We all have a drawer filled with random things that we have to wade through to find the vegetable peeler. Or a Tupperware cupboard where we never seem to find the lid that fits. That bottom shelf where we keep all those yearbooks we never look at because, let’s be honest, why on earth would we want to be reminded of what we looked like as awkward 13-year-olds?
These days, I’ve been planning for a move. When my lease ends, I’m ready to relocate wherever opportunity and adventure take me. That means I’ve been focusing on one of my favorite activities… paring down stuff!
I probably have my mother to blame for my love of minimalism. She made sure our family was primed for a move across the world if needed from one school year to the next. I have her to thank for not having any notebooks from my school years—those didn’t survive the first week of summer vacation. I am notorious among my friends and family for my aversion to accumulating things. For me, not having too much feels freeing, like I could do anything and pursue any dream without the weight of my belongings slowing me down. Like I could go live in an Arctic research station or backpack through the Andes for a couple of months without worrying about where to store my extra stuff.
And there’s no better excuse than an impending cross-country move to revisit everything my husband and I have accumulated over the years and free ourselves from the emotional and physical burden of lugging it to yet another place.
This Week’s Habit: Don’t Accumulate—Regularly Pare Down Mercilessly
Regularly revisit what you have in your closets and lying around your home. Get rid of what you don’t need, don’t value, or is taking up unnecessary space. If you make this a habit, it doesn’t need to take more than a few minutes of your day.
My system: I scan the room and ask myself, Is this item worth the hassle of putting in a box, moving across the country, unwrapping, and finding space for in a new location? Even if you’re not planning a move, you can still use this mental exercise.
Put yourself in the shoes of someone about to relocate—what would you take with you? What isn’t worth the hassle? Sometimes, I picture myself about to embark on a cross-country backpacking trip, where I need to get rid of all but the essentials. Imagine yourself carrying everything you own—no checked bags! Feel the weight of your backpack. Now ease off it and remind yourself that you’re lucky to take more than just a backpack. Let yourself picture your dream home— fill it with your favorite things. What items didn’t make the cut in that vision? Those might be the things to part with.
Instead of sorting through everything in an overwhelming “spring cleaning” overhaul, do this regularly and focus on small areas. It could be just one drawer or a shelf you avoid because it stresses you out. Choose a single area, evaluate the items critically, and set anything that doesn’t make the cut aside in a designated spot. Once you have a pile, donate or sell it. This makes the process more manageable.
I sometimes do this while watching TV or listening to a podcast—it’s surprisingly soothing!
Why Does This Matter?
When you have less weighing you down, you have more freedom to embrace new opportunities. If everything that matters to you fits in a manageable space, it becomes easier to relocate, move for a new job, or simply create a home that feels intentional.
Actionable Tips
Tip 1: Use AI to List Items for Sale
Take a picture of the item, measure it, and ask ChatGPT to generate a listing description and provide a suggested price. It will do all the heavy lifting and research comparable listings for you based on the picture. You can then copy paste the information into Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and Voilà! You’ve got items posted in under 10 minutes.
Tip 2: Digitize as Much as Possible
I’ve been doing this with my old college notebooks. It’s time-consuming, but I am determined not to move that box yet again! Take pictures and upload to Google Drive – you can then revisit notes whenever the nostalgia strikes. Or, just realize while flipping through the pages that you are never ever going to reread your Thermodynamics notes—and chuck it all into the recycling bin…
Tip 3: Books
I dream of a library with floor-to-ceiling books, but only ones that I’ve read and enjoyed, would consider reading again or would lend to a friend. That French encyclopedia looks nice, but I haven’t opened it in a decade. Those German philosophy books I aspirationally plan to read but recoil from every time I pick them up? Time to donate them to a local school, it’s time to move on.
Letting go feels so freeing.
Closing Thought
This week, scan a small area of your home and pull out the things you wouldn’t take on your next hypothetical cross-country move. Visualize your dream space—what doesn’t belong? Remove it, and you’re one step closer to making your current home your dream home.
Intentionally Yours,
IE.
Intentionally Extraordinary 
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