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Recently, I made an out of state move. I got out of Southern California, going to Arizona. While there were many reasons for this, a big one was money. So, when looking at things like truck rentals, pods, and assisted moves, plus the age of most of my furniture, I decided that I was only going to take what I could fit in my car, over a few different trips. This led me to get rid of not only all my bigger furniture, but lots of smaller items, as well.
I realized my most valuable “possessions” were books and computer/tech stuff. And most of that value really came from the knowledge and information they contained. Still, there were older computers and some books I got rid of.
I sold so many old CDs, DVDs, and fiction books, clearing up a lot of space, getting some money in return, but also freeing up mental space. I started selling, donating, and trashing all sorts of things…. like a guitar I purchased to learn with “Rocksmith,” but never used….. info courses I had no interest in using, despite purchasing at one time….. a stereo I had kept since college…. old and bulky lamps…. clothing that I never wore, but was saving for something…. and on and on.
I kept on feeling lighter and lighter, like I finally made a decision on many of these things, despite hanging on to them for years/decades, just in case. Even if it was just freeing up space in my own mind, it was worth it. If you’ve seen people that practice minimalism, I think this is the main benefit. I’ve also heard that some successful people say that having a clean house is key for financial success. It makes more sense to me now.
I began to really look forward to the future, in a way that I hadn’t in a very long time. The world really did seem wide open again. It felt very similar to when I moved out to California a couple decades ago, only now I also had the advantage of being wiser.
At the same time, I was introduced to The Sedona Method, and the book Zero Limits. Both are similar, and both are basically about dropping “unwanted” thoughts. The technique for The Sedona Method can be taught in about 5 minutes, and there is also a 16+ hour course on it. I’ve listened to the 16 hour course, and think it’s worth it, as it uses the technique in many different situations and contexts. After all, many things are simple, but the value often comes in doing them over and over and over again. If you do some searching around, you might find the full course on youtube or archive dot org.
The result of both of these things is that I feel lighter, better, happier, and am looking forward to the future. I have replaced most of the furniture I gave away, and am happier with the new items, and my new place. Clearing out the old made way for the new. I’m seeing the same thing happen, mentally. Figuring out ways to let go of unwanted thoughts has opened up new ideas, and is allowing me to pursue some things I wanted to do for a long time, but didn’t know how. I’m seeing ways to do some of those things.
If you have some stuff that you don’t use, let it go. If you have unwanted thoughts, find out how to let them go. There is a lot of value in both, and you will clear a path for better ideas, opportunities, and yes, even better physical stuff.
Thank you for sharing all of this Zack. I really related to all that you said as I have been letting go as well over the last two and a half years of what had been my life. I had two choices when my husband died in 2022 cling to the past by keeping memories fresh or close those chapters of my life and start anew, and start anew is what I chose. With that choice came the work of letting go, letting go of possessions, habits and even friends and family. Funny how when you decide to change how much people don’t like it, especially if you are someone like me who did all the work to give everyone around them better lives. They became problematic putting pressures on me to be that same person that gave them the things they wanted from me. While all that time I was willing to give I hadn’t realized they were takers. I feel lighter and surer of myself now and my head clearer continually decluttering my life in every way. I love my new minimalist surrounding with shelves looking sparse and some empty for new possibilities! I was always a minimalist, but I lived with others that couldn’t part with things. When I lived with others and their stufff just the simple act of making myself a big bouquet of flowers to be the focus in my living room was so good for me. It gave me something to focus on that wasn’t all that was around me that I didn’t want. Now that I live alone I choose to read rather than watch television and the books I read have helped me to not only be an advocate for myself, they helped me to quit questioning myself and to allow myself to take risks without worrying so much about the possibility of failures. I like that I allow myself to make mistakes and that I don’t have to perfect anymore. This is not the first time I have had to leave my whole life behind and take nothing with me. It is hard to do, but it feels so good being free from it all. By the way I ordered that book you think highly of “Zero Limits”, hearing that it was good for you and and reading others reviews has me excited to read it!
This is an interesting find…..
I was searching interviews with Lester Levinson, the man who basically invented the Sedona Method, and I came across the following interview. In the interview, Lester brought along two Sedona Method coaches, one of which is Dr. David R. Hawkins, who cowrote the book Orthomolecular Psychiatry with Linus Pauling. I’ve only listened to about the first 5 minutes or so, but wanted to post it here-
I made a big move a few years ago and took the opposite approach. I kept as many of the old things that I loved, liked, or had a strong sentimental attachment to. I had to discard a lot, as I was moving to a smaller house. I made a few mistakes, with more regrets for some things I discarded rather than regrets for some things I should have left behind. My new house felt homey, like my old house, and that was good for my peace of mind.
My new garage looks almost as messy as my old garage, however. A bit of a dumping ground, with no pressure to get it neat and uncluttered. I guess I have to own this now. 🙂
I think we all have the same goals ultimately, though. A good life.
Well, I really didn’t have too many things that I “loved” or had sentimental value. Those things I kept, but they were pretty small (like a paperweight my dad had made in clear resin of 1963 fresh from the mint coins). But my couch, for example, was just a couch, bed was just a bed. They were from furniture chains. They were fine, but it was just as well to give them away, along with their old energy. And things like that Rocksmith guitar and old CDs were just taking up space, both physical and mental. So there was a lot of benefit to getting rid of them, plus I even got a little cash in return.
There might not be any reason to clear your garage, but maybe if you started going through it over a weekend and started discarding/donating the obvious things (like old clothes, broken equipment, other things that you know you’d never use again), you might feel lighter mentally, as well as open up some space in your garage. When we hold onto stuff that we really don’t need or use, it’s almost an affirmation of lack. When you start clearing even some of that stuff, you start to see more possibilities.
Also, the process of moving (and of clearing out stuff) took about two months. I first started clearing stuff when I had the idea to move. I started with things that I had little to no reason to keep, and little to no resistance of letting go. Things that, even had I stayed in my current place for a year or more, I wouldn’t have missed.
After each round of clearing, it seemed like more stuff popped up that I could get rid of, or let go. Bigger furniture, like my kitchen table and dresser, came later, and things like my bed and couch I got rid of in the last week or so before the move.
If you aren’t planning a move, there probably isn’t a reason to get rid of as much stuff as I did, but I think the early rounds of clearing would make sense and be beneficial to pretty much everyone, if they did them like once a year or so.
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