simplify

Every couple of months or so, I fly off the handle and get obsessive about order in my life. I'll go through my closet and get rid of clothes, I'll clean out the fridge, I'll vacuum under the couch. This time though, I'm ready for a major overhaul.

Last night I filled up a black yard bag full of clothes from my closet. I think I might even go back for one last ruthless round. I have the hardest time though getting rid of shoes. I have shoes that I'll wear once or twice a year but I just can't bring myself to toss them. Maybe I'll commit to throwing out three pairs, that sounds like a good compromise.

The other Big Thing I'm going to do to my living space is chuck the nick-nacks. The clutter has got to go. This will be about the third round for nick-nack chucking since I moved about a year ago and it's going to be the most severe. My goal is to FILL my car with things to bring to the Goodwill. That means vases, pottery, candle holders, books that I'll never read (oh books, you are so hard to part with), statuettes, bowls, pots and pans, dish towels and linens. I want my shelves to be bare and easy to dust. I want to have just a few pictures, plants, and maybe a special vase or bowl. The rest is history.

Once I'm freed from my stuff, I've got to implement the simple life financial planning system. For the past couple weeks I've been broke as a joke. I've gone without my chai (sigh) and haven't been eating out or drinking out very much. I don't buy clothes like I used to and I haven't even been buying music. It's been challenging, but really good at the same time. I'm wearing simple staples. I'm burning music from friends. I'm making jam!

This has got to be not only a clean sweeping out of clutter, but a new lifestyle. A way of thinking about my resources. I'd much rather have my money in the bank than tied up in stuff. I have everything I need to get by and much more. I'm not out to impress anyone but myself. Wish me luck!

I'll try to post some before and after pictures.