I recently heard that the amount of storage units being built in the United States is on the rise. So… there are homeless people who are wrapped up in cardboard boxes trying to stay warm, but we’re building storage units for our overflowing stuff? This made me think about how much stuff I have.
We all have wants, but what do we really need as human beings? Anyone else remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? I don’t believe ‘more storage space’ is in there.
Nope. ‘Extra holiday decorations’ didn’t make the cut either.
Before we earned full custody of my husband’s three kids, we lived in a one bedroom apartment. We were very practical (um… maybe because we were kind of broke) so we kept our stuff to a minimum. (Except for books. No one remind my husband how many boxes of books he has had to move since he’s met me.)
Then Curtis, Erin, and James came along and we began collecting so much stuff. Stickers… homemade goo… Lego…
Lego… I’ve never known the evil’s of Lego until stepping on a nice sharp piece in the dark. Repeatedly and often.
Coming from being a rather tidy person, I had to learn to walk through the regular kid clutter and random smells without having a nervous breakdown. It took nearly four years, but I finally let go of trying to control the cleanliness of the entire house. It was a losing battle.
But what I do have control over is my bedroom and my belongings. Having said that, somewhere along the way I must have “let go” a little too much….
Last weekend I watched Tidying up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. She tells her clients to only keep items that “Spark Joy!”. So I decided to tackle my closet. Well, I can tell you this, Marie Kondo, I tried your method today and that’s not exactly possible for me. I’m too practical! Does this sweater still fit me? Yes. Does it “Spark Joy”? Well, no. But it fits.
So this is not a perfect system. But I can tell you what did happen. I took everything out of the closet (on my side) and packed away the clothing that is not in season and organized the rest. I was able to collect a couple bags of items to give away. The organization in itself is a huge win. I also realized I have plenty of items to wear even though I thought I didn’t. The process made me appreciate what I have and not yearn to run to the mall to buy more stuff.
I went out and walked the dogs afterwards. Once I came back and looked at my closet with fresh eyes, I gave myself a pat on the back.
One room down… a few more to go!
When did I ever think this stupid hat Sparked Joy?
Happy cleaning!
