|
Just went VIP the other day and I'm catching up!
I used to have a lot of shit laying around. At one point I had moved 3 times in one year. The last time I moved I was like "WTF am I carrying all this stuff around for?" So I hatched a plan..
I packed everything I owned into cardboard boxes and I didn't label anything. When I moved into the new apt I didn't unpack much of anything. 6 months later the boxes still sat there, unopened. I thought, "If I don't even know what's in here then it must not be that important." Without even opening the boxes to see what was in there, I just threw everything out. I don't know what I got rid of and honestly, I don't really care. If I needed it I would have been looking for it.
Another thing I did was hang all the clothes up in the closet but hung then hangers backwards. When I wore something I would turn the hanger back the right way. After about 9 months (long enough for the seasons to change) I took everything that still had backwards hangers and donated it. I obviously didn't ever wear it..
This was a few years ago. I'm now at the point where I own very little and try to keep it that way. Before I buy anything I ask myself 2 questions:
1. Do I NEED this?
2. Am I going to want to pack this when I move?
The answer to both is usually "no" so I don't buy it.
About 5 months ago I moved from Philly to Chicago and packed all of my possessions in 2 backpacks. That's it.
I still don't think I'm at the McNally level of minimalism but I try..
|