This is perhaps an oversimplified way of explaining it, but long story short, I was sitting on the floor, nestled between my sofa and my coffee table and screwing around on reddit. I looked up at my apartment and thought, “wow, I have so much shit.” So much stuff lying around, collecting dust, things I have carried from apartment to apartment, some of it still in boxes from years ago.

Why?

I couldn’t find an answer, and I couldn’t logically explain to myself why I kept so much stuff without reason. I could only find easy answers, like the ones I’ve listed below. Hopefully my logic will give you as much of a combo laugh-face palm as it gave me.

Some Dumb Reasoning

“Oh, well this is a spare in case my main one breaks.”

– about my stereo, and I already allow myself one per room. The spare is the second living room stereo.

“Well if someone stays over, I want them to be comfortable.”

– and when that happens once a year, they will be rolled up like a burrito in three sets of bed sheets, a comforter, and seven thick blankets.

“I might want to wear it someday.”

– granted, my elementary school t-shirt in a youth large does technically fit me, but it’s got a big gaping hole in the armpit and it’s covered in finger paint.

Some other things I have been unnecessarily hanging onto include: separated/gunky/dry nail polish; college index cards; underwear I hate wearing; every bill I have ever paid; and my least sensical stash – preserved food that I found out I’m allergic to (which I just realized is still in my pantry, oops!)

So technically these reasons could be considered “sound,” but my lifestyle does not allow for unnecessary things. I live in a 600 square foot apartment with a dog and a crafting hobby. There just isn’t room for a Johnson’s popcorn jug of old nail polish and an extra desk to hold all of my papers.

Living with Intention (Read: Living Lazy & Still Getting Shit Done)

The reason I am starting this blog is to share the wisdom and insights this lifestyle has forced upon me. I don’t ascribe to any niche, but I like to pick and choose thoughts and ideas that resonate with what’s important to me. I focus on minimalism, simple living, frugal living, sustainable living, efficient living, and a tad of personal finance (because I like pretending to use my degree).

Sometimes these lifestyles conflict, but taking bits and pieces of each has helped me realize that having stuff is not what I have always wanted. I want to feel peace, comfort, and achievement. I want to live easy.

Once I realized the answer to my problems lies not in having everything, but in being content with what I have, I started chucking it all out. Six bags of clothes for goodwill, and my closet could breathe a little. Not a lot, but the second wave took four more bags of clothing. Then a shelf of books, two bags of shoes, and a bag of linens for the SPCA.

I still feel like I have a lot of stuff, but I’m clearing out my life and focusing on the things that are important to me.

My goal is to live with intent. I want to challenge myself everyday. Do I really need that? Want to do that? Do I really have the mental stamina to deal with this? If I say no, do I have a good reason? I want to do everything wholeheartedly. When I come home from work, I want to feel content being nowhere else but here. When I see friends, I want to be present and interested in what they say to me.

How Does Throwing Shit Out Help in Living with Intention?

Simply put, it doesn’t.

The stuff isn’t the problem, it’s the mindset.

When I would see something I wanted, I almost always just bought it. Never mind if I had 17 water bottles at home already – that one with the straw and the really cute candy skull on the outside is so unique and I’m going to use it all the time.

Yup, that happened two weeks ago. I’m a work in progress…

Still haven’t used that water bottle.

Anyways, throwing shit out technically has nothing to do with becoming a better person. The point of throwing it out is to change your mindset. My small apartment forced all of my stuff to be out in the open, and it drove me nuts. It was a constant reminder of all the work and money it took to fill this apartment, and for what? Really, for what?

That’s the question I couldn’t answer.

The clutter drove me nuts, and I knew that if I threw it away, I couldn’t bear replacing it without certain need. The fact that it was there was proof that it was necessary, and that proof was all I needed to make yet another purchase. If I kept going in that direction, I would have ended up in a four-bedroom house with no one but my 13-pound dog and a whole lot of crap.

So no, throwing shit out does not make you a better person. In fact, it doesn’t even make you a person. You’re at least multicellular.

My Theory on Simplifying, Organizing, Minimizing, Throwing Shit Out, Etc…

My theory is that when you throw out what you don’t want or need, you get rid of unnecessary nuisances. Sure, you spent money on these things, but unless you can return it, that money is gone whether you use it or lose it. This rationalization means that because you once spent money on something, it must hold value to you. It must hold value to you that is greater than the space it is taking up, both in your living area and in your heart.

If you have a gigantic house and a storage unit, I’m sure this does not matter nearly as much. As a 20-something in a 20-something size apartment, there are very few things that hold enough value that I would give up my three feet of yoga room. The last thing I want to do is grow too big for my apartment and force myself to another. I love my apartment, and I am intentionally going to create a lifestyle that allows me to stay here.

Another part of my theory ties to advice I heard during college that does not at all pertain to organizing things. Rather, it applies to how you better yourself. Someone once told me:

“Don’t bother focusing on what you suck at – you’re just going to make yourself mediocre all around. Focus on what you’re good at so you can excel in some areas, and find another way to deal with what you suck at.”

I flipped this around to apply to the things you keep around you, thanks in part to something Marie Kondo suggested. She believes in throwing away things that do not bring you joy anymore. If you keep joyless nuisances around you at all times, you are going to only focus on joyless nuisances.

Keeping the things that really bring me joy means that when I look at my hand-carved heart bookcase, I remember my mom bringing it home from a yard sale and saying that it screamed my name. I look at my craft corner I can see t-shirt bags, candles, and canvasses ready to be created. I don’t see anything that doesn’t excite me to live the life I want.

It’s not what you’re throwing out that matters, but the things that you hold onto.

So, Why Should I Keep Reading?

Well, you should keep reading if it brings you joy. 🙂

Over time, I’ll be writing more about the lifestyles I’m interested in and what speaks to me about each of them. I’ll share my life hacks, tips and tricks, ways to reuse old things, how to keep meaning without keeping the thing, and probably some cute dog pictures.

This blog will focus entirely on easy living and the steps I am taking to create a stress-free, content life. Some of it will be random, but all of it will be beneficial. Well, at least for one of us.