As we plan our much anticipated trip, we imagine all the benefits from a year abroad. We hope to learn about different cultures, become closer as a family, and develop some grit. In some ways we have already benefited . Just knowing that our adventure awaits has lifted our spirits and filled us with anticipation (much like a kid waiting for Christmas). Most importantly, we have already started to MINIMIZE OUR STUFF- the effect of which is 100% positive. Everyone can benefit from decluttering!
Marie Kondo and her KonMari method featured in her New York Times' bestselling books and a Netflix series has inspired millions to declutter. Her method focuses on choosing what to keep based on whether it brings joy- she emphasizes that this is different than minimalism, which simply reduces the number of possessions.
I haven't spent much time with the KonMari method, but I did use its principles once when sorting clothes. I first placed all my clothes on our bed so that I could individually evaluate whether they brought me joy. The heaping pile that I created sparked absolute shame- how had I managed to accumulate so many clothes when there are people who have so little? This realization alone was enough to purge half my closet.
Henri and I are opposites in many ways, but we both like getting rid of "things"- albeit different things. I think the difference comes from our backgrounds.
Henri's parents tease us about our lack of "knick-knacks." Their extensive travels and international experiences created a collection of unique and numerous mementos. Each one represents a memory and they will never part with them. Henri has a similar, but less intense, connection to objects from his childhood in Switzerland, and many of the things in his office he has had for decades. When it comes to less sentimental items, he loves minimizing (even finishing a box a rice or a nearly empty freezer can bring him joy).
My parents are the original Marie Kondo- tidying is a sport for them, which is mostly a reflection of their inherent generosity. My Dad establishes a "give-away shelf" in every house. It's a place for things that aren't being used but could be shared with someone that might need them. My siblings and I have all recreated the "give-away shelf" in our own homes (but we are still honing our skills).
Despite our desire to not have many possessions, we still managed to fill our house with things we don't use or need. It seemed like much of its space was just storage. It took downsizing to the apartment to truly realize our mistake. As I had done with my clothes on the bed, we moved everything we didn't absolutely need to our garage. The sheer volume of "things" was shocking and embarrassing.
Thankfully, Nana and Papa (special operations tidying team) drove from Michigan and stayed until we were packed and moved into the apartment- it was more than a month of work! We offered our friends anything that would be useful, organized a garage sale, and donated the rest. We ended up getting rid of 2/3 of our belongings and it still wasn't enough! Our 1200 sf apartment and 2 basement storage units are a little overcrowded and we continue to take car loads of stuff to Goodwill.
WE DON'T MISS ANY OF IT!!
We miss our house and the backyard but we can barely remember any of the stuff; we realized it was just weighing us down. Now we have to be extremely thoughtful about what we buy and we purchase far less.
We have found decluttering and downsizing to have the following benefits:
BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING and DOWNSIZING
- Better focus and sense of peace
- Saving money on homegood purchases
- Less time for cleaning
- Less shame at amount of personal belongings when so many people go without everything they need
- Teaching our children that "stuff" isn't important and that time and personal relationships are most important
- More thoughtful purchasing
- Realizing that we can be happy without a huge house and every convenience