Playing the MinsGame

[TabbyCaticus]

The MinsGame (https://www.theminimalists.com/game/) is where you let go of the number of items corresponding with the day of the month and seeing how far you can go. It's been an interesting experience! I got rid of a ton of books and clothes in the first few days, so if I wanted to cheat I'd be good until the 25th!

I found many of the books for free in e-book form, at least the ones I would still read if I asked myself honestly. I'm down to half a shelf of books. I still have over a hundred books in digital form, and I'll delete them as I get them done.

I let go of 10 years of journals. I wasn't sure about this one, but I thought about if I would want anyone else to read them, and the answer is a big NO! It was a great weight off of me to release them.

Let go of some video games I haven't played in a long time. I have a few favorites, and my limit is home many I can fit into my little Nintendo DS game case (6). Let go a few pet-related items out, like some of my dog's old collars that I won't use again, and her old brush, since I have a better one now.

Big one: Let go of all the size Small clothes I used to fit into. I'm a large now and medium is really more realistic and a more healthy weight for me. I even let go of some things that fit, since I'd only wear them when other things were dirty.

Anhow, I'm not going to list everything, just some of the highlights. I'm not sure if I'll make it through the month, but the point isn't just to get rid of things; it's to identify what's really important, what I want to focus on.

Some lucky person is going to get half my yarn stash and I'll be more likely to work on the projects I've started since I'm not so overwhelmed. With less cookbooks I can finally zero in on recipes I'd like to try. I've earned a bit of money as well. I've really been considering going back to college, if I can get together the money out of pocket.

I'm still trying to figure out what's important to me, what I'm passionate about, but I'm finding out what ISN'T and letting them go.

PS: My house is not all white and stark. I love turquoise and deep woods, and I have a few fish tanks with live plants as well!

[Sad Eyed Lady]

TabbyCaticus I understand how you must have felt letting go of your journals. I did that about 5 years ago because I came to the same realization as you, I didn't want anyone else to get their hands on them! So into a burn barrel they went along with all the letters my husband and I had written to each other when we were far apart during his military years. We weren't married then and we had kept them all these years. But, having no family we didn't know what would happen to them if for some reason we should be killed in a car wreck or however that might happen, so we ditched those too. It hurts, but as you said a sense of peace and a big weight off to know no one else is going to be privy to my private thoughts and letters.

[Teacher Terry]

Yes all personal correspondence went away years ago. I have gotten rid of so much stuff that I couldn’t declutter to the level that you are without getting rid of DH’s stuff. My house is not stark either. I just don’t have nearly as much stuff as I did and I don’t miss anything. I like that I can clean much faster. Also when I open my kitchen cabinets everything is neat, accessible and not overcrowded.

[TabbyCaticus]

Thank you for your responses!

It's getting a little more challenging now, but it's not too tough. Now I'm starting the day wondering what I could possibly get rid of, but once I get started it's smooth sailing. I just got up a little while ago and noticed a vest I've just been wearing around the house. I had candy in the pocket so my dog chewed a hole in it a while back. Off it goes!

So now instead of walking through obvious spaces I've started opening cabinets and bins and going from there. Most of the 15 yesterday were from under the sink in my bathroom!

[TabbyCaticus]

Update: I cleared out my spare room. There's just an empty trunk(destined to be my coffee table), my camping gear, and the air conditioners.

Yesterday I decluttered my craft supplies. Not everything, of course. There's just a lot of yarn and sewing supplies I would never use. I kept enough sewing things to fix small tears and attach buttons. I kept the yarn and crochet needles that I actually plan to use. The rest of it is going to a charity organization that crafts things for people in need.

Today it was hard to find things since I probably let go of 50 items yesterday through the spare room cleanup. I went through my electronics and got rid of a lot of spare wires and plugs, and some SD cards that don't fit in my computer, because they're out of date. I also found a video game I didn't know I still had, so that will be sold to the book store.

Will update again in a few days.

[happystuff]

Sounds like you are doing really, really well... congrats! And that's for the reminder and motivation for me to get started again.