The Throw Away 50 Things Challenge

A fellow author emailed me something about a challenge to throw away 50 things. I can’t remember who the idea originated with because I deleted it after I read it. (At least I’m not hoarding in my inbox. For the win!)

So I did it. I threw away 50 things. They were all things I didn’t need, didn’t use, but kept thinking “eventually, someday I might wear this/use this/need this” But eventually it becomes obvious that some stuff you just hang onto even knowing deep down you won’t use it, it isn’t particularly sentimental or valuable, it’s just… taking up space.

And Tom, if you’re reading this, no… I did not throw out anything that was yours. Just my stuff.

Though, I did ask him if we could throw away one particularly stupid, ugly coffee mug (it advertised an eye doctor neither of us go to.) He wanted to keep it. Okay. Not another coffee mug is coming in here until one goes out. I’m okay with the label “coffee mug Nazi”.

(ETA: Tom told me why he kept the ugly coffee mug. He wants something expendable and unimportant to take with him out in the garage in case it gets broken or messed up it won’t be something he actually cares if it gets broken. Fair enough. Point taken. I just don’t want us to accumulate 300 coffee mugs.)

Tom thinks I’m insane about this. And perhaps I am. But I’m serious about not cluttering up my life with a bunch of crap I just have to clean and dust around. We agreed when we moved that we weren’t going to “accumulate” unnecessarily. I like the open space and not having a ton of things crammed into every nook and cranny. I like being able to find things. I like knowing that everything I own: I use, wear, or keep because it is genuinely personally valuable to me… and not one of 300 knick knacks that weren’t in any way prioritized.