How much stuff do you need?

How much stuff do you need?
                        

Are you considering a larger home to accommodate your things better? Do you wish for more closet space so your clothes aren’t jammed together on the hangers? Is it hard to close drawers? Does your home have an open and airy feel or do you have stuff stashed in every corner? Are your papers in organized files or teetering piles?

Here’s the hard truth. If you don’t have enough room for your stuff, you have too much stuff. Sure, you can build shelves and find creative ways to use the space under your bed. Maybe some of those papers would do better in file folders or three-ring binders. But, hands down, managing belongings gets easier if you don’t have as many.

I recently watched a couple of documentaries about groups that traveled the length of South America. One group had three trucks and a trailer. The other had two bicycles. Granted the first group had six people and the other two. But both groups traveled comfortably. The ones on the bikes realized all they really needed could fit on their bikes. I have read a number of similar accounts.

In one, the woman had downsized from a house to an apartment only to return from a bicycle trip around the world and wonder why she had kept as much as she had.

The point is to consider how much you really need. I have had a taste of both sides. In our early married years, my husband and I would take off on two-week vacations with just what fit on our motorcycle.

When I took two-week business trips, I took two carry-on size bags. One had clothes and shoes. The other was all business requirements. When our family expanded to add to kids, our one-week vacations sometimes required a full-size truck with a crew cab and storage in the boat we were pulling.

Everyday life isn’t the same as traveling, but the same lessons can apply. How much do you really need?

If you have crammed closets, but feel you really need everything in there, try an experiment. Box or bag the things you like least until you have some space. Set a time, maybe two weeks or a month. At the end, assess the situation.

Were you able to do everything you needed to and dress appropriately? Did you enjoy the tranquility the extra space provided? Do you really want to put all that stuff back in your closet? If you’re on the fence, give it another month. If you are comfortable with what’s in the closet, consider donating the things you packed up. Don’t go back through them and tempt yourself, just get them out of the house.

Start applying the same idea to other parts of the house. How many dishes to you normally use in a day? If you use some things only when you have guests or on special occasions, consider where else they could be stored. Then take a hard look at what’s left. Box up the extras and consider donating them.

How many toys do children need? Do they engage and rejoice with those they have or seem so overrun that they all seem meaningless? Do they care for their things or abuse them? Box some up and see if they notice or rotate boxes so toys feel fresh and delightful again.

Once you have eliminated the excess, don’t let it come back. If you buy a new item, get rid of an old one of the same type.

Other people can be blessed by the things we donate and aren’t using anyway. The clutter causes us distress, when our excess could be making someone else’s life easier. Get rid of your extras. You’ll improve your life and bless others.


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