Stuck at 30% – Continuing the home cleanse

I’ve posted before about our family’s aim for a simpler life. We have been on a cleansing mission since the beginning of the year, trying to minimize possessions and maximize experiences, and at first, it was easy, quick and very fulfilling.

But for the last few weeks, we have been lagging. Our objective is to be rid of 50% of all we own by the end of the year. We are doing this because :

1. Our house is small and we do not want to move, so we are making it bigger from the inside.
2. We spend WAY too much time cleaning and organizing spaces and searching and not finding things. That time could be much better spent.
3. Our daughter is now at an age where she likes to “ask for stuff”… constantly! And by reducing our material possessions, we want to show her that happiness does not come from things. (Hopefully, doing this while Little Man is still so young will leave an impression that will make his possessive milestone less intense.)
4. We have sincerely come to believe that the less you have, the happier you are… now to fully embrace it!

But once you have gone room by room, when you’ve gotten rid of clothing, toys, small appliances, books, etc. Where do you go? What we have come to realize is that a lot of what we have are little things… hidden things… things you don’t see, but they are there, taking up space that could be used for storage of other essential things.

So to get out of my rut, and since the larger areas have been tackled once, I’m going after the nooks and crannies. Dressers, night stands, shelves inside our closets, medicine cabinets, fabric bins… Watch out! 🙂

So my goals for this week are :

• The TV stand. I think we still have the charger to my very first cell phone. Ugh!
• The DVD, CD and (get this) VHS stacks. I never did get around to them last time. Yes, they were hidden so out of mind!
• My underwear and sock drawers. Lets face it, who needs more than a weeks worth of undergarments?

Small steps right? I need to remind myself that not all progress can be made really quickly. I think I let the fact that cleaning out a dresser isn’t as visually rewarding as clearing out entire kitchen cabinets keep me away from my plan. But what is the ultimate reward I’m seeking? Is it to have a house that looks less cluttered? Or is my reward the achievement of the goals I set for my family?

Introspection is my greatest motivator… By taking a hard look at myself and rectifying what needs to be rectified, I always become stronger in my resolve.

That being said, to the TV stand I go!

Have a wonderful week everyone! Wishing you all peace within the walls of your home and your hearts.