As all the New Year resolutions have rolled out, everyone is juicing their food and trying to live clean I decided this year instead of any resolutions I was going to give myself a challenge for the whole year because it's simply the type of challenge that cannot be done overnight and will take time.
When it's come to living I have always swayed towards a more sustainable and ethical choices although these can be hard when we live in an age of instant gratification and disposable goods. The thing is I have always preferred to spend my hard earned money on experiences rather than stuff but when you go from living as one person to two then three then four things quickly change and suddenly you find yourself surrounding by so much stuff that at times you actually feel like your drowning in a plastic sea of toys, useless baby items and beauty products that are never going to get rid of those dark sleep deprived circles.
Of course in life we need to replace things as well as allow for our passions to be fed, happiness is individual and is different for each person, often it goes beyond the basics when it comes to things you love such as music, clothing, films etc so I don't intend to cut our my passions but I have decided that THIS YEAR IS THE YEAR I GET RID OF 50% OF EVERYTHING I OWN.
There are many reasons for this but mainly because I have always lived by the ethos of Less is More and I know that decluttering, streamlining and simplifying my life will have a massive positive effect on our household. I don't however just want to walk around the house with a black bag throwing random things into it and adding more waste to a landfill. Instead I want to take it a little slower and focus on ways to share what I have, donate it to charity shops, upcycle it for a new purpose, sell some of it and donate a portion of what I sell to charity.
Of course during the duration of the year I will be making essential purchases as well as replacing some of things I have and supporting slow fashion and ethical brands but what I do purchase I am going to real ask myself if I need it, what purpose it brings to my life and it is something that is well made, going to last and is sustainable. I am excited about where this may lead me, I know that the process is not going to be as easy as one would initially think, letting go may be hard but I'm up for the challenge and what will be left behind will be all the things I really love.
I love this challenge and wish you the very best of luck with it. I so need to do something similar, I have way too much stuff. Kaz x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Kaz, so far it's going pretty well
DeleteLaura x
This sounds great I wish I could do this too. When we moved into our new house almost 2 years ago I said I wanted to start as we meant to go on, keeping things minimal and with us not having much storage space as the attic was converted into a bedroom, I thought it'd be easy. But I'm slowly finding more and more clutter and mess and I really need to start getting rid!!
ReplyDeleteIt really does creep up on you and I think it's a fairly long process which is why I have given myself the year rather than just say a month or so
DeleteLaura x
I love to declitter especially with my clothes. I think when you have a wardrobe full of things that don't suit you anymore or don't fit it doesn't nothing good for your confidence!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree - I am just starting on mine now and it feels so much better getting rid of stuff I never actually wear
DeleteLaura x
I adore that tshirt - makes so much sense! I love the idea of getting rid of half of what i own - clutter is a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteIt's a total nightmare and the tee is from People Tree - an ethical brand, love them
DeleteLaura x
Wow - thats a tough challenge but definitely an inspiring one. I definitely think we all place too much value on 'stuff' and don't need half of the things we own or want. Good on you for focusing on the important things!
ReplyDeleteWow that is quite a tough challenge and I am intrigued to see you both do it and complete that 50% declutter!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, I say every year I'm going to live minimilist. I grow veg, don't have much as for decorations and my kitchen is basic ingredients. My only issue is clothing, I constantly worry that if my 1 pair of jeans rips I'm screwed. (Recently broke 2 pairs in 1 week!)
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best of luck and will be awaiting your updates!
Wow, 50% of your stuff - that is a tough challenge. I regularly have clear outs but not to that extent
ReplyDeleteI'm with you girl, we are going to declutter and streamline this year! I already did a lot with my clothing when I got pregnant and when I needed the wardrobe in Elian's room for him, so there isn't a huge amount there but I have so much jewellery, accessories and bags that I could easily reduce by 50% tbh. Ive decided to carefully store some stuff in our attic incase I want it again at a later date, but we are stream lining everything in our life so our house isn't cluttered. Plus we are buying more quality items over quantity, I like products that last. We decided to do this with all our furniture when we moved in, so we paid more and got quality items that we really love and will keep for years to come. Like my awesome bed from Made! Yes it was 3 times the price of an ikea one but it is so stunning, well made and designed and practical! Good luck chick and Im looking forward to seeing your progress!
ReplyDelete