Everything is decluttered! (almost)
My new favorite hobby
It all started when a light bulb in my apartment went out.
At first I thought, no big deal, I’ll replace that later this week. Spoiler alert: That week came and went. Why? The light is in a common drop spot (my entryway) and I couldn’t get my step stool in place with stuff all over the floor.
I’ll just pick up the entryway and then I can change the bulb. I’ll start by putting away my shoes, then—oh wait, why is there mail everywhere? And reusable grocery bags? What’s this box? I’m overwhelmed, I’ll do this later.
You guessed it—another week went by, and the entryway remained dark. The issue? There were items in this space that didn’t belong there and also did not have a designated spot in my apartment, or they had a spot but something else was there.
It got to the point where not only was I having to step over stuff in the entryway like a freaking obstacle course, but also I was doing so in. The. Dark.
Reader: At this point I was on the precipice of a meltdown.
I looked around my apartment and all of a sudden, something I’ve always known, but seemed to be okay with or didn’t have the skills to deal with, snapped into focus. I have too much stuff! There is too much clutter! I’m over this!
*Montage of me stomping several laps around my apartment picking up anything and everything and chucking it into bags.*
I started to feel better after about 20 minutes of this process. I had a few paper grocery bags filled with random items. It was easier to breathe, and it felt like my apartment was letting out an exhale, as well.
After the initial purge a few weeks ago, I started going through my belongings in a more systematic way. I played episodes of my favorite podcast and went through drawers, containers, cabinets, plastic totes. Things went to friends, Goodwill, Little Free Libraries, randos on Facebook Marketplace, and, yes, the trash (omg and yes of course I recycled things that were recyclable geez).
Once I got the process of decluttering started, I couldn’t stop. Throughout the years, I’ve regularly decluttered, but this has been the first time I took a closer look at my belongings. I realized a few things:
Just because something is organized (or in a pretty bin or basket), doesn’t mean it’s necessary (47 paperclips, anyone?).
I don’t always need multiples of items, and it’s okay to separate “the set” (why the f did I own more claw clips than there are days in the week?).
If I haven’t used something that I’ve had for months or years, I probably never will (yarn on yarn on yarn and oh yeah I don’t knit).
A lot of items are actually trash (a punch card for a business I went to six years ago and then never again).
Two resources have been impactful during this process:
Unbridled rage
@downsizeupgrade on Instagram: This creator has a lovely philosophy around decluttering and actionable strategies and tips. One of the most helpful pieces of tough love? You already spent the money—keeping the item isn’t going to get your money back.
The process isn’t quite done, but what a hugely positive change this has had on not only my physical space but also my mental health.
The best part? I’ve replaced the light bulb in the entryway.
Just kidding, the best part is getting all this shit out of my apartment. But the light bulb helps.