‘Getting rid of 1000 things’ is an interesting TED talk I recently stumbled upon. In this short motivational talk Liz Wright explains why she got rid of 1000 things and the difference the project made in her life. I found her story so inspiring that I decided to attempt my own little project of getting rid of 500 things.
Perhaps I should start with a disclaimer – I am not a hoarder. I have a normal house filled with normal things, but like Liz, I am the product of two different sets of values, ways of approaching stuff if you will. On the one hand I had my parents’ civil service mentality of holding onto things and keeping things for ‘just in case’. And on the other hand, growing up in the consumerism culture of the 80s and 90s. As Liz described herself as being a weird mixture between wanting to keep everything but also feeling the need to buy more stuff, all I could do was nod. She was describing me. And the result of these conflicting values is a house full of stuff. Some of which I never use, and shockingly don’t even remember I have. Add a toddler to the mix and you have a house bursting at its seams.
Thinking about my home and my relationship toward stuff from this perspective, I started wondering what would happen if, like Liz, I decided to get rid of some of my stuff. And that is exactly what I did. Here’s what I learnt from the process, and some of my top tips for shedding 500 things.
What I learnt
- The process was much easier than expected. The most difficult part was to get started.
- I set the bar way to low. At the end of the process, we had gotten rid of a lot more than 500 things. I stopped counting at 550 things.
- Many people and companies want to convince us that storage is the answer. After going through this process, I am more convinced than ever that storage is not the answer. To quote a very corny line incorrectly ‘if you are not using it, lose it’.
- Most of the things we have in our homes don’t keep their value. Holding onto things for their perceived monetary worth is a pointless exercise. Rather look at the functional value of the things in your home, than the monetary value.
- You probably are never going to fit into those pants or that dress again. So let it go. (And if you do loose that weight, then buy yourself something new to celebrate).
- Giving is more fulfilling than receiving. I found it a lot more meaningful to give things away, especially to people that I know will appreciate and use it, than keeping it ‘just in case’.
- Less really is more. Having less things to put away, clean or pay storage for clears up time and money for the things that are truly important in life. Having a less-cluttered, roomier home makes me happy.
My top tips
- Give yourself enough time. The process took a lot longer than expected. Many things in my home have an emotional attachment which got me traveling down memory lane. Those visits to memory lane were very good but took time.
- Give yourself permission to get rid of gifts, and even heirlooms, you don’t like or use them.
- You can’t keep all your kid’s art projects. And it is ok. Choose a few to have framed. Take photos of the rest and let them go.
- Set yourself manageable challenges, for example I must take 20 items to the charity shop this Saturday.
- Another challenge that worked very well was Liz’s clothes-hanger challenge. Make sure all the hangers in your wardrobe are facing the same direction. As soon as you wear an item turn the hanger around, so it points in the opposite direction. After a few months give all the clothes that haven’t been worn in that time away.
- Empty the content of a draw into a box. After removing and using an object from the box place it back in the drawer. After a few months get rid of the objects left in the box.
- This one really helped me clear out my kitchen. Pack the content of your kitchen cupboard onto a table. Start with the equipment and crockery you never use and ask yourself the simple question: ‘If I saw this at a second-hand shop would I buy it?’ If the answer is ‘No’, donate or recycle it.
Here’s to lighter and happier homes and lives.
xxx
