“Pack Rat” confession time. I have a hard time letting go of things. I keep things because they have memories attached to them. The first picture each child made at school, even though most are unidentifiable. Furniture my dad made. Souvenirs we bought at different places. Dishes people gave us. So many things.
Some of the things I hold on to, I won’t let go of, ever. My dad made me two clocks and my aunt gave me a clock my uncle made with my dad. These three clocks remind me of these wonderful men and their woodworking skills, love, patience, and devotion.
Other things, I have come to realize, take up space for no reason.
Over our many duty stations, I have collected small trays from the 1960s called “snack trays.” I have used them to host people in my home for many parties. My kids knew they were going to be “banished” to watch TV or play games in the basement when the trays came out. (They claimed it was punishment.) The number of these trays kept growing over the years. I realized I had to part with ⅔ of them to allow space for more treasured items.
Being a packrat means I allow things to clutter up my mind, space, or time. This year I am working on letting go. Letting go of things that take up space. The important things stay and can even be displayed better. Things I no longer need will be donated or given away to bless others. Clearing space in my mind, time, and home, helps me feel more in control of my life.
Letting go of things that clutter up my time can be even harder than parting with physical items. In May, I will complete a two year term of service on a board. I am evaluating how I use my time. Is this job an effective use of my time? Does this position use my skills? Does it bring me joy or drain me? Each year I need to do this, but I am bad at saying “no” when people ask me to serve.
In addition to evaluating my time, I am also working to focus my mind. I love to quilt, yet I fall down the rabbit hole of looking at new fabric, new patterns, new templates, new skills, new…. In order to cut down on the clutter in my mind, I am unsubscribing from quilting pages. I definitely don’t need more fabric, templates, or patterns. In the long run, this will also help me declutter those things.
I love writing and learning new things. I have to carve out time to write and cultivate speaking engagements. In order to make time for writing and speaking, I have to cut down on the number of emails I receive about developing a business, writing, speaking, etc.
Purging physical, mental, and emotional clutter helps me make time and space for the things that are most important to me. Every step forward helps me become a more focused, better person. What areas of your life need decluttering? What helps you let go?