Living with Less Stuff and Less Guilt
It’s January! Did you know that January is Get Organized Month? In honor of GO Month I’d like to share my thoughts on living with less stuff and less guilt. I have to admit that I’m a wanna-be minimalist. I’m not one, but I’d like to be. The fewer things you own, the less time you spend taking care of those things. I love this quote by Courtney Carver in her book Soulful Simplicity, “Letting go is easier than holding on. You have to hold on all day everyday and you only have to let go once.” I have found this to be true in big and small ways.
I can tell you from experience that living with less really helps keep a home mostly clutter free. In 2002, I moved overseas with my husband, 18 month old son, and a few suitcases of belongings. We had sold our house and had given away or sold the majority of its contents. That was a drastic change that resulted in a drastically calmer and more simplified home. We got rid of so much stuff, but honestly I don’t remember missing any of it. In fact, the opposite was true. It was so incredibly freeing.
I’ve continued making choices since moving back to the States to simply reduce the amount of stuff in my house. I have purged my home of various books, toys, educational materials, clothing, shoes, jewelry, furniture, and even —sometimes the toughest things to part with—sentimental keepsake items. I had a really difficult time parting with a 1957 Chevy Truck that my dad had been in the process of restoring for my son when he died. It had been sitting in our garage for years and we needed that space for something else. We had no intention or inclination to ever finish the restoration process. My son had no interest in restoring the truck. But my dad had told me before he died that he was going to put a clause in his will that my son could never sell the truck. Can you say Guilt Trip!
Why was I holding onto it? Guilt was the predominant reason. I remember the day that I sold it and it was towed away. I was sobbing in my driveway feeling like I had just sold a piece of my dad. Was that actually true though? NO. Have I missed it since then? No, not really. I loved that truck and the fact that my dad was fixing it up for my son. But the truck wasn’t my dad. And the truck wasn’t going to restore itself. And selling the truck didn’t take away any of the memories I had of my dad.
Do you have items that you are holding onto out of guilt? Is there a way for you to move forward by letting them go? I don’t have the truck anymore, but I do have this beloved photo of my toddling son standing beside it. This photo brings me so much joy. And I can guarantee that it takes up way less real estate than the truck itself.
Denise Hance
January 15, 2021
So true! And, yet still so hard to actually do. Thanks for sharing and encouraging me to let go.
Kathy Blair, CPO®
January 16, 2021
Yes, definitely harder than I’d like it to be. It’s definitely more difficult to let go of sentimental items, with our emotions in play.
Sheala
January 15, 2021
I’ve used this tip and have been so grateful for it!
Kathy Blair, CPO®
January 16, 2021
I’m so glad it’s been helpful. I know that I can use all the help I can get.
LaNette
January 15, 2021
What a beautiful testimony! I love that you have the photo! I’ve been doing a lot of scanning, consolidating, & digitizing of paper that I’ve held onto for years. Lots of progress, but still a long way to go!
Kathy Blair, CPO®
January 16, 2021
I’m so grateful I have the photo as well! Great job getting your paper in order. Just keep working on it as you can, every little bit helps.
Amy
January 16, 2021
Love the story – love the picture! I will definitely pass this onto others! So many people feel such guilt in letting go of family keepsakes and most of the time they don’t even like what they are holding onto but the guilt is so strong. This will certainly help them see the light.
Kathy Blair, CPO®
January 16, 2021
Guilt can be ridiculously strong! I hope this will indeed be helpful to some who are struggling with this.
Haven Mass
January 16, 2021
This is is true, convicting and encouraging! I need this reminder once every month or two. I’m going to bookmark this!
As a client of yours, I’m so thankful you are understanding when we aren’t quite there yet, and we struggle to let go. : ). You’ve helped talk me through so many decisions I continue to be thankful for!
Kathy Blair, CPO®
March 9, 2021
Thank you for your kind words Haven. It definitely helps to have someone to process these things with.
Kim Krogh
January 17, 2021
Kathy, So well said and so very true! I am going to copy the link to this article and send it to a client RIGHT NOW! Thank you for such a well written article on a very hard subject!
Kathy Blair, CPO®
March 9, 2021
Thank you Kim, that made my day. I appreciate you sharing.
Lita Daniel
January 19, 2021
Great inspirational blog Kathy, you hit the nail on the head. I find that when working with my clients that sometimes they hold on to things out of guilt. Letting go can be very traumatic.
Kathy Blair, CPO®
March 9, 2021
Thank you Lita! I know you have experienced this with clients as well.