Stuff. We all have it. Some of us more than others.

I invite you to discover the freedom of letting go of it. At least a goodly chunk of it. And stop acquiring more of it to replace what you let go.

You must be thinking about it. Or you wouldn’t be here reading this. Not too long ago, I took the plunge.

So, I know from personal experience what it feels like to get rid of things you think you need. Or that you paid a lot for. (That is the hardest.)  And I can tell you, it feels incredible. It is funny how good it feels. Really. It honestly feels like you gave yourself a gift to give your things away. And if you have nice things, all the better. Sell them or give them to friends and family who think you’re great. They don’t know they are doing you the favor.

But here’s the rub. You’ve got to do it big enough to feel it. Just clearing out your closet of a few things that don’t look good on you is not going to make an impact. It has to be noticeable. It has to be intentional. You have to feel the difference in your space. I am not suggesting you live like a monk. But begin to notice how many belongings you have that don’t belong.

So give it a go. Do not allow yourself to hang onto anything you don’t need or have a damn good reason for keeping. FYI, sentimentality does not count as a good reason. If it doesn’t inspire you or fulfill a need, what are you keeping it for?

If you are breaking into a sweat right now, don’t worry. Just pace yourself. Get rid of one thing every other day for a year. Just one thing every other day. So, one day you pick something. One spatula or pair of pants or lamp or brush or something you haven’t used in ages goes out the door. Then take a whole day to recover from the shock of it.

It will not surprise me if, by the second month, you’re feeling so good you’re telling all your friends they need to do it too. You’ll be instagramming photos of your discards or tweeting what you got rid of that day: #minimalist #lessismore #onelessthing

I should mention, in case you hadn’t already realized this, you have to stop with the retail therapy.  Does this scare you? If it does, book a hypnosis session and let’s find out why you need to shop. Isn’t it time to break that habit for good?

I would be willing to bet you that the overwhelming majority of people who purge, never go back. Because they have learned that things are not what they are cracked up to be. They are just empty promises you make to yourself. “If I buy this, then _____ will happen.” But it rarely does. However, NOT buying something ALWAYS does what you intend. Every single time.  And it doesn’t cost anything or clutter your closet. How cool is that?

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Namaste