I have heard of a neat idea called the 100 Things Challenge. This is where you get rid of everything personal, except for 100 items. Before you completely reject this idea as impossible (like I originally did, lol) there are exceptions to this rule.
Things not included:
- Stuff that’s shared between you and other family members.
- Non-personal stuff, like dishes, cleaning supplies, etc.
- Books.
- Tools.
- Collections count as one item.
While I haven’t completely finished this challenge, it has made me look at what I own and often gives me the needed motivation to say, “Do I really need this?” I believe my interest in this lies in my need to simplify my life and shed things that do not further my personal and spiritual goals. My efforts in the 100 Things Challenge have left me with the feeling of satisfaction- that I am making a concentrated and focused effort to better myself and my environment! I highly recommend it.
You can look here for more information:
ZenHabits take on the 100 Things Challenge (this is where I discovered the challenge)
David Michael Bruno’s Blog (creator of the challenge)
StopYourDrama Blog‘s reasoning that Clutter is often a manifestation of other problems.
I love this idea. It makes me feel peaceful just reading about the idea. I’m working to declutter my whole home, using the Flylady system. It’s been such a blessing for myself and my family to reduce the junk, especially getting rid of things we don’t use, need or care about! I’m definitely going to read the other articles you’ve mentioned and investigate this further. Thank you so much for sharing!
[...] I also have a bad habit of hoarding. I come from a very materialistic society and family. My great grandmother was in perfect health when she died, but tripped on some newspapers she “hadn’t gotten around to throwing away or reading.” (Read my post on the 100 Things Challenge.) [...]