I’ve been thinking a lot about decluttering this past week, and about what things are worth keeping. Of course, once I start considering a life with less things in my space, I get bombarded with ads from retailers showing me all the cute summer clothes I need in my closet even though I’m not going anywhere and all the little gadgets to make simple daily tasks even more simple.
My financial goals the past two years have resulted in me buying less clothes and trying to be more conservative with my funds, but I still have an abundance of clothes and sentimental items from years past. I’ve also been buying books again. To be fair, I bought three books last August, and three books this past month. I did buy another book earlier this year, but I’m not counting that one because it was more like a pamphlet when I received it and it ended up getting donated to the thrift store before I bothered to finish it.
One thing about me is when I decide to do something, I usually go full speed at it and end up doing too much at once. I’m trying to keep myself from trashing half my belongings and regretting it later. Instead, I want to be realistic about how I purge things and clean my space out slowly over the next few months.
What I know for sure is I want to simplify my wardrobe. I tend to wear the same few pieces whether I’m lounging at home, going into the office to check the mail (which I will no longer be doing now that I’ve moved), or going out to run errands. I like the idea of having many options, but I don’t utilize all the options I have. The same goes for my collection of nail polish. I’m learning to only hold on to items of value and frequent use.
The top items I know are worth keeping (and that I would like more of) are books. Books are also the heaviest items to move, so that’s a consideration when deciding to buy more of them while living in a temporary space. Books add value to my space and my life in general, and I love the way they look. I love that I love books. I love reading books, and I believe I’m going to love writing books once I get my first one completed and have a better idea of what I’m doing as a self-published author.
I used to have a large collection of books, but they weren’t all worth keeping, so I purged my collection and started this blog to keep a record of the books I once owned. Now, I am more intentional about the books I buy because I only want to buy books I intend to keep in my collection. My reading, like my movie watching, is indiscriminate. I will read (and watch) almost anything if it sounds interesting. But just like bad Netflix movies I never intend to watch again, there are books I do not want cluttering my shelves.
My intention for my bookshelves is for anyone who comes by and picks a book from the shelf to inquire about is met with an enthusiastic encouragement from me about reading said book. However, I don’t intend for the books I own to be lenders. I have learned my lesson about lending books I love because I do not get them back and end up having to repurchase. I enjoy recommending books that I enjoy, but you can’t have my copy!
I will be teaching myself lessons about things worth keeping over the next few months, but one thing I know for sure is my books aren’t going anywhere!
What do you enjoy collecting and how do you keep your collection from taking over your space? Is there anything you feel is worth keeping regardless of a need to declutter? Let me know in the comments.
♥
Christine Gabriélle 