Dealing With the Stuff

As you probably know quite well by now, my #OneWord for 2014 is simplicity (read about why I picked it here). In these first six days of the year, the word has been treating me well--I've been thinking about how to be honest about my limitations and learn from them, and also how to take it easier on myself. I've started simple habits of budget management (i.e. better tracking of my spending using mint.com and GoogleDocs), and I've been drinking lots of water.

Really, I decided that this first month of 2014 was going to be key in habit formation. In order to live a simpler life in 2014, one that is natural, unembellished, sincere, and straightforward, I want to practice good habits that will make my life easier and that will embody simplicity. Some of these habits are emotional, mental, and spiritual--taking it easier on myself, as previously mentioned; blogging more (which you can see I've already been following up on!); taking time each day for Bible study. Some of the habits, though, are physical, and not only things I am doing for my physical self (i.e. drinking water), but also habits that involve the physical space around me.

Toward the end of 2013 (a.k.a. about a week and a half ago), part of the thinking that led me to realize that I wanted to focus on simplicity in the coming year was that I kept being drawn to blogs, Pinterest boards, and life tips that inspired me to clean, declutter, and focus on minimalism. Whenever I look at design blogs like this one, or read lifestyle blogs like this one, it makes me want to live a life that is that aesthetically and mentally pleasing--a place for everything and everything in its place, a home that is welcoming and calming and restful. Part of achieving those goals for me is decluttering and streamlining; thus, my goal of simplicity.

Well, this weekend proved a wild one weather-wise here in Bloomington (current temperature outside: -8 degrees Fahrenheit), so I got started on my decluttering in short order. I decided to clean out my bedroom closet and dresser yesterday, and had a grand old time doing it.

The good news: I ended up with enough junk to toss to make 3 trips to the dumpster and enough stuff to donate to Goodwill to fill 2 bags (and counting).

The bad news: I am quite a sentimental creature, so there are some things I won't (can't, refuse to) part with. I have a cardboard box in my closet that has memory scraps from the past 15 years of my life (someday I'll do something with them. Someday). I have an AWFUL time getting rid of clothes; I can always convince myself that I'll wear something again. I keep old instruction/owner's manuals (you NEVER know when you're going to need them), I keep copies of bills and invoices for a year (again, should the IRS decide to audit me or something I'll HAVE to have them), and I even keep old journals and planners (want to know what I was up to on January 6th five years ago? I can probably tell you).

Acknowledging this weakness of sentimentality, though, I accomplished some small victories yesterday, and I decided small victories and joys are what count for this year. (In fact, I'm keeping an "it's the little things" jar in my living room to track some small victory and/or joy each day of the year.) I am now fully aware of everything that is in my closet, something that I did not know 24 hours ago. I have made room for more stuff, should more stuff enter my life (because, let's be real, there will ALWAYS be more stuff). I have ruthlessly thrown away or donated things that I really didn't need to keep; I have made a small move toward more simplicity in 2014.

This year will require me dealing with lots of stuff, I think, in order to live a simpler life--physical stuff, emotional stuff, mental stuff, spiritual stuff. But my goal of living a sincere, natural, and easy life in 2014 is more important to me than all the clutter in my life, and so the best I can do is make small steps each day to achieve my goal!

How are you dealing with your stuff in 2014? What small steps are you taking each day to accomplish your goals, hopes, and dreams for the year?