#31DayReset Day 20: Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Need

This post is Day 20 of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge for 2011. Learn more and sign up for the program here.

A lot of us have accumulated so much physical stuff over the years, that our closets might resemble something from the TV show, Hoarders. The pressure to consume and buy more and more stuff to fill our homes is all around us, which makes it tough to figure out what we really want and need in our lives. But what would your life be like with less stuff? Probably more meaningful and less cluttered. Today, you’re going to get rid of all the stuff you don’t need.

Estimated Time to Complete: Varies

Go through your living space today and be ruthless in getting rid of ALL the stuff you don’t need. Every single bit of it. Go through closets, bedrooms, shelves, storage rooms, even your home office. For each item, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I really need this?
  • Do I even want it anymore?

If the answer is yes, keep it and love it. If the answer is no, kick it to the curb by throwing it away, giving it away or recycling it. If you have a roommate, live-in partner, spouse or kids, you can also ask them to do the same.

What are some of the kinds of things you might get rid of?

  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Papers and magazines
  • Knick-knacks
  • Broken appliances/electronics
  • Anything you haven’t used or worn in six months
  • Things you’ve never used or worn

Take Action and Reflect: When you’re done, tell us what you got rid of in the comments! Also let us know if any immediate results have occurred, either with an outcome or simply a change in your frame of mind. If you blogged about today’s assignment, please post the link in the comments so we can read it!

 
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23 comments

  1. Pingback: #31DayReset Day 20: Remove Negative People from Your Life | Happy Black Woman | Helping Women Design Their Ideal Lives

  3. This one took me forever, but I’m glad I’ve finally done it. I just finished cleaning out 1 take-out bag of clothes and shoes, 1 box of books, 2 trash bags of papers, old notebooks, and useless pictures and knickknacks, and some hair and beauty stuff (blow dryers – yes, two – and a pressing comb I never use and never will now that I’m going heatless; makeup and wigs and other stuff I can’t believe I ever even had). I feel great – much freer and less encumbered by all this STUFF that I was carting around and trying to store for no good reason. I’m not a big buyer and never have been, but my soon-to-be-ex husband is, and when I left him for good I unfortunately took a lot of the junk he and we purchased with me, just out of anger and a need to feel that he didn’t “get everything”.

    Ha. I’m just so glad that pettiness and misery is behind me. Throwing out the old stuff was like a confirmation that the best thing I have is me: my mind, body, and spirit that he didn’t value and that, honestly, I didn’t either until now. And the best things are that I’ve found things I can give (back) to people in my life that I care about, and that, since my stuff is mostly in storage right now, I can literally see how light I’m packing now. The progress is visible, which is motivating.

  4. I got rid of clothes, shoes, old paperwork, accessories, shoe boxes, old closet clutter, and anything I haven’t used in 6 months. My final outcome for this assignment was actually a feeling of relief. Im going to utilize what I have and spend my money on other things.

  5. I don’t have an issue with buying lots of things, I can take the time to organize paperwork which I will do over the next couple of days when I have the free time. I have a place to file it all I just need to use it!

    • Im truly working on getting to where I dont buy alot of things…but I’m happy to say that my money can go somewhere else. Congrats to you!

  6. Liked today exercise even though I did the same thing very recently. Few weeks ago, I had gone through my clothes and donated a whole bunch. Also gave away old earings, and pair of shoes, just really unecessary things I used to keep for NO REASONS.

    • I forgot to add how I felt doing that oopsie. It was very liberating just to let go of old stuff. We naturally hold on to things we don’t need. I think we should also apply that exercise into our lives as whole with all the unecessary “bagage” we carry from the past. We should just let it go !

  8. I actually felt a lot better after doing this yesterday morning. I tend to stockpile things, can’t even lie. So going through my papers and magazines and tossing out what I didn’t need made me feel…lighter? And my living room looked so much bigger and more airy after getting rid of junk I didn’t need. I also donated clothes that were in good condition but just didn’t look good on me and threw out clothes that were holey, ripped, frayed. I still have a lot more de-cluttering to do, but this helped me see I have a habit of holding onto things I don’t really need, but have been too…something (afraid? lazy?) to let go. Hmmm. MESSAGE!

    • I liked thois excercise. I gort rid of some clothing, shoes, bag and jewlery I love but haven’t worn in and donated them to a women’s org in my city.

  9. The last few assignments I did prior to the start of this challenge. It is nice to know that I have already taken steps in the right direction to Reset My Life. I have done time without tv sparadically throughout the last few years. I have made a bucket list in the past and did everything on the list. So it was nice to make a new one. I tried to revive my love life a few weeks ago and it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted but hey at least the guy I like and I are on good, speaking terms. So who knows what the future holds. Today’s assignment I’ve been doing the entire summer. I am just know at a place where I have completed cleaning out everything including old papers. All of these task even though I completed them before I knew they were part of this challenge have truly helped me to release whatever baggage I felt was associated with them. So far this challenge is helping me to release bad feelings and learn to move forward because I know better things are coming my way.
    Read my latest blog post…Gamechangers from the time of “The Help”

  10. Pingback: How to Downsize Your Living Situation, Reduce Your Expenses and Make Room for What You Really Want | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life + Business

  11. Did this last about a week and a half ago. I got a rare & big burst of energy, went through some papers in the house, got rid of the unnecessary stuff and organized the rest (bills, etc.) into a folder. I also got rid of a few cardboard boxes & their contents. It helped me feel a little better. Next to declutter: my bedroom. There’s more to declutter & I need a shredder to shred the papers (they’re in a bag for now), but my bedroom is the biggest challenge of all. I ger overwhelmed easily, so I’m doing everything step by step.

  12. Pingback: 31 Days to Reset Your Life: Recap and Reflect | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life + Business

    • Thanks for the reminder about the computer files. I got a new laptop a while ago and I still need to organize/file/purge files from a backup drive.

  14. I have procastinated in this area for a while. I have 22 years worth of “stuff” in a 5 bedroom house. Now that Im empty nesting, I would love to downsize. Everything. But where to start? So many memories. The kids trophies, artwork, stuffed animals, clothes. Nothing is used now, but it gets overwhelming when I start thinking about how to get rid of it all. I keep thinking “what if they’ll need this someday?” I saw a program recently where the organizer suggest taking pictures of things like trophies and favorite stuffed animals. Keep the pics and get rid of the stuff. I could upload the pics into an album for each kid. hmmmmmm…my mind is off and running. Will have to let you know how this one goes.

    • i can dig it.. I still have all of my childhood dolls etc at my parents house and would dare them to get rid of anything.. i really wasn’t a huge doll person so for me to want and to keep a doll it’s saying a lot.. i want to pass them on to my daughter when I have her…and I have a huge collection of Michael Jordan stuff… but i am being overran by my stuff in my 2bedroom condo… it’s not enough space for me and my stuff..most of my stuff is papers that i need to keep…boxes and boxes of documents… and i have boxes of pictures… i have all of my son’s toys since he was born..he is now 8… they are in new-like condition.. i don’t have a problem getting rid of clothes and shoes
      Read my latest blog post…Before it gets to this ~Day 20

  15. Pingback: #31DayReset Day 21: Remove Negative People from Your Life | Happy Black Woman | Personal Development for Success in Life + Business

  16. Fortunately, I’m not pressured to buy alot of stuff. As long as I have what I need I’m okay.But, I realized that I can treat myself sometimes.Money was very scarce in family while growing, so I know thats where I get my thirfty side from =). I might not have the lastest things but I know have my necessitys. This challenge actually made me appreciate what I have.

    • I feel you on that. Same thing with me, I don’t buy lots of things and I’m glad I don’t. I feel I can spend my time doing things more worthwhile.

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