I had a basement full of stuff. A closet full of stuff. The office and the guest room were almost unusable because they were ‘stuff catchers’.
I had no idea. I thought this was just how everyone lived. We get stuff. And more stuff. And then we get bigger houses and storage units to hold all of our stuff. That was just normal life progression.
At the time Morgan and I were still chasing the ‘white-picket-fence-two-SUVs-in-the-driveway-suburban-corporate-working-couple-dream’. I thought that’s what I wanted.
Early 2015 I discovered that I was dealing with stress and anxiety overload. My body was starting to reject the conventional perfectionist lifestyle I had been living. I was seeking any and all knowledge of how to get some relief.
Now, I don’t remember if there was a particular article or podcast, but I started decluttering, and never looked back. I started in the basement and ended up with 30 boxes for donation. Then we moved to a rental with 1/3 of the space. It was clear more needed to be donated.
I didn’t know how to start, but had heard great things about Marie Kondo’s books: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. They forever changed the way I look at my belongings. I went through my house category by category and downsized another 10-15 boxes. Now every time I consider bringing an object into my life, I ask myself if it sparks joy.
As far as I have come, I’m still not done. Though currently avoiding going through sentimental items, my aspirations of tiny living is plenty of motivation to continue curating my belongings.