There is just one month left in 2024. One of my favourite ways to end each year is resetting my living space or beginning a new habit. I am doing both this year.
Recently, I picked up a book by Misheru from Japan, who also writes online here and here. In this translated book, she talks about her daily habit of removing one item from her house every day. Often, we declutter ruthlessly during annual spring cleaning, only to have the empty spaces filled up quickly with more stuff soon after. Hence, I admire Misheru’s mindful method of letting go of items consistently. I started this project in October with a simple target: to let go of 92 items by the last day of 2024. By today, 61 items have gone, 30 more to go!
The book has three parts. The first part explains the how-tos of letting go of stuff, while part two dispenses some care maintenance tips for our belongings so we can own/use them longer. The final chapter shares how this decluttering habit can also be applied to clear our minds of excessive thoughts and improve our focus on stuff that really matters.
Here are six salient points from Part One that I have found helpful during my two-month experience. See if they resonate with you, too!
1. think of the present moment when letting go of items
When deciding if an item should be kept or thrown away, the “what if I need it in the future” scenario often pops up. Misheru reminds us that we should decide based on our current needs and situation instead of making excuses to convince ourselves that the item will be used in the future.
With this in mind, I discarded some upcycled containers, some kept unused for years. Such as these metal cookie tins that I wanted to repurpose to store tea leaves, but tea leaves never happened.
2. Keep a record of the items let go
Heads-up: If you have plenty of stuff at home, do not expect a transformative change instantly to your space. After removing 61 items in two months, my house didn’t look different! For this reason, Misheru encourages keeping a journal or a photo record of the discarded items. Scrolling through the photos in this growing album, I realised the impact of this daily practice, and this visual reminder motivated me to continue the project.
When done right, we should own less, not more stuff, in the long run, much to the chagrin of companies who always want to sell us more with their never-ending sale and promotions!
3. start a Moodboard, take Before/After Photos
Another way to motivate myself to stick to the habit is to watch home interior videos or scroll through social media accounts for inspiration. Misheru also encourages taking before/after photos of your decluttered spots to see the difference made. Even better, get more encouragement by sharing the images with friends and family!
4. NEVER declutter OTHERS’ BELONGINGS
No matter how tempting, I deal with my stuff only. This is an important point to remember for keeping good vibes at home. Misheru started by decluttering her own items, but she noticed that her husband and children were also influenced by the positive outcomes of her habit.
5. cooling-off period
Some items are more challenging to discard/give away for sentimental/personal reasons. Misheru’s solution is to KIV these items but keep them visible instead of stowing them away. This will act as a constant reminder and become an eyesore. If we still don’t have a use for them after a while, maybe we’ll never use them at all.
6. START FROM A space which has LESS ITEMS of sentimental value
Begin with a room/spot where you won’t have too many sentimental items or things that are difficult to let go. Misheru’s suggested order of decluttering spots:
- Wallet (yes, we accumulate stuff even in our wallets!)
- Daily carrying bag
- Study/work desk
- Entryway
- Bathrooms
- Bookshelves
- Kitchen, and finally,
- Wardrobe.
I would add our household shelter/storeroom as the ninth and last spot! I also started the habit with my kitchen as I often clean out this area and thought it would be easier to start here. Here are some of the first few items I let go of in the past months:
//The first item to go was an old melamine plate with cracks and scratches. I thought of repurposing it for non-food use, but after years of hiding it under my kitchen sink, I don’t think I’ll ever use it.
// Mesh bag that I wanted to repurpose as a dish scrubber. Since I have not run out of kitchen scrubbers, I will let go of this mesh bag first.
// Another one of those I-think-I-have-use-for-it-someday item
// Old kitchen towel with tear holes. I have extended its lifespan long enough; too embarrassed to share how long I have been using this towel to dry my hands in the kitchen!
// I have too many repurposed glass food jars and bottles, so I let go of some as they take up too much cabinet space. I have the habit of wrapping glass items in case they break, the shards won’t hurt anyone in the waste management process.
// More glass containers wrapped/bagged differently.
// I try to reuse plastic containers at least once so they are not single-use waste. This PP5 one has been reused many times; it’s time to say goodbye.
So far, it’s been a relatively easy and smooth process, but I know it’ll be more challenging to let go of stuff when I reach my wardrobe and storeroom!
MONO and CO 