Until today, I had a big built-in closet filled with magazines, comics, and other miscellaneous junk. Well, they are—or used to be—part of my collection, but the truth is, I would never even get close to reading all of them. So I made up my mind to get rid of the contents of the closet altogether. No more magazines. No more comic books. No more junk. I feel awesome. It’s like losing 40 pounds all of a sudden.
I am a great fan of Zen Habits, and I’ve been reading Mr Babauta’s posts for half a year now. I gotta say I’m totally in love with his minimalist lifestyle. The most meaningful tips I’ve implemented in my life concern living more frugally and having a minimalist home. And today I continued my quest towards minimalism, because I still had one dreadful closet yet to be decluttered.
I used to collect all sorts of useless things. I filed every slip of paper I thought I would need in the future. I kept tens of different pens and pencils in my pencil stand. The desk was cluttered with ugly decorations and figures. I had clothes in the dresser I never used. There were decks of Magic the Gathering cards on my bookshelf (the last time I played with them was exactly a decade ago), and hundreds of burned CDs and DVDs in the drawer. To be honest, I can’t even keep track of what I used to have. But now that it’s all gone, the place looks so much cleaner and healthier. I am happier with fewer possessions.
What did I keep?
On the desk
- MacBook
- external hard drive for backups
- TV
- video game consoles (PS2 and PS3)
- stereo set (amplifier and speakers)
- small bust of the Buddha (the only piece of decoration)
- file for unpaid bills, diplomas, certificates, and recent documents
- notepad
- pencil stand (two black pens, one red pen, two mechanical pencils, and one eraser)
- tape dispenser
- box of tissues
- digital camera
- personal items (iPhone, wallet, and key case)
- the book I’m currently reading
In the drawer
- headphones
- microphone headset
- charger for digital camera
- passports
- hairdryer
- holiday and birthday cards
On the bookshelf
- books (duh)
- video games
- movies
- Nintendo DS
In the closet
- clothes
- basket for socks and underwear
- shoulder bag
- Japanese calligraphy equipment
- extra blankets
- medicines
- cologne
- things to sell
Although I would’ve put decluttering on my list of skills every successful person should learn, I understand that many people are collectors. And quite happy as such hobbyists. After all, I do allow myself to collect three things. Books. Video games. Movies. But I try to limit my collection to only those books, video games and movies that I believe are essential. If I acquire a video game I don’t like, I try to get rid of it by either selling it or giving it away. With movies, I only buy the ones I know I’m going to watch more than once. Books, however, are a bit more difficult. I am still obsessed with books, as I haven’t got rid of many trashy novels such as Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter and Lonely Planet guides.
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Self-Learner is a blog about self-education and self-improvement based lifestyle design. Goal? To become the best "version" of yourself, and feel excited to jump out of your bed every morning.
2 Responses to “I Finished Decluttering My Room Today”
great article on how to declutter your life, i am really untidy regarding putting my stuff away, i am sure if i followed your advice i would be much better organised.
You can start decluttering little by little.
In fact, it’s always better to tinker with habits gradually, because there’s always the danger of saying “f*** it” and ditching the whole change if done too abruptly. But I must say that decluttering (and reducing possessions) has been one of the most fulfilling accomplishments for me, so it’s definitely something worth pursuing. Good luck!