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- Let it go
Every item in your home and office holds energy.
Energy can be pretty loud if you are a sensitive person. The more I noticed that, and the more I looked into silencing my life, the more I had the urge to get rid of things.
So I decluttered. Then I organized.
Then I decluttered some more. It still feels too much. Although on the surface it looks clean and quite empty.
In March last year I tossed and gave away 500 items playing the “Less is Now” game from The Minimalists.
It’s easy to play: On Day 1 you sort out 1 thing. On Day 2 it’s 2 items and so on.
In the beginning it was really easy. I would stack them up on my kitchen counter on the first day, and was already done with day 10. It got significantly harder when I got to day 17 and onwards. In the end I had to go and search. I had gotten rid of 400+ items already, and here I was looking for 27 more. Ugh.
500 things sounds like a lot, but it barely scratched the surface. It makes me happy to know that these items have found a new home where they are cherished and loved.
In February I pulled more items out of kitchen cabinets and drawers. As I wasn’t ready to give them away, I packed them up in 4 large boxes and set them in the attic for now.
I’m sure this time next year I will look into these cartons and think “Why did I hold on to this?”
We have fear of missing out, and fear of letting go.
Many of our items are connected to memories. Somehow we believe the memory will fade if we don’t have the item that goes with it. Do you only remember your last birthday party or your wedding when you look at the pictures?
We also hold on to things we have been given as a gift.
Even though we don’t like it, we store it out of curtesy to the giver.
I got a small teapot for my birthday this year. It was a lovely teapot, and a spot-on gift. The only down-side? I already own a small teapot, and a large one. So there really was no need for it.
I went and returned it to the store, and traded it for lose leaf tea.
Now I enjoy the new tea made in my old pot, and it’s the best of two worlds. I think of my friend who gave me the tea, and of my trip to Japan where I bought the small teapot.
Are you ready to let go of some items in your home? Here are some tips to get you started:
Throw out everything that is broken, that you said you will fix some day. That includes socks that need mending. Do it or toss them.
Let go of craft projects that you are no longer into. I have canvas and acryl paint, and need to let go of the idea that I’m a painter. I’m not.
Sort through your junk drawer and toss every dried up pen.
Gather your kitchen utensils and see if you have duplicates of things. I at some point owned 3 coffee measuring spoons. Let them go.
Clothes that too small or too big. Clothes that don’t flatter your body. And how about the itchy and pinchy ones you long to take off after 30 minutes when you wear them?
CDs you don’t listen to, or DVDs you never watch anymore.
Books you have read and never will read again.
Things that only have one single purpose. Like an apple slicer, or a mango peeler.
You get the drift, you are a smart cookie.
Once you have gathered what needs to go, make sure it leaves the house. I'm guilty of storing trash bags as I never find the time to deliver them to the thrift store. Don't be like me!
Good luck, and let me know how you fare!
xo, Yvonne
If you want to start decluttering and organizing, and don't want to do it alone, send me an email. I would love to have accountability partners and tackle more of it with others.
🖊️ This week's publications
🕯️Inspiration to go slow
This morning I took a scroll through Instagram on my desktop.
What a lovely surprise! No ads, no reels, no videos. Just lovely calm pictures from creative people. Maybe there is still hope for this app.
Here are 5 accounts to follow if you want a beautiful break:
📖 Currently reading
"The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn
I took a sick day this week and spend the day lying on the sofa. This was the perfect read. An entertaining story, interspersed with loads of gossip.
If you enjoy Jane Austen, this is for you.
And if you don't like reading, Netflix turned this book into season 1 of "Bridgerton".