Minimalism: The Saga Continues

Ugh…I still have not finished the papers category and I am ashamed to admit I haven’t made any progress with it either. What I can say is I have been very good about making sure I don’t let my new incoming paper accumulate and add to what I have left still to sort through. I’ve been very diligent with going through my mail as well as my receipts and actioning them without letting them sit for months. I can actually say I have successfully formed new habits with incoming paper!

Since my last minimalism post I have made a concerted effort to at least maintain the progress I had previously made in other categories. As an example, I have done some shopping for new clothes since completing the clothing category, but I still regularly go through my closet and drawers to get rid of articles so while new clothes are coming in, clothes that have lost their appeal are still going out. I simply make sure my closet and drawers maintain a similar volume and it has worked out very well thus far. It still is a pleasure trying to figure out what to wear since everything I have brings me joy wearing them!

In other areas of my house, I have been sorting and setting things aside to get rid of for most of the year. Piles of random items were accumulating, mostly in my garage, closet, and dining room. I simply failed to remove those items from the premises, which is a big No-No!

My anxiety was only building every time I caught a glimpse of a pile of things that didn’t bring me joy, some of which actually brought on a feeling of dread since it was associated with bad memories. 2 weeks ago, I received a notice from a local organization indicating they would be in the neighborhood next week to pick.up any donations left curbside. The only problem was I would not be home on the specified date due to travel plans. So I decided to do what I should have done months ago and placed a call to schedule a donation pick up for last Saturday.

This forced me to formally box and bag all the random piles throughout my house. That effort actually inspired me to go through more things in my house to get rid of as well! 3 boxes, 2 bags and 3 furniture pieces later – all things I have been wanting to get rid of since the beginning of this year were finally ready to move on to their next chapter.

Much to my dismay, the organization indicated they would not take the entrainment stand or bathroom toilet storage unit because it was made of particle board!

Sitting on the edge of my driveway, I walked to remove the donation signs from the furniture wondering what I was going to do with them now. Before another thought could form, a car passing by stopped and asked if I was selling the items. I happily told the woman she could have them for free. She commented on how nice the furniture was and how her kids broke her entertainment stand and the one I was getting rid of would fit her space perfectly.

Afterwards, I had wondered if I should have tried selling it to her instead, to get some cash, but after second thought, I simply hope that when something of mine breaks in the future, that the universe will provide that very thing I need at no cost like it did with her!

Have you been procrastinating with making further progress on your minimalism effort?  Get back to it, because the moment those things leave your home, you will feel a great sense of joy.  Trust me, I sure did!