I’m at the point where I’ve nearly run out of categories to downsize: computer files organized and minimized? Check. Papers digitized? Check. Not buying clothes for a year? Check. Unnecessary apps deleted? Check. Unfollowing uninspiring social media accounts? Check. Not to mention my constant purging of miscellaneous possessions which seem to pile up and the fact that I have stopped bringing new items in to my space (at the start this was hard with books, until I embraced the library and my Kindle!). What this means is that I am not really as able to participate in the general spring cleaning fun, causing me to turn to YouTube videos of other people cleaning out to get my fix 😉
Whether you are in the same boat as me and don’t have much to clean out or you’re overwhelmed with the amount you have, here are some areas you should consider tackling.
The Necessary
There are some things which are just necessary to keep (no matter how much my minimalist self wants to reduce ALL of the things). One such necessity is papers. I wrote an entire post about going digital with your papers here, but there are some you must keep in physical form. Once you’ve tackled digitizing everything from school and work and miscellaneous other categories, go ahead and get the remaining papers in order. I am a big fan of using a binder, so I have one master binder with tabs to keep papers I can’t digitize. Collect your papers into one place, go through them, fill up that recycling bin, and then consolidate to a binder/folder/basket.
The “Just In Case”
I believe it’s really important not to let being a minimalist force you to get rid of things you love, as long as you actually use them. However, there are some things we tend to keep despite the lack of use. I’ve found that although I love headbands, I never wear them anymore. In the past when I’ve gone to clean out my hair accessories I’ve kept far too many “just in case I feel like wearing them.” But then I never do! This spring I’ve resolved to stop telling myself the “just in case story” and move on from these things that have a hold on me. I challenge you to do the same!
The Old/Outdated
I get much more enjoyment out of minimizing when I have to consider the item and look at it in context of my entire life and evaluate its meaning and all that. I’m not as much of a fan of cleaning out the no-brainer areas, like expired makeup, old t-shirts, etc. It is important not to neglect such cleaning, though! If you need some motivation to get on a roll with spring cleaning, why not tackle some items that obviously need to go?
I hope these ideas get you started, and if you need some more inspiration check out more of my minimalism posts here.
What is your favorite part of spring cleaning?
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