Fierce in Seattle: The crap that holds you back.
I just spent 6 hours cleaning my house. I am only about 1/3 through it. I should mention it’s only 625 square feet. I haven’t even dusted or cleaned the bathroom yet. I re-organized my closet for the 4th time in the last 12 months & hope this one sticks. I have about 8 bags of crap. Crap, crap, crappity crap. I can hardly even tell you what most of it is. Some of it I will attempt to sell at Buffalo Exchange, whatever doesn’t reward me in riches will go to Goodwill. I’m not sure how I acquired so much stuff and honestly, I feel some shame about it. I have a washer & dryer, so why do I need almost 20 pair of black socks, at least 3 grey skirts, about 6 black cardigans…yeah, it’s embarrassing.
Crappity, crap, crap.
Organizing experts, like my pal Elyse with Life Simplified, will tell you that in order to bring more good things into your life, you need to get rid of what’s holding you back, and in particular – clutter. I’m launching my freelance event consulting business and in order for it to be successful and to bring that good into my life, I need an office-type space to work–for starters. This wasn’t just as simple as buying a desk. When you live in what is just a few feet shy of studio space, you have to get creative. A dresser in the living room, lidded baskets galore, using the top of the refrigerator as a shelf of sorts, are the only options I sometimes have. Oh, and the other option –get rid of junk. It’s been liberating letting go of some of the things from my past including a gorgeous pair of Lucchese cowboy boots, weird little vacation trinkets and at least 40 Samuel French scripts that are doing me no good since I’m no longer pursuing a theatre career. Those things may have held great memories for me at one time or another, but that’s just what they are — things. The memory is always stronger than the stuff. And chances are that I have more room in my mind than in my tiny little bungalow.
What are you holding onto that you could easily get rid of, but just can’t seem to make it happen? What crap is holding you back?
This is so weird, b/c I’m fixing to review a cleaning book this Thursday! Spring cleaning is in the air!
JP and I just had a thorough spring cleaning of our place and, it’s mind boggling how we moved out here 3 years ago with only items that could fit into our cars as we drove across the country. Now, our place is FILLED. And mostly with stuff for my costume kit. But after this weekend we have a lovely pile of goods we no longer need that will be going up on Craigslist and EBay to hopefully help pay for a fun getaway or something we actually need for the house!
Sweeeeeeet! I sold some of my clothes & books & walked away with about 140 bux. It might be enough for a fun getaway…to Olympia. ; ) Happy cleaning!
Way to declutter! Spring cleaning must be in the air, Seen and I were just chatting about how we are the first generation where the middle class owns more ‘stuff’ than it needs for survival. We (the royal we) totally fetishize things like old scripts and pieces of clothing because of the memories attached. Congrats on letting go, clearing out the clutter, gaining some $$ and not going the Public Storage route!
Right?!!! I can’t imagine paying money to store the junk I don’t even look at. Sadness, America. Sadness….
I also recently got rid of that RENT book…
HA!!!! So funny. I was looking through it before I took it to Half Price Books and having some very sweet memories of meeting the original Broadway cast. I thought I would join them as a swing but alas, that would not happen in my youth….or my old age.