I'm quickly coming up on my one year goal. In April of 2017 I decided to become a minimalist upon the realization that stuff was causing me stress, was taking my focus away from my purpose in life, and was keeping us from our goals. So I made the goal to rid our home of at least 40 trash bags full of stuff we did not need in a years time. I didn't count what we threw away in the dumpster or the items here and there that I gave away to friends who could use them, so I'm sure if I counted all of that this number was exceeded a long time ago. But I still feel like I have a long way to go when I see my craft supplies and storage room. It's overwhelming and now that I'm getting down to the hardest stuff, I'm hitting roadblocks! As I acknowledge my obstructions, I feel better equipped to kick them in the tail.
The first is GUILT. When I evaluate whether or not to keep something, and decide to purge it, but then remember how much I spent on it or who bought it for me I begin to feel guilty for wanting to get rid of it. Then it moves from the "definitely purge" pile to the "maybe" pile. This feeling of guilt is overwhelming when I see the evidence of the way I used to think about the clearance rack or second hand purchases. I had zero issues hitting up a thrift store and buying another $3 shirt for my overflowing closet. It was just $3! But when I purged my closet the $3 here and $5 there added up to a significant amount of cash. That is just one example of my spending habits. I didn't think I was spending a lot of money! What I didn't realize is that the small amount I wanted to spend in the moment added up to quite a bit at the end of the month. Every penny counts when you're trying to help your husband reach a life time goal of going back to school for his doctorate, or go on a family vacation, or pay off school loans, or, or, or, or, or. When I think about that fact, it's easy to let guilt take me down.
Fear of needing it in the future. There has been a few items here and there that I wish I didn't throw away. I hate that feeling because that thought always enters in my brain, what if you need this later? This is especially applicable for my craft supplies.
Gifts. Most of the time I receive gifts I truly do need and/or appreciate. Still, there are times when I come upon a gift that I no longer need or has long ago used up it's purpose. I have to remind myself, as I put the gift in the donation or sell pile, that by doing so does not diminish my love for that person. Getting rid of a gift does not change the way I feel about who gave it to me! It's a ridiculous blockade, but the more I dig into this minimalist lifestyle and follow others who are taking this lifestyle on - I know I'm not alone!
Time. When I dig into my stuff I make piles (huge piles). It takes quite a bit of time to sort through it and time is something we all lack.
Frustration. When I use up my precious time to sort through these piles of crap I've accumulated it is so easy to become extremely frustrated with myself. How on earth did I get here in the first place?! Why did I buy this?! If I had just thought this purchase through in the first place I wouldn't be wasting my time sorting through all this nonsense! &etc. It's easy to let the purging become a major downer when I allow my irritation to overwhelm my sense of accomplishment. I have to remind myself that all of this is evidence of my growth!
Just saying, "No." I have so much that I need to accomplish in my day. My first priority is time with God reading His Word and in prayer. That time is a necessity for growth as a Christian and my sanity for the remainder of the day. Second is my husband. What do I need to do to help him? Third is my children. It is my job to teach them, discipline them, and see to it that they get the best of me during the day. Lastly, I am a disciple of Jesus, a disciple maker, and a teacher. If I say "yes" to anything that adds significantly to my day and takes away from my priorities then I just have to say "no" - for some reason that is extremely difficult sometimes. I realized last week that not only do I need to be a minimalist in what I own, but I also need to be a minimalist in what I do. Otherwise I lack focus.
Over Analyzing. For example, sometimes I waaaaaay over think about whether or not to keep an item, the reasons why I bought it in the first place, if I should try to sell it, if so for how much, or whether or not to keep it, when I use it, the last time I used it, if I'll ever use it again, what I'll use it for, if my husband ever uses it, or if my girls would benefit from it, or maybe just scrap all of that and donate it! None of these thoughts are bad thoughts, but sometimes it's a simple answer that requires very little thinking.
Simply liking it. There have been many items (especially from my decor and closet collections) that I truly do enjoy for its beauty or unique qualities. When I simply like an item for the sake of liking it I struggle because my reasons for keeping items go something like this:
- Do you enjoy it?
- Yes? Does it serve a purpose?
- Yes? Does it help keep you focused on your purpose?
- Yes? Do you have room for it?
- Yes? Where? Then put it there, right now, and keep it there!
Sometimes the likable item never made it past question one and when that was the case - it went out! Most of the time I find that really difficult. Over time, however, I forget what those items even were that I agonized over.
Motivation. Sometimes I simply do not want to do it anymore. The result of the purging process is amazing! Ridding our home of those bags has been worthy of celebration after celebration (I've done 35 mini celebrations in fact) but when I see the mountain it's hard to find the motivation to take those first steps and begin the climb. I cannot wait for the day when I am able to say I've gone through every tote, memory box, closet, and cabinet - but it's hard finding the desire to do it sometimes. What I find most motivational are other people who share their struggles, their reasons, their stories, their wisdom. When I lack motivation, I am thankful for blogs, and video's, and little snippets of wisdom on Instagram and verses like this: "Take care, be on guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15
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