Moving Opportunities

My last post was about moving on and this one is too - quite literally since my moving date is January 7th!  In preparation for this big day I've been paring down my belongings and, in the process, realizing that there are many ways to get rid of stuff, each of which is effective in its own way.  Here's what's worked for me so far:

1) Sell it!  Half Price Books is my friend - I've been there a half dozen times to unload books and DVDs and while the cash you get is pretty minimal, it makes me happy to contribute to the amazing collection they offer in their store. If I leave with only one "new" book or movie in my hand, I consider the transaction a great success.

2) Consign it!  This option will work well for all of the Pottery Barn Teen bedroom furniture I bought my boys 10 (!) years ago and I'm happy to be creating a new space for them more suited to their current tastes. Legacies will be my partner for these and a few other furniture transactions and I'll be happy to make a little money and also benefit Cancer Support Community, the beneficiary of Legacies' proceeds.  When it comes to clothing consignment, I'm a big fan of the Snooty Fox as well as the online service Tradesy.com - check them out!

3) Donate it!  I love Goodwill drop offs - this has been best for things that might otherwise be garage sale candidates - kitchen and household items, outgrown toys, linens no longer needed.  I hope they all find new homes and satisfied users soon.

4) Use it up!  I have never liked having lots of extra stuff around, whether that's food in the fridge or pantry or household/cleaning supplies, or cosmetics and personal care stuff. But like most of us I restock or add new goodies well before I need to. So I've enjoyed approaching my pantry shelves and bathroom drawers with the goal of (re)discovery, and this has led to some interesting dinner creations, not to mention variation in my hair and skincare routines!

5) Throw it out!  Of course we all have things for which this is the best option - especially paper... Do I really need to keep my notes from Food and Beverage Cost Control, which I took at Midwest Culinary Institute four years ago?

So how have I been deciding what should stay and what should go?  Well, sometimes it's pretty obvious, as was the case with the aforementioned lecture notes; sometimes it's practical, like simply not having a place for high kitchen stools in the new house; and sometimes it's a little more complicated. My guiding principle comes from Marie Kondo, an expert declutterer and organizer featured  in the New York Times a few months ago (http://tinyurl.com/ofhs9w9).  Ms. Kondo shifts the emphasis from what to discard to what to keep, her simple yet profound decision criterion being, "Does it spark joy?"  I love this - it allows for both physical and emotional factors to drive either keeping or discarding something, which is so much more holistic and personal than "rules" about usage frequency, style quotient, or practicality.  I think that moving provides a great opportunity to consider which possessions really do spark joy whenever you use or merely walk past them, and I've tried to apply her criterion as I make my decisions.  Ms. Kondo also advocates thanking items that you do decide to say goodbye to, and I think this is a fine idea as well. Things you own are there for a reason and even if they don't serve you anymore, it is worth acknowledging your past relationship.

And finally, since today is December 31st, I want to mention my favorite New Year's ritual, which does tie into this whole theme of moving forward mindfully.  It is a More and Less list, which I first came across in Gretchen Rubin's writing about happiness.  You create it by thinking about how you have been spending your time and energy in the recent past, and considering how you might want to modify that for the future, so that you will spend More on certain current or perhaps new things, and Less on others. Candidates for your list can be thoughts, attitudes, or actions, and they can be big or small - anything goes.  When we give ourselves a bit of time to review and evaluate our current time and energy expenditure patterns, I believe that we can all come up with changes that we know deep inside would make our life better - more fulfilling, saner, healthier, happier... better for ourselves and those around us too.  A major advantage of More and Less is that it is about shifts - movements in a positive direction - rather than absolutes.  Another is the explicit inclusion of the Less side of the equation, in order to make space for your Mores.  Many resolutions fail because they are overly ambitious and often discontinuous additions to one's life, without accompanying reductions.

So with these thoughts I wish everyone a Happy New Year full of More mindful decision making, sincere appreciation, health and happiness - and maybe a little Less stuff!