Making Space
Photo by Sarah Dorweiler on Unsplash
Thoughts on the Minimalist Game
It’s been a month since I finished the Minimalist Game/got rid of 496 things from our apartment (you can read more about it, here). You may already know how much I LOVED it. Is there anything better than purging unwanted stuff from your home (well, of course, I can think of many things that are better, but good lord, it feels good). The impact of the challenge is so much more than simply creating more space in your home. It has had a lasting effect on my psyche, is yet another beautiful practice in surrendering to the present moment, letting go of outcomes, and appreciating the abundance in my life.
The challenge was tough at times - some days I would find myself wandering around aimlessly, desperate to find something I could get rid of to hit the daily goal. In the end, that is one of the best things about this challenge: because you have to find, say, 28 things to get rid of on the 28th, you are forced to open drawers you may otherwise leave dormant for years. Overall, I feel as though it gave me an overhaul of sorts that I would not have experienced without the rather dramatic commitment required.
In lightening my physical load, I lightened my mental, spiritual, emotional load as well. Releasing things helped bring me more into the present somehow. It makes the practical things easier - easier to clean, to find things, to put things away - but it also makes moving forward easier. Life is, in so many ways, about letting go. In my meditation practice I am learning to let go of the thoughts that pull me away from the present moment. The worries, or anxieties, insecurities, whatever they may be. Let them go, don’t get sucked in, focus on this moment, the breath, what is now. We spend much of our time worrying about the future, making plans, or nostalgic about the past, mourning what is lost. What a waste of this precious moment right here! The better we get at letting go, be it thoughts, or things, the more present we are able to be.
Photo by Bench Accounting on Unsplash
I thought I would continue (start again) in February, I was so hooked on the thrill of creating space! After about 4 days, however, it proved too much. My ego loves a 30 day challenge, and I am so happy I undertook it in January. Now, however, I would like to simply make it an ongoing practice in my life, without the rigid parameters, the rules. There are places I didn’t get to that I would like to get to (our storage locker, for example). After a month’s rest, settling into the new space, so to speak, I feel ready to remove more. I’ll keep you posted!
Here are a few specific things I learned during the challenge. Perhaps they will inspire you to try it for yourself!
Decluttering: Ideas to Cling to When Releasing Your Stuff
Letting things go is a muscle of sorts, and the more we strengthen it, the easier it becomes. As the grip of “stuff” on our life weakens, we are left with space, both literal and metaphorical. We become less bound by our stuff, the more we get rid of, and the freedom allows us to explore other things, see other possibilities.
I got rid of a lot of items that I was holding on to ‘just in case’ I might need them in the future. Inherent in that is the belief that I won’t have the means to get the item at some time in the future, so I’d better keep it now. It’s a fearful projection of a scarce future. Instead I found myself releasing things, trusting that, if I really had a need for the item at some time in the future, it would be provided for me. I can buy it, borrow it, whatever. As I released things, I felt lighter, more trusting, ironically more abundant.
I released items that seemed to belong to past versions of myself, and, once again, felt lighter. There is nothing wrong with these past versions, they just aren’t where I’m at right now. I don’t need to hold onto old, smelly pointe shoes from when I danced in the Nutcracker, nearly 15 years ago. It was a wonderful time, I remember it well, but I can release the physical representation of it. In releasing the shoes, I am releasing a sense of dwelling in the past. I want to live here, in the present. That doesn’t mean I can’t fondly remember all these things I have done, but it does mean I don’t need to cling to representations of them. My life now is where I want to put my focus, my energy, my love. I want to see things around me that reflect my current life, not my past.
Practically speaking, nobody needs 4 wooden spoons. If you have duplicates (hand me downs, gifts, things you purchased yourself), get rid of all but your favourite one or two. Start by grouping like items together - you will be amazed how many duplicates are cluttering up your drawers, and at the space you reclaim when you exfoliate the excess.
Should you choose to accept the mission of removing excess stuff, may these guidelines serve you well. Good Luck and Happy Decluttering!
