Over the next 2.75 years I am going to be reducing what I own quite drastically. Based on what I owned on 01JAN2012 I aim to have discarded, donated or sold 50% of it. I’ve made this into two goals of 25% and then 50% to give me a mid-way milestone to work towards.

In six weeks I managed to reduce what I own by 25%.

The peculiar thing is that moving through the piles of things and stuff being ruthless was pretty painless, it was only when I stopped to consider specific items that I felt twinges of ‘I need all of this’ and panic at the thought of having less. Music definitely helped, the more upbeat the better. Tackling things systematically rather than trying to do a whole room in an afternoon helped too.

So, what have I got rid of?

Well, 15 crates worth of stuff.

Books
- One crate Sold/listed on Amazon
- One crate donated to charity
- One crate passed on via bookcrossing
- Two crates set aside for donating this month (best to do it in one big batch!)

Clothes
- One crate donated to charity
- Three crates binned

Misc
- one crate of paperwork, leaflets, magazines, puzzle books shredded/binned
- one crate of toiletries, craft supplies and things like candles binned or donated
- an old TV recycled
- an old laptop recycled
- old phones and gadgets recycled
- an old (huge) CD/cassette player recycled
- old speakers recycled
- an old mirror recycled
- old stationery binned
- old rucksacks binned
- old camping stuff binned
- old work-related stuff binned
- some old music cassettes binned (still more to sort, I’m a music hoarder)

Ugh. I didn’t need or use any of it any more.

The books were a bit of a revelation. I didn’t think I had many more to reduce after the mammoth efforts of the last couple of years but apparently I do after spending October-February buying books again after a two year drought! Once I went through the books I still had from an Open University course but was never going to re-read, the books I’d read in the last couple of months, the ones I’d had multiple attempts at reading and wasn’t getting past the first 50 pages etc… I already had a couple of crates full! Being realistic about where my reading tastes are likely to take me over the next couple of years got the other two filled. I’d been keeping books that might appeal someday, on a very slim possibility. Feeling free to ditch the expectations along with the books was very, very positive.

The other stuff is a relief to get rid of, I’ve been hiding that TV in a corner to avoid dealing with it for ages for example. The solar/workroom/library/second bedroom is so much clearer and EVEN BETTER, JP (my amor) has been inspired to sort through his stuff too. That’s resulted in him shredding paperwork, donating and binning clothes, binning two sets of drawers we no longer use and weren’t suitable for donating, binning a huge broken chair that should have gone to the rubbish dump months ago etc.

Our house is much emptier and shiner as a result. It feels amazing. Not empty, just junkless. The only things I am regretting are not doing it sooner and not taking Before photos! :)