Saturday, December 31, 2005

Simplify

It's about to be 2006. I really like the idea of starting the New Year with a clean slate. I would love to pare down to the bare essentials every New Year and simplify my life. The problem is that I have many pack rat tendencies. I can't seem to part with my stuff. I have reason to believe this year may be different though. Our house has been on the market for 3 months and there is finally some real interest. If either of these interested parties works out we'll probably be moving into our new project in January or February. Moving is a great time to clean things out and start fresh. Moving at the beginning of the year may just allow me the opportunity to put my money where my mouth is. And that diet starts tomorrow too....
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1 comment:

LMR said...

Did I tell you my secret for getting rid of stuff? Take a photo of it (you can even do a series of 360-degree photos if you're super attached to is) or scan it (if it's something small). Save the images on your computer and then back up the files somewhere more off-site or safe.

We did that for a lot of things when we moved from Michigan, and it really worked. We were able to let go of things that it was ridiculous to keep but we felt we couldn't part with for sentimental reasons. Les also went through every room in the house (and outside, too) and took photos of everything -- light fixtures, wall paper, etc. -- so that it was well-documented. That seemed to make it easier to move out of his childhood home. I wish I had done this to my grandparents' former homes in PA before they moved. Now, they're not documented at all and all we have left are memories (which are usually pretty inaccurate!).

So that's my advice on the purging thing, although I must admit that it's a lot easier to purge when you're moving far, far away than when you're moving next door.

Also, after we moved all our things down here (after a significant purge, mind you), Les said, "In one year's time, I want to have five changes of clothing and one laptop and that's it!" There is nothing like moving your crap to make you truly hate your crap. I figure that if you move every two years, you'll never be able to truly build it up. It's the people who live in the same house for 30 years who have some work cut out for them!

10:32 AM

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