Five Hundred and Fifty Things Less

Several months ago I read a blog about minimisation. I don't know about you, but it is something that I am interested in and would like to be good at... but I'm not.
Reading the blog was a great start though and I would like to share with you the ideas behind it. It was written by a parent of three children. And as a family they had decided to get rid of things from their home. On day one they all got rid of one thing. Day two, two things. Day three, three things and so on.

Now I don't know about you but I am terrible at keeping up with what day it is and how many things I am supposed to be getting rid of! So instead I counted the items of things I would need to get rid of in a 31 day month, 550. That had a nice ring to it. So in May this year I started throwing things out, selling them or giving them away...
...and I'm still going. Not because I'm amazing at minimising but because I haven't achieved 550 things yet!!
I started on a roll. Eager to clear my house of the things I didn't need. There were items flying out the door as I was eager to be free of clutter. But there is a blurry line between a need and a want.
- Cards from old friends with encouraging words.
- That beautiful ballgown that you wore at your 21st.
- Children's books that look at the injustice in our world... I don't yet have children... but I am a teacher.

I'm up to 531 things less. I know I'm practically at the finish line... in August.
And I've got rid of many things:

  • a guitar
  • ball gown (it had to go... it's too big for me)
  • juicer
  • countless ribbons and crafty items
  • baby clothes (mine!)
  • baby cards (from when I was born!)
  • tickets and brochures from travels around the world
  • many sewing patterns
  • bags of fabric
  • several cheese knives (I love cheese but one only needs one knife to cut it)
  • and so much more
What really worries me is not how long it took, or the fact that I haven't actually finished, but how much stuff has entered my house over that time. It wouldn't be 550 things as I'm trying to think more carefully when making purchases... but it is scary.

So, my first job is to finish getting rid of 550 things. Then my next job is to start the process all over again, and again. At least once a year I hope to be five hundred and fifty things less.
Are you up to the challenge?



I would love to be able to redirect you to the original blog but unfortunately I can't find it :(

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