🟢 We got rid of all of our possessions

What a cathartic feeling!

(2 min read)

Fresh Start

In 2016, while living in Pacific Beach San Diego, CA, Katie and I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.

It did change our lives.

We sold both of our cars and nearly all of our other possessions, too. Moved out of our townhouse.

We bought a 1-way ticket to Europe to go exploring various countries.

Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method

Marie Kondo

This is not a summary of the book, but these are the ideas that stood out to me most:

• Keep only those items that “spark joy.”

  • Hold each item in your hands, and ask yourself whether it brings you joy.
    
    If it doesn’t, thank it for its service, and let it go.
    

• Don’t KonMari for someone else.

  • The reason to tidy up is to create a more peaceful, joyful life.
    
    Overstepping your bounds and making decisions about belongings that matter to someone else would cause drama.
    
    I.e. Don’t tell your family member “It’s time for you to get rid of _____.” Not your call.
    

• Don’t give anything to people you know.

  • Don’t offload your stuff to friends and family.
    
    Everyone feels the temptation.
    
    You’ve decided something is no longer sparking joy for you, but you still see it as useful for someone.
    
    So you’re tempted to offer your old books, electronics, clothes, etc. to various friends.
    
    This is problematic for at least 3 reasons:
    

    • You’re dragging out the process and interrupting the flow you were in.
      

    • You’re inadvertently passing on the burden of decision-making and clutter to them.
      

    • You’re not getting the full benefit of closure.
      
      Offering items to others can be a way of holding onto things indirectly, which can undermine the transformative power of decluttering your own space.

  • Personally, this rule was the hardest for us. But it made sense!

$20 Rule

If you’re considering a certain item and are unsure of whether to get rid of it, one guideline that adds a strong case for “yes, get rid of it” is:

If you can replace an item for $20 or less and within 20 minutes, let it go.

This probably wasn’t in the book. I think we learned it from other minimalism enthusiasts.

For example, we uncovered old walkie talkies:

Not sure whether I had any future use for them (but still hesitating to get rid of them), I did a quick search.

Plenty of GMRS radios are available on Amazon for $20.

Probably better than these old ones anyway.

Decision made.

Mentally lighter

It’s amazing how much our belongings and surroundings can affect our mental and emotional states (for unenlightened mortals like me, at least).

There is an invisible cost to having cabinets and closets and containers brimming with stuff that you never use.

And you might only notice the cost once you free yourself from that burden.

Update

Later in 2016, after returning from Europe and the other US / Puerto Rico trips that we made, we found a home to rent in the Atlanta suburbs.

In 2022, we planted ourselves even more firmly by buying a house in the area.

I’ve noticed that we’ve accumulated more stuff in recent years, and it’s time for another purge.

A cluttered garage and basement doesn’t feel good to me.

This is the first home we’ve had where we feel permanently rooted.

So it will be interesting to see how the next round of decluttering feels!

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👀 Caught my eye this week:

This quick 2 min video will sound obvious at first 🙄 but will also make you wonder “Why am I not doing this all day every day?” 🤦‍♂️

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🕙 What we learned in recent posts:

🟢 Unfiltered

🟢 My addictions

🟢 You are The One

🟢 “Dazed but not dead”

🟢 [See all posts]