Last week, I organised my house once again and got rid of clutter. As I stood there looking at the piles of unwanted stuff all over the house, I thought to myself, "Where did all this even come from? I just decluttered the house last month!"
I know it didn't appear magically out of nowhere. It's the things we buy or our family members keep buying every now and then. It is also the gifts we receive and accumulate. And then we forget about them. It's the stuff which is kept in the wrong places even though they belong elsewhere.
I’m a bit too clean and organised by nature (people often get annoyed by this habit of mine). It bothers me when things aren’t kept in the correct places or my surroundings are dirty. My mind doesn’t function too well as I get overwhelmed by cluttered spaces. Also, things end up getting misplaced or lost. Since I can be a bit forgetful, even I sometimes forget where I kept something. Which makes it even more important to stick to the correct placement.
Sometimes I wonder, "Do we even need so much stuff?" The obvious answer is "No".
There were clothes hanging in my closet which I used to tell myself I would wear when I reached a certain weight and size. It’s wishful thinking. Because in the past few years it hasn’t happened. Chances are, I may never be able to get all the way back to those sizes. Why was I still holding on to those clothes then? So recently, I finally gave them away in donation. They were literally doing nothing hanging in there. Not being used. Just occupying space. I haven’t abandoned my weight loss goals - just become more realistic about them. Some of the shoes I hardly get a chance to wear also made an exit from my house.
I teamed up with my daughter, and we went through books she didn’t like reading anymore, the toys/activity sets she didn’t play with/use anymore, and the clothes and shoes she had outgrown. We made bags of all those items and went and kept them in the donation box. Both of us actually enjoyed the whole decluttering process.
I usually do this every few weeks. Every single time, I'm amazed with all that which lands up in my house.
This practice isn’t limited to just physical belongings. I organise my phone - apps, photos, videos, etc. and delete unwanted stuff, which occupies unnecessary space. Or things like old documents, receipts, and paperwork that aren’t even needed anymore.
I’ve slowly been trying to move towards simple living. We truly don’t need so many possessions. Living in a consumeristic world with too much available to purchase when we step foot outside is driving us nuts.
There is a quote I came across recently and like:
“We were never meant to live life accumulating stuff. We were meant to live simply enjoying the experiences of life, the people of life, and the journey of life — not the things of life.” — Joshua Becker
Embracing minimalism and simple living have many benefits:
1. Reduction in overstimulation and overwhelm, which are caused by having too many things in our living spaces.
2. A reduction in the amount of time and energy spent cleaning and organising, and being able to make more time for taking care of ourselves, doing things we enjoy, spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, resting, etc.
3. Having more energy and not getting constantly drained.
4. Fostering contentment and intentional living - if we keep on accumulating things and buying more and more, it would never be enough. It is a never-ending pursuit. We get to decide how much and what makes us content.
5. Spending less, saving more, and having more money to spend on travelling and experiences, investments, etc.
6. Improved productivity, focus, and attention.
Before I purchase anything, I make it a point to ask myself:
- Is it essential/important? Do I/we need it or just want it? Do I already have enough of it?
- Will it add any value? Why do I want it?
- Can I put it off/leave it for the time being, and take some time to think it through and decide accordingly?
Embracing minimalism and being mindful of purchases doesn’t mean being stingy - it’s a fine line between extravagance and stinginess.
