I’ve been working with friends on how to let go of stuff and enjoy life. It seems the older I get, the less I want or need. I want less of just about everything, except chocolate, of course. I giggle because I love chocolate, and See’s Candy is one of my downfalls. Well, any chocolate.
But, in all honesty, I will be at lunch with family or friends today, and we seem to zero in on the fact that we want less stuff. We want food storage and water storage so we can be prepared, but we all want to live a simpler life.
I have helped people move over the years, and every single time I hear the same thing, “I need to get rid of stuff.” We always laugh and say we all need to declutter. Sometimes, people move their stuff to a new house and never can let go of items they have boxed up years ago.
Remember, I’m not talking about letting go of family treasures or sentimental items. I’m heading to a friend’s house this morning to help her declutter and organize her laundry room cupboards. She’s picked up some plastic containers she can label to find items quickly when needed.
Family Treasures
Update: I donated some of the treasures my mother left me; I know my kids will not want the stuff. My siblings don’t like it either. I may have mentioned that I do not like to dust and get overwhelmed when I see papers stacked everywhere. Touch it once is my motto.
As you know, Mark and I moved back up north and built an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in my daughter’s backyard. We moved in October 2021 back to South Jordan, Utah (near Salt Lake City, Utah). It hasn’t worked out as we had hoped, but at our age, we don’t have another option as of today. It took three years to get permits and build this tiny home. It cost us double what we had expected.
My granddaughter and I indulged on watching Netflix’s “Tidying Up” while she lived with us while going to school in Southern Utah. We giggled every time we watched it. I turn it on every month or so and watch my favorite ones, reinforcing my need to declutter even more.
Let me tell you this: I have been donating, selling, and trashing items that no one would want, and it feels incredible. I want to sip a homemade lemonade in the backyard this year and simplify my life. Bring on the lemons; I may even plant a Meyer Lemon tree. Update: It’s too cold up here to plant a Meyer Lemon tree.
Enjoy Life by Letting Go
I want to challenge you and myself to let go of stuff and enjoy life. Look around your home, grab some clear bags, garbage bags, or boxes, and label them to recycle, keep, donate, sell, or trash as many items as possible. We can do a cupboard today and a closet next week.
There is no hurry to let go of stuff, but I promise you will enjoy life much more. Divide the things you may want to let go of in the following ways:
- Keep
- Donate
- Trash
- Sell
- Give to someone
Enjoy Life
Here are some things I want to do to enjoy life more. I hope you will share your ideas as well. Let’s make this list long.
- Simplify lateral counters (let go of stuff you have to dust around).
- Stop buying clothes that need to be dry-cleaned.
- Spend just one day a month in solitude, no TV, cell phones, or internet.
- Watch the sunset; it’s impressive and simply beautiful.
- Decide to get up one hour earlier each day; that one hour rocks.
- Take your lunch to work; you will save money and eat healthier.
- Skip the soda and drink water. Good water (not tap water, at least where I live). I have reverse osmosis installed.
- Before you buy something, take the time to think about whether you need it. If you do bring it home, get rid of something else.
- Set a savings goal and stick to it.
- Organize your bills, important documents, and tax returns and file them.
- Buy a golf pass for Mark; it saves us money, and all his friends get a discount to golf with him.
- Simplify your gift-giving; money doesn’t buy happiness; gifts are not always needed; spend time, not your money.
- Don’t answer your phone if you don’t want to; let it ring; they can text a message if they need you.
- The doorbell, who invented the doorbell? LOL! Don’t answer the door if you don’t want to; it’s usually a sales pitch.
- Cancel magazine subscriptions; sometimes, they become clutter, and you may feel obligated to read them.
- Buy clothing that will work with all the colors in your wardrobe, with less clothing and less money spent.
- Rent a home. I know, I was a realtor and mortgage broker, but I can see that renting has positive options. (Other than the landlords keep raising the rent.) You may have to move but no longer maintain a home with repairs. If you let go of stuff, you can downsize and travel. One neighbor told me, “I love renting because I can try out this neighborhood, move out (she’s condensed her stuff), travel for six months, and find another neighborhood to see if I like it.” I always felt owning a home was the American Dream, but is it? Do you like your neighborhood or your neighbors? If you are renting, you can move when your lease is up.
- Meet friends for dinner at a restaurant once a week for date night. No one has to cook, and you get one night off from planning a meal.
- Stop getting newspaper/magazine deliveries; you can see the news on TV or the Internet.
- Go for walks and listen to audible books, typically free at your local library.
- Pay off your house as quickly as possible.
- Practicing planting a garden and digging into the earth God gave us to grow our food is relaxing.
I have worked since I was 7 or 8 years old, cleaning houses, babysitting, being a mom, and working at corporations. I owned a mortgage company, and now I want to enjoy life; what about you? Thanks again for storing food storage, water, and all the necessities to be prepared for the unexpected. Please enjoy life; you deserve it. May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright pictures: Chalkboard: AdobeStock_102972988 by Marek, Decluttering AdobeStock_555966405 By Vejaa
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