I took off the week between Christmas and New Year's Day and had all sorts of plans - movies, cleaning, organizing, nights of video games, playing... and then I got the post-holiday cold. So I've been on the couch for last few days, doing a whole lot of nothing.
I did manage to do some end of year cleaning yesterday, though. I was inspired this summer by the New York Times article about the woman who took the 100 Things challenge, pared down her possessions, and found happiness off of the "work-spend treadmill." I talked about it at length for weeks, frightening my 16 year-old daughter almost to death. She was sure that she'd come home one day to find her bedroom stripped bare, only the bed and dresser remaining, her wardrobe pared to a few sad gunnysacks hanging in the closet. It took a lot of convincing to assure her that I wasn't ready to completely embrace the 100 Things challenge, and I wasn't, but as I looked around the house, I could see a whole lot of things that we don't need or use.
I started smaller, with my books. I gave away, sold, and donated an enormous chunk of them, and then I worked on changing my mindset to re-embrace my local library. It was much easier than I thought it would be, since I'm kind of a bookstore slut. I haven't completely given up purchasing books, but I honestly think I've only bought two or three since this summer, when I used to buy that many, at least, a month.
Yesterday, I packed six boxes of clothing, shoes, and household goods for ARC to pick up in the new year. While the pile seems large, I look around and can barely tell that anything is gone. It's a good indicator that I'm on the right track. I plan to keep track of what really gets used and what doesn't, and I'll be doing this again periodically throughout the year. It's a start, anyway, and I feel like I'm going into the new year a little lighter.
Now, if only I could kick this cold by midnight....
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