50 Things

“Live less out of habit and more out of intent.” – Unknown

This year, I’ve resolved to bring no more than 50 things into our house. That’s right, F-I-F-T-Y things. Why, you might ask?

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about minimalism/simple living. My interest in this topic was triggered about a year ago after I watched an episode of Tiny House Nation – a television series where two renovation experts travel across America to help design and construct tiny dream homes that are under 500 square feet.

I was instantly hooked. Partly because I love seeing creative design solutions for small spaces. But mostly because the show’s underlying theme of simple, purposeful living – where you value experiences over stuff – really resonated with me. At 44, I’m about halfway through my statistical life expectancy. I have a real appreciation for how precious time is. There never seems to be enough of it.

Less stuff means more time. Less stuff to clean, less stuff to organize, less stuff to worry about means more time for family, more time for friends, more time for pursing your passions.

Less means more.

And that’s where the 50 Things come in.

I’m not an avid consumer by any means, but I’ve quickly become a more conscious one. Since limiting myself to 50 things, I’ve found myself asking these questions when contemplating a purchase: Do I really need this? Do I really love this? What is this for? Can I re-purpose something I already own instead?

Now 50 is, admittedly, an arbitrary number. Is it too high? Is it too low? I honestly don’t know. It includes purchases and gifts, but excludes perishables and consumables. So there’s no worrying about not having enough toilet paper in the house!

As of today, I’ve filled five coveted spots on my list of 50 Things: (1) a rotini-soup-can-lid race medal (a story for another day); (2) a tempo trainer (for swimming); and (3) a pair of compression calf sleeves (for running); (4) a polyester zip-up jacket (also for running); and (5) a very unexciting handlebar stem (for my road bike). So far, so good!

Of course, stemming the flow of new things into the house is only half the equation. Getting rid of existing stuff is the other half. To that end, I’ve also set a goal of purging at least 365 items from our house this year, be it through recycling, donation, sale, or disposal.

As of today, my purge list stands at 102 things. I’ve also made $213.50 in random sales. As an aside, when I’ve accumulated a decent sum (yet to be determined), I’ll put it all in a shoebox, tie a ribbon around it, and give it to my husband Alan, in homage to the Seinfeld episode “The Deal.” I mean, who wouldn’t want to receive a shoebox full of cash?

Our house – my sanctuary – has already begun to take on a Zen aesthetic. Our main floor has become a more calming and welcoming space. I feel like our friends and family could pop by unannounced, without us having to worry about tidying up.

Editing what I own is going to be an ongoing process, but by getting rid of what doesn’t matter, I free like I’m creating more space for what does.

P.S. Here are some of my favorite blogs on the subject of minimalism/simple living: Becoming Minimalist (Joshua Becker), Be More with Less (Courtney Carver), Zen Habits (Leo Babuta), and The Minimalists (Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus).

Find out how I did in “50 Things – Epilogue.”