This year, I made the rather major decision to get rid of 80% of my belongings and move into a 144 square foot “tiny house.”  There were several reasons for the change – having less “stuff,” the flexibility of being able to travel and move my house if I want to, and of course, the financial freedom of not having a rent or mortgage payment.  But even though I went into the downsizing process with a fairly decent knowledge of what I was getting myself into, there were still a few surprise lessons that I learned along the way.

Lesson #1

I had WAY more stuff than I needed.

You would think this would be rather obvious.  And to some extent, we probably all do know that we have more than we need.  But when you are required to honestly face all of it up close and really take inventory… the results can still be surprising.  Every time that I thought I was almost done “going through my stuff,” I’d realize there was another closet or cabinet that I had forgotten about.  What they say about people expanding to fill the space they have is true.  If you have a two-bedroom apartment, you fill that.  If you have a three-bedroom house, you fill that.  Somewhere along the way, I had accumulated enough stuff to fill a medium sized U-Haul truck and I’m not even sure how I got there!

Lesson #2

It’s okay that I’m not Superwoman.

One of the biggest epiphanies I had when going through all of my belongings, was realizing that some of the things I was holding on to were related to old dreams or aspirations.  Of learning to play the guitar… of being artistic… of becoming a yoga master.  All of which had STILL not happened although I had held on to the guitar, the art supplies and the yoga mat for years.  But instead of holding on to these items with a warped sense of guilt or responsibility, I realized it was okay to get rid of them.  And it’s okay if I never fulfill those aspirations.  I am fulfilling other ones and if I want to still do a yoga class or a painting class down the road, I’m sure there will be a mat or a paintbrush that I can borrow.

Lesson #3

I am committed to never having an office job again.

A big reason that people (including me) hold on to clothes that they don’t wear on a regular basis is that they may need it at some point.  Whether it’s a formal dress, a suit or even a dress-up costume, it seems easier to hold on to these things just in case you need them down the road instead of risking being in need and not having that item.  The only thing is… how often does that really end up happening?  Not very often.  Instead, you end up with a closet full of old ballgowns and Halloween costumes that you never touch.  For me, that item was office clothes – like blazers, dress pants and suits.  I hadn’t worked a professional office job in awhile and I really didn’t want to again any time soon, but I still hold on to the clothes in case I ended up back in such a position.  So when it came time to downsize my closet, I realized that it was okay to make the commitment to myself that I was NOT going to need them again.  Of course, you never know what is going to happen in life and some would say, “But what about if something happens and you HAVE to?”  Yes, that’s true.  I don’t know what may happen in life but my intention is to continue making a living with my writing career.  And if life throws me a curve ball, there are always other options.  Options that don’t include seven year old suits!

Lesson #4

I can get rid of “mementos” and still cherish the memories.

I have always been a sentimental person.  So needless to say, I have held on to a LOT of mementos over the years.  Everything from school papers and valentines cards from when I was a child (all the way back to kindergarten!), to travel souvenirs, yearbooks, notes and everything in between.  I not only filled up an entire steamer trunk, but had several Rubbermaid bins filled as well.  But even though I rarely touched these things, I did like the “safe” feeling I had about knowing that they were there.  After all, it was fun to go back through them every once in a (great) while and I liked the idea of having them around to show my future children and/or grandchildren.  But when I decided to downsize, I had to give myself permission to get rid of a lot of it.  Sure, I still held on to the things that really meant something to me but I realized that I did NOT have to hold on to the book report from second grade or every greeting card I’ve ever received from someone.  And more importantly, I realized that getting rid of them did not mean that I was getting rid of the memories.  I could (and can) still think back and relish the memories without having to physically hold on to every piece of paper.

Lesson #5

I do NOT want to accumulate that much stuff ever again.

I don’t know what the future holds for me and I don’t know how long I will live in my 144 s.f. tiny house.  But I DO know that no matter where I live, I don’t want to accumulate that much stuff again.  Now that I have downsized so thoroughly, I enjoy knowing that everything I own is in my plain sight in the tiny house.  There is no storage unit, no basement and no garage.  I know that all of my belongings fit in that space and that it is still MORE than what I truly need.  No matter what size home I may have in the future, I want to stay aware of what I really need and what I do not.  I want to always be intentional about my purchases and if I do treat myself to a new top or pair of shoes once in awhile, I will come home and donate an old one in exchange.  It’s not about the stuff anyway.  It’s about living life outside of the house and enjoying time with family and friends.  Because, in the end, you can’t take it with you!