of it go? How can there still be so many unopened boxes? Did the crap we own actually find a way to multiply itself on the moving truck?!
When did we acquire all these things, and more to the point, why do we keep dragging it around with us from place to place? If I threw out the remaining boxes, would anyone ever notice?
Our culture was often supported by the notion of bigger, better, and more, more, more.
I’m excited that recently a new mindset seems to be finding it’s way in to the mainstream: Decluttering.
The idea not just of living with less but of actually enjoying life at home more because we aren’t surrounded by the clutter of our excessive possessions. From capsule wardrobes to New York Times best-selling books about tidying up, to stories about incredibly small houses, the idea of living life with less and actually liking it has never been more popular.
I think a minimalist approach through decluttering can be an exceptionally beneficial idea for military families for a few reasons:
1. We move. A lot. Less stuff equals less time spent packing and unpacking. That can never be a bad thing!
2. When we move and we live on post we can’t always control the size/style of our living situation. With less stuff in general, the transition from one living space to another can be simplified and streamlined.
3. We can reduce some of the stress-level in our lives when we have less to clean, less to organize, less to keep track of, and less to put away especially during those challenging times when we are geographically-single-parenting.
I’ve taken up a 2015 in 2015 Challenge.
Basically, it’s a challenge to get rid of 2,015 items from my house this year. Previously inspired by a woman who wore her own version of a uniform to work every day, I reduced my wardrobe by at least 50%. Additionally, I tackled a bookshelf in the master bedroom which was overflowing with papers and textbooks from my recent studies which, I had to admit, I would probably never bother looking at again. I re-sold the books online and recycled the notebooks jam-packed with printed notes I would never really need.
Now the question is, what do I do with the shelf before it becomes a depository for random things?
After that, I moved on to the game closet which had come to resemble a teetering tower poised to fall and crush anyone who dared remove something in an attempt to play with it. I brought the chaos under control by getting rid of old games with missing pieces and donating extra linens, so it’s now well organized and easily accessible. We can actually find and play the games!
I sold some things. I donated the rest. And I admit that nothing in this entire pile of stuff will ever be missed.
We still have a lot of work to do around here, but now that I’ve seen some results, I feel more motivated than ever to finally rid ourselves of the unnecessary excesses hiding in the closets and cupboards and garage. I keep myself further motivated by joining a Facebook group of other folks who have set off on the journey to declutter their homes and seeing their successes.
If you are PCSing this summer season, now is the perfect time to reassess what you have, what you need, and what you can live without.
Lighten the load; you won’t regret it.
What are your best tips for decluttering your life? Share with us!
