The Love Of Minimalizing

I was moving a number of years ago and was carefully packing everything up for the relocation when I realized I had a lot of stuff. I mean A LOT! Then it occurred to me that I hadn't touched some of that stuff since I had moved into my then current house which was over six years earlier. I had packed it, moved it, stored it, and never touched it in six years. I came to the conclusion that it would be the same story next time I moved, so why bother moving it? This became a great revelation - if you don't need it, don't keep it. I've been on a minimization quest ever since. 

That first wave was huge and I'm too embarrassed to write here just how much I disposed of in the one move, but it was pretty legendary. It has continued ever since, albeit at a slower pace. When I moved into this house ten years ago I had three closets full of clothes (yes, it's true). Now, I have one. It's about to become even smaller as I clear out a bunch of winter wear that I haven't used in the last couple of years. My household goods are a fraction as extensive as they were that day fifteen years ago.

How did I manage to reduce so much? It's a lot simpler and easier than you think. 

First, I don't buy things unless I really need them. It's interesting how much impulse buying we engage in. I understand how someone can engage in this behavior because I suffer from it myself. One example is my fetish for winter coats. I'm not sure where this comes from but I finally realized I could barely walk by a nice winter coat. Question: How many winter coats does one man need? Especially considering they usually don't wear out for decades, if at all. Not to mention I live in the southwest and need a coat for only a few days a year. But, yeah, I'd look at a nice coat from L.L. Bean and find myself reaching for my wallet. I'd have to forcefully tell myself "Stop it!". Once you get over that impulse to buy your household at least stops getting bigger. Walk away from those figurative donuts. They'll just show up in your expanded closet tomorrow.

Next, I routinely get rid of anything I haven't used in the last two years. I'm pretty liberal in that regard. I know people who use a time scale of one year or even less. For some things, that's pretty valid. But, I have some tools, for instance, that I need but don't necessarily need them even once a year. When I need my table saw, I really need it and its too expensive to purchase a new one every couple of years. Of course, there's the other extreme, hanging onto something because it's cheap and you feel like you'll need it as soon as you throw it out. Computer-related connectors are frequently in this category and I recently had just this conversation. I've been weeding out my connectors and have gotten rid of some things that I wouldn't need short of going back in time. There could be an apocalypse and I still wouldn't need these connectors anymore than I would need the crank handle for a 1900-era motorcar. Off to the recycle center with them and more will follow in the next few weeks.

After a while this becomes a habit. I constantly look around to see what I don't need and haven't used. It's a lot easier to get rid of stuff on a constant basis than to try to do a big purge. Throwing things out and finding out you really are just fine without them will imprint this mindset.

But, what about those things that aren't covered by that philosophy? We all have things we want to keep, for whatever reason. How do you do a minimal lifestyle when you have things you just want to keep? That's step three. First, establish some storage limitations. I will NOT get myself a storage unit. I will NOT use my garage as a store room. I will NOT allow my attic or basement to become cluttered up with stuff I never look at. Very simply - If everything doesn't fit in the house in an orderly manner I have too much. Set priorities. If you want to keep a box of your child's elementary school drawings, give up something else to make room for it. I have photographs I haven't looked at since I took them and may not ever look at them again. I knew that when I took them and have kept them anyways. So, I find something else to get rid of. Maybe that box of stuff I've been keeping for some imagined future project I've been thinking about for who knows how long? Cut it loose.

All of that is making my current task easier. Part of the master plan is to get rid of my household. One of the signs that someone is contemplating suicide is that they start giving everything away. So, I can imagine my friends are going, "I think Chris is getting ready to commit suicide. He's giving away all of his belongings. You better get over there before all the good stuff is gone!" Seriously, I'm going through everything and clearing it out. I've been giving things away left and right. No, not suicide, just getting ready for the master plan. It isn't worth my time to try and sell it, but some people might want to do that. It would cost me more to put all of this into storage than to replace it in the event I someday decide I want to go back to living in one place. And, that's a big if. So, gifting it is. A friend suggested having a packout party. When I sell the house, invite everyone over for a party and they have to take something with them when they leave. I like that idea. Any excuse for a good party.

I thought this task might be a little poignant. There's the risk it could evoke memories and set me reminiscing, but it hasn't. I don't feel attached to material things very much and have little difficulty parting with things. As an example, I came across my first telescope yesterday while clearing out a closet. It certainly brought back memories of all the good times I had with it and the people who enjoyed it with me. I didn't even hesitate about deciding to unload it. It's an object and I still have those memories, with or without the object. The memories are important, not the material object. I have some stargazing contacts so I'm sure it will find a good home. 

And, on it goes.

The past is gone and I'm not going to live in it. The past is nothing more than training for the future. There is way too much waiting for me and I am not going to be weighed down by memories. Or, by material things. There are mountains to climb both figuratively and literally and I can't carry that weight with me. Fortunately, I've actually been working towards this for many years now and am almost there. The countdown clock is ticking.

I love a minimalist lifestyle.