Clutter be gone!

So it's the end of Week 1 of my 50 Week Experiment. It's been a satisfying week of decluttering as I've said goodbye to dishes I never use, CD's I never listen to, and Christmas decorations I just don't have room for anymore. Some things were easy to get rid of and left me feeling exhilarated as I realized how much more space opened up in their absence. And some things were harder to bid farewell to, like items from my childhood. Other things I just couldn't say goodbye to, like the handmade cable knit sweaters belonging to loved ones who are no longer here.

When I would feel stuck about whether something should be allowed to stay or get the boot, I asked myself this question: "After today, will you ever think about this item again?". And if the answer was, "Of course I will never think of this warped bulletin board found on the street during my university days ever again!", then it was easy to give myself permission to let it go.

Quantity also came into play. I realized I didn't need say, 20 candle holders. So the collection was slashed in half (ditto for frames, holiday napkins and that table confetti stuff - those tiny little plastic hearts and stars have a way of making their way into the mashed potatoes anyway).

I've just started reading Peter Walsh's book Does this Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? Walsh addresses North Americans need to consume 'more'. He says, "Consumption is king. We spend too much, we buy too much, and we eat too much". I hear what he's saying - we distract ourselves with things like food and material items in an attempt to seek happiness. If you knew me as a kid or a young adult (or have ever helped me move), you know how attached I felt to 'stuff'. As the years have gone by, this need to be comforted by material items has lessened more and more. I recognize (especially this week) that in order to make room for your future, you need to get rid of the things around you that are just taking up energy.

That word - energy - kept popping into my head this week. I look at the pile of stuff on my dining room table that will soon make its way into boxes. I feel relieved to say it is just that - stuff. Now that my home is lighter, more open and contains the things that I truly love and care about, the energy that was once sucked up by all my 'stuff' can be released back into the air to be used for a better purpose.

I accomplished a heck of a lot this week, but there are still more areas of my home I want to sort through. And my garage...well, that a whole other project. Time to get the boxes out and get this stuff out of here.