500 THINGS CHALLENGE
100
Hi everyone! How was your weekend?
Just a quick update on my 500 things challenge (more info here). This weekend, I reached the 100th thing mark. It happens to be a DVD of one of my most favourite movies: “things you can tell just by looking at her” by Rodrigo García Barcha (son of novelist Gabriel García Márquez). If you’ve never seen this movie, I highly recommend it.
I’m really enjoying this last round of purging. It challenges me to question everything I own and to redefine the way I see my life. Very cathartic.
I love this – the idea of starting over and the feeling of infinite possibilities.
500 things challenge: Update
Quick update on my new (and last) paring down challenge: the 500 things challenge (read original post here).
I promised myself that it would be my last decluttering session because if I still have to declutter down the road, it would mean I didn’t do such a good job at curbing my shopping enthusiasm, which would basically mean I still want more stuff even if I intellectually know I shouldn’t. But I’m confident I have changed my focus: a few days ago, I clearly realized that I have everything I need and more than enough. And to be honest, I’m getting tired of this decluttering trend. Everywhere I turn, there’s a blog that tells me to declutter. Talk about guilt-inducing and stressful. Don’t get me wrong, I still think decluttering is a good thing. But at some point, we should stop the quasi-obsessive need to declutter. I mean, we have a life, right?
Anyways, back to the challenge. As I previously explained, I created a Word file where I compile all the things that will leave the house. The list is numbered so that I can easily see how many things I’ve gotten rid of (instant gratification). So far, there are 73 items on my list.
It’s a slow process because I only have nice things and yes, I admit it: I’m having a hard time deciding what to let go and what to keep. My rule of thumb is to get rid of anything I have never ever used, anything that I will likely never use and anything that doesn’t have a purpose other than looking good (I prefer a multitasking accessory like a nice vessel that can be used as serving bowl, catch-all and decorative bowl that can hold pretty flowers).
There are 5 piles: trash, charity, sell, regift (for special occasions) and give away (to family and friends who I know will like the items).
Here’s the pile of clothes that I’m donating to charity:
And a box of other stuff I’ll be giving away to family and friends:
I’m still debating if I want to have a garage sale or not. I don’t want to sell my nice stuff for peanuts; I’d rather donate it to charity or give it away to friends and family. I’ll most likely sell the really nice stuff on ebay.
I can’t wait to finish this challenge and be done for good with my obsession with stuff and decluttering.
500 thing challenge
As you know, I’m in the process of paring down. My goal is to get rid of 500 things before the end of the year. There are no specific rules.
My house will probably look empty after that, but like I said, I love the idea of starting from scratch.
I created a Word file where I compile all the things that will leave the house. The list is numbered so that I can easily see how many things I’ve gotten rid of. So far, I’ve said goodbye to 47 things, including a few sequined tops (ok I didn’t realize I love sequins that much), expired medication, some unwanted gifts I’ve never used (and will never use), and an old storm door.
The interesting thing about this paring down process is, I recently realized there are a few things that I have too many of, like vessels of all kind (salad bowls, shot glasses, plates, vases, etc. I’m kind of obsessed with their shapes for some reason), sketchbooks and notebooks (and any kind of paper product really – I love paper, there’s something really sensual about paper that I’m inexplicably drawn to), and sequined tops (I used to be a party girl and that’s probably why – just to be clear, I wasn’t a “drunk-in-Las-Vegas” kind of party girl; I just loved clubbing). I don’t know if the term “pattern” is appropriate here but there’s definitely something worth analyzing that could say something about my way of thinking (which would ultimately change my buying decision process).
For example, I now know that I had too many sequined party tops, which say a lot about my past but no longer reflect my current situation/state of mind or my future goals. I got rid of them with no regrets. I did keep a black sequined blazer because it makes me feel like a million bucks, and it says “I’m classic with a twist” (which is basically my style in a nutshell). Anyways, because I took the time to analyze why I had so many sequined tops and why I no longer should, I know I won’t make the mistake of buying another sequined top in the future. Problem solved :)
Are there things in your house that you have too many of? If yes, what do you think it means?
