I’m moving next week.
This has been a yearly occurrence since 2013 when I started uni; rent leases last one year, so after finally settling into a place you are forced to pack up your things and move on. For someone who doesn’t like change, I’ve done a lot of changing these past five years.
My SO and I are moving from a two-bed flat to a cute two-bed mews house. It’s only a few miles away from our current place so the location is the same. However, this year is different as this is the first year we have our own furniture to move, such as beds, desks and a sofa. To help make this move as least stressful as possible, we’ve hired movers, rented cardboard boxes to pack our stuff in and began the moving process months in advance. I hate to feel overwhelmed with things I need to do, so I have been taking care of the utilities, payments etc for over two months.
So, with five days until our move, I sit writing this in a room full of cardboard boxes, my life packed neatly away until Friday. It’s funny though, as even though I packed those boxes and labelled them accordingly, I cannot remember half of the things located in those boxes. I know I have a box of clothes, a box of shoes…a box of nick-nacks and stationery. But what about everything else?
Why do I have so much stuff?
Stuff being the operative word here. As I have moved and bought and collected throughout my life, I’ve taken a drastic turn in how I perceive stuff. I used to be someone who liked having things which I could collect. Stuff made me happy. Now, after having to pack away my life so often, I’ve realised how stressful having too much stuff can make you. This is when I discovered minimalism. I love the idea of only owning what you need, reducing the amount of waste you are producing and just generally knowing exactly what you own. I’ve made changes in the past year to reduce my life by donating a lot of clothes and items in good condition which I’ve bought and never used.
But it’s not enough
As I look around our flat at the stuff we have, I can feel myself getting overwhelmed. I still feel like I could do better. We keep a lot of things for the ‘what if’ moments in life, where that item would come in handy or for just in case scenarios. And, like most people, I’m still someone who does enjoy spending money on things. I like board games, cute decorations, Disney decor. This is fine, it would be boring to live in a place with nothing but bare walls and a bed. You can express yourself through your things – I just think I need to take better care at knowing when I need something versus when I want something.
Looking forward
Moving gives me a chance to have another go at removing unnecessary items from my life. I am also thinking sorting out my at home which still has a lot of stuff from when I was a teenager. I also hope I can be more confident in myself that I only need a few things to make me happy, and I can be better self-aware about my needs and wants in life.
It’s like the old saying – “money doesn’t make you happy”
-TS
twaddlesaurus 