Just as we finished tearing open our holiday gifts, the chaos set in. My kids were bubbling with holiday excitement, eyes sparkling over their new treasures. Meanwhile, my partner was soaking in the glow of another holiday well-executed—thanks to my efforts, of course. But I was overwhelmed, thinking: Wow, that’s an absurd amount of stuff! Where did all this come from? And how on Earth are we supposed to fit it all in? I instantly regretted every holiday purchase and every item we’d ever brought into our home. The feeling of being cramped in my own space was suffocating.
We had already done our pre-holiday toy declutter, boxing up items we no longer used, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Where was all this new stuff going to go? We didn’t even have room for our old belongings! It was time for a serious purge—immediately!
We’re definitely not extreme minimalists; we fall somewhere in between. Our lifestyle is very much middle-of-the-road. We live in a cozy, no-frills home, share a single family car, and my younger son sports mostly hand-me-downs. We read books until they are practically falling apart.
While I may not be a full-fledged minimalist, I aspire to be one. I often daydream about neat drawers and uncluttered countertops, envisioning open spaces devoid of chaos. I long for a home where everything has its own place.
Yet, despite my B+ minimalist aspirations, we somehow manage to collect an overwhelming amount of stuff. It multiplies until our home resembles a clearance sale at a toy store. Eventually, I reach a point where I want to get rid of everything.
My approach as an aspiring minimalist is pretty typical. I tend to ignore the buildup of items until I hit my breaking point. Then, I swing into a frenzy, determined to toss everything. But wait, that would be wasteful! So, I decide to donate it all instead. I find myself pacing around the house, urging the kids to deal with the mountain of baseball cards that seem to be taking over their room, the kitchen counter, and even the bathroom cabinet.
I’ll subtly remind my partner of the mismatched socks and unused sweaters cluttering his dresser and our bedroom floor. I’ll dive into closets, ready to unload everything we no longer want or need, convinced that a few trips to charity will transform our home into a clutter-free sanctuary that would impress even the most dedicated minimalists.
However, about thirty minutes into my grand decluttering mission—after filling a box or two with old toys and tossing out a few pairs of threadbare underwear—I start contemplating moving instead.
Then comes the endless cycle of second-guessing. What about that sparkly dress I wore to a party five years ago? I should probably donate it, but what if I get an unexpected invitation and have nothing to wear? I need a backup dress, even if it doesn’t fit anymore, right? And I can’t possibly part with the bin of Lego Duplos my kids have outgrown—what if a group of toddlers drops by and needs something to play with? And all those board games with missing pieces? They might just save us from an epic family feud during a snowstorm!
I’ve tried various decluttering techniques, and while they work for a brief moment, we inevitably slip back into our old habits. Before I know it, I’m surrounded by a clutter of forgotten toys, Pokémon cards, and action figures that have seen better days. The struggle is indeed real.
My home decluttering cycle can be summarized as follows: try a new organization method, get lazy, let things pile up, freak out, and purge everything. Rinse and repeat. Maybe the issue isn’t the sheer volume of stuff; perhaps it’s my lack of organization. Yes, that’s it! If only I could master the art of organization!
And now, if you’ll excuse me, it seems I need to rush to the Container Store and spend a fortune on more stuff to finally embrace my minimalist dreams.
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