I've been reading alot about the 100 Thing Challenge and I am intrigued by this movement. I remember when I moved back down to L.A. after college, all my possessions fit in the back of my Acura Integra hatchback. Now, almost 17 years later, I have stuff spilling out of a 4 bedroom house. The garage, the shed in the backyard, all the closets and every nook and cranny is full of 'stuff'. But realistically, this clutter may all be in my mind. Physically all of our stuff is contained and the house does not look messy. We try to keep the place looking uncluttered and organized. I'm sure compared to many homes, ours would be considered very tidy and orderly.I am a very neat and organized person. For me everything has to be in it's place and things have to be in its proper container. I am always looking for organizational ideas or upgrading to more space conserving items. But I must admit over the years I did like buying and amassing things. I'm always looking for smaller technology and handy gadgets. Most of the items I own probably have been barely used since I have more things than I can use. So most items have probably been forgotten or sit idle packed away in a box somewhere. I have multiples of many items. This comes from being interested in too many things and feeling like somehow I am more prepared.
I like to have and buy things but I am definitely not a hoarder. I think there is a difference. Every month or so, I go through my stuff and throw or give away things I guess to make room for new things. So, this probably means that the number of items never exceeds the space we have.
Over the past year, I have noticed that not only do I want to clean out my closets and boxes but I have this overwhelming desire to simplify our lives. Although my house never looks visibly messy, I guess when I walk around, I see the items behind the closets and the cabinets and it feels like things are spilling over. Perhaps it's all psychological. Even though the closets are closed and there is still room, in my head I feel that everything has surpassed an imaginery level and these items seem to stick out like a sore thumb to me. Craigslist has been the greatest thing! Prior to using this service, we generally threw away or gave away anything undesirable or unnecessary. This year, we've managed to turn alot of the items no longer needed into some much needed petty cash. We've sold furniture, electronics, toys, household items, dvds, etc. It's been like finding lost money in the sofa. So there is even more incentive to clear away clutter and reevaluate the items that sit idle.
What I've noticed is that we feel good about purging the items that we don't need or use. This is exactly what the 100 Thing Challenge is about. Americans practice excess consumption and these things we accumulate can become oppressive. In this country, clutter has created the need for professional organizers. This is a very private matter as stuff can start to overwhelm you but in different ways for different people.
This is why so many people are interested in the 100 Thing Challenge. The concept is people pledge to whittle their possessions to a mere 100 items. However, the definition and rules of what constitutes 100 items can be very different for each person. For the extreme minimalist, it can be literally reducing your possessions down to 100 items. So, one left shoe would count as 1 item and the other side would be the 2nd item. This probably is unrealistic for most of us who have a family and have various interests and hobbies. For others, it can mean categorizing items and calling an entire category 1 item. So, this would mean all your shoes (no matter how many pairs you have) would collectively count as 1 item. For me, it is more likely that I will be following a reduction path like the latter. What I pledge to do is come back in 1 month and produce my list of 100 categories of items. Everything else will need to go. Either sold or given away. Hopefully, this thoughtful list will get us another step closer to clutter free living.
