Can You Spare Some Change

Today's post is not a laugh-out-loud one like the others. Click "archives" on the left if you need something like that. Today's post is me sharing a change I made over the past year that has significantly improved my life. I can't help but share it. And, true to one of the points of this entire blog, I believe the changes described can dramatically "dismantle anxiety." Thank you for reading!
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I have a challenge for all of you. Details below!! 😊

Roughly half of my friends think I am bonkers. The other half seem to respect my gradual shift into minimalism. Here’s how it all started:

I decided to downsize about a year ago. I had been living in a three-bedroom two-and-a-half bath three-story townhouse with double car garage. I was single for the majority of the time I lived there. I had no pets and, at that time, not even a plant to care for (Side note: I have a Peace lily now that is my little pride and joy!). There were rooms I did not even enter for months at a time. Needless to say, I had no reason to live in such a large space. I had also been severely over-working for years, averaging 70-hour weeks, working most weekends, and completing doctoral coursework to boot. Why it took me so long to realize the absurdity of this lifestyle, I cannot say, but, in December of 2016, I decided to make some big changes.

Upon assessment of my priorities, completion of the doctoral degree became my primary goal. I gave up my full-time job (which was really the job of two people) and continued working part-time for my church. I also decided to teach a few private music lessons on the side; but, set the bar at no more than four students at any given time. Again, my primary focus: The remaining doctoral coursework. And, for reasons part-necessity, part-extreme desire, I made a concerted effort to get rid of the vast majority of the "stuff" I had accumulated over the past 20 years!

My first step (after an initial sweep for items to toss/donate) was to move into a smaller, less expensive living space. But, I had so much “stuff” that I decided to rent a storage unit and shove EVERYTHING I own into it, minus a few necessities. My plan was to visit the storage unit as often as possible to empty it. And this, I did! I can not even begin to describe the catharsis that occurred each time I took a load of donations to the Salvation Army. Slowly, but surely, the storage unit emptied. I would often bring a couple of boxes home and spend a day or three deciding on what to keep and what to toss. And as my list of owned items diminished, so, too, did my level of stress.

Now, please understand, I did have to reason my way through some fairly substantial emotional bonds to my belongings, but, the storage unit played a key role in mitigating this strain. And, know this: You couldn’t have squeezed a scoop of sand in that storage unit the first time I filled and locked it. But, trip by trip, I tackled little sections at a time. The longer I was away from the stuff, the easier it was to throw out! I would take pictures of items or inscriptions that had some value and store them digitally. Then, I let the items go. The picture-taking really did the trick! I highly recommend it. Each time I picked something up, I asked myself, “Does this item add value to my life?” If the question prompted hesitation, I knew that was a sign to rid myself of it.  

While getting rid of stuff, I also realized the importance of not accumulating new stuff in the process. So, I began to very carefully analyze my spending. I even went so far as to rationalize that every $100 I spent was actually approximately $123 in earnings (factoring in the impact of taxes on income).  That little boost in the actual “cost” of an item often kept me from making an unnecessary purchase. Also, I began collecting coupons and rebates like a CHAMPION! I avoided purchasing anything that I did not need AND that I had not found some sort of substantive discount.

After voluntarily cutting my annual salary by approximately 60%, I found that I saved more money this past year than the year(s) prior! That is how powerful these adjustments have become. I have much more free time, much more sanity, and much more balance in life. I’m doing more of what I enjoy: more walks, more writing, more time with family, more meditation, more exercise, and much better non-rushed eating. Simply put, a healthier, better quality of life. I made straight A’s and as of about a week ago, completed all coursework (Don’t celebrate for me yet; I still have the dissertation to complete but it’s rockin’ right along!).

I still have a lot to minimize. The release of each long-held item is akin to removing a pound or two from a chest-press I have been holding since adulthood. I can not recommend it enough. I have so much to say on this subject, it could fill volumes of another blog. I just want to share this little taste of what happens when you simplify life and disconnect from the hold that things have over us. And make no mistake, we don’t hold things…they hold us.

So, here is my challenge: Jamie’s Seven-Day Dare!

I dare you to donate/sell/give away 28 items this week from your home. Day one, one item. Day two, two items, Day three, three items,…Day seven, seven items. And if you think 28 items is a lot, inventory JUST your closet. Inventory JUST your junk drawer. 28 items is a drop in the bucket!

The gauntlet is laid. All I can do is share with you that my life is significantly improved, relaxed, and much more meaningful with each “thing” I toss and with each bit of space reclaimed to truly appreciate and enjoy the items kept. Minimalism is not about having fewer things, or going without…it’s about creating space to truly enjoy the ones that add value to our lives.

If this journey is one you want to begin, I highly recommend you click on this book:  

And, watch this documentary:  

I continue to be,

Jamie