Recovery starts here

When I moved into my new apartment, I made a resolution. Since this apartment is bigger, with more closet space, I wouldn't let it be so cluttered and messy. Considering the vast number of boxes waiting to be unpacked, it was clear that keeping this resolution would have to involve getting rid of a LOT of stuff.

So, I have been working on it. Some things are easy to get rid of, like old mail, or outgrown kids' clothes. Kitchen gadgets and utensils were a bit more difficult, but I only have so much storage space, and I don't have time for a lot of elaborate cooking anyway. Books are almost impossible. I love my books!

De-cluttering has lead me to spend a lot of time thinking about how much stuff I really need. I can't think of myself as a minimalist, who only has a few absolutely needed things. On the other hand, I clearly have too much stuff now--and I say this after 5 or 6 full carloads of stuff taken to Good Will. What I am working on now is, where is that line? What amount of stuff will let me enjoy my life and my apartment without overwhelming me? I think maybe I need the books, because they make me happy. But, do we all need enough clothes to get through 2 or 3 weeks without doing laundry? Probably not.

I decided to start this blog to give myself a place to figure some of this out. Maybe if I chart my progress here, it will help me to clarify what I really need, what I really want, and what I can do without.

Oh, and if you don't recognize the name of the blog, I took it from a book I read based on this PBS series. Check it out--it is very informative.