Starting Slow

Becoming a minimalist certainly sounded easy enough--get rid of everything that I didn't need, use or want--how hard could that be?

I went room to room in my house--the kitchen and living room seemed pretty bare to start--and in fairness, there wasn't much in the way of clutter in either of those two places. So when I found a rusty spoon, it was easy to toss it into the trash.

Until I dug it out.

I could wash it right? I mean, it was just rust.....a steel wool pad and it would be good as new! So it was a little chewed up from when it fell down the garbage compactor....

No. back into the trash it went.

I knew that I had to set some rules for myself if I was ever going to make this happen.

Rule #1: Once it goes INTO the trash, it can never come OUT of the trash.

Okay. one chewed up, rusty spoon less. I found a sock with a big hole in it--and realized that I was somehow bent on convincing myself that I could *use* that sock--polish my boots with it, make a cat toy (my Maine Coon Louie loves socks!)

No. In the trash. It was time to take this seriously. My home office had become so cluttered that I could barely open the door to squeeze inside--it was becoming a secret source of shame. I dumped item after item into my trash can only to have it sit, unemptied for weeks--if I could see the items that I was discarding, I was reluctant to take the big step of taking them to the curb.

Thus...
Rule #2: Anything trashed gets bagged up into opaque trashbags.
I'm sure this doesn't make the environmentalists happy, but it was the only way I could keep myself from diving back in. If I didn't see what I was tossing, I wouldn't be tempted to change my mind and pull things out.

I decided to leave the office and try clothing instead. To my amazement, I filled a trash bag in a matter of minutes. I held each item up and made the decision in 30 seconds or less, by doing a rapid triage and using the de-clutterer's algorithm:

1. When was the last time I wore it?
More than a year ago? Donation bin.
Wore it all the time? keep.
Wore it only once or twice? Donation.
Wore more than three times but infrequently? decide in 7 days.


2. What was the condition of the item?
Did it have stains? holes? didn't fit? Donation bin.

3. Did it look GOOD on me?
honestly. did it?
Yes: keep.
No: donate.
Don't know? : ask a trusted friend and decide in 7 days.

Number four was the kicker:
4. Why did I WANT to keep this item of clothing?
Because I wear it constantly: keep.
Because it looks great on me AND I wear it: keep.
Because I need it for work: keep.

But if I answered ANY of these...it was donate!
Because it was a gift.
Because you can't have too many "fill-in-the-blanks"
Because it might fit again if my weight changes
Because I've had it forever
Because I just can't throw it away...because...well, because

Before long, there were two large trash bags in the bed of my pickup truck, chock full of clothing, headed over to the Goodwill store. I dropped them off without much ceremony and headed back to see what I could tackle next. To my dismay, my successful first cull made barely a noticeable dent.

Rule #3: Pace myself and celebrate every victory, no matter how small.
Rome wasn't built in a day. Pompeii may have been destroyed in one, but the debris certainly wasn't cleared overnight!

This was going to be a process. A thoughtful, careful and methodical process.