OK, I’ve known for a while that the house we were moving into was going to be considerably smaller than the house we have been used to. But as I am looking at all the the boxes and bags that are now piled up on the floor (the fruits of all of our de-cluttering and downsizing), it’s pretty obvious that we have a long way to go.
I’ve been unpacking the kitchen boxes tonight–all of it “essential”–but now I find myself thinking: Do I really need six wooden spoons? And why do I still own so many plastic storage containers? And what’s with the mismatched pot lids that I never use, but still consider important enough to pack them in a box and lug them 300 miles in a packed-to-the-gills van?
Unfortunately, the list goes on.
But don’t get me wrong. I’m not discouraged, and it’s not as though I don’t see progress. If anything, I am grateful to find myself within this fixed parameter of a small mountain home to help me see just how much excess we still have.
If it doesn’t fit, it’s too much.
There’s not a lot I am doing tonight to shrink our holdings, but I am starting to recalibrate just what it means to minimize–and gaining a new perspective on what “just enough” might look like for our family.
365 Simplify 
When we moved earlier this year I had the same experience. I thought I had done a great job downsizing, but I knew I hadn’t had the time to do all I wished for so some things were just thrown into boxes and as I unpacked I thought the same as you – why did I bring this?! Then again, once moved I had time to unpack and while unpacking I got rid of the excess. For example, I still love my kitchen because it’s not flowing over any more, there’s just enough and I can find things. So great. And, I know you feel tired right now, but for me unpacking was fun because I could really decide what went in to the new place and what didn’t, before it became a habit of just being there….
Good luck! 🙂
Yup–we definitely got to the point of “just get it in a box.” And yes, as long as we can keep thinning out the unnecessary as we unpack, we should be in (relatively) good shape.
“If it doesn’t fit, it’s too much.” Good one.
Your journey has been a lot of work but sounds so much fun! A fresh start and a good time to just keep dumping things!
Yes, and today was the first day that my wife and I have both been up in the mountains since the move. We keep looking at each other and saying “Guess what? This is home!”
I love it! We are dying to relocate to the mountains of asheville! Right now we are in saving mode.