As to be expected, week three of my minimalism challenge was the hardest week yet. It’s also the week I broke open my closet and did an assessment of what I brought with me from the States, and what I have actually worn since being here. I knew before even opening the closet that there were things in there that I’ve put on, only to take off immediately in favor of something I wear more often with more confidence.
The past weekend was a great chance for me to clean out, as my neighbor and co-worker had a clothing swap party. She was kind enough to let me join in on the fun and her guests could come over to my apartment and take the clothing and jewelry I was ready to part with. Everything that remained at the end went to the second hand shop downtown.
But clothing and jewelry wasn’t the only thing that went this time around, although that did make up a majority of the week’s clean-out. I also continued to go through my kitchen, and went into my laundry room to do a quick assessment.
Below is a list of the 133 items I cleaned out in the third week of my minimalism challenge:
- 38 wooden skewers
- 25 magnets
- 21 articles of clothing
- 19 pieces of jewelry
- 9 nose rings
- 3 vacation souvenirs
- 2 pairs of shoes
- 2 hair accessories
- 2 small kitchen things
- 2 bike accessories
- 2 power adapters
- 1 lone earring with no match
- 1 broken pair of headphones
- 1 small drawer unit that fell apart in my hands when I tried to move it
- 1 sleeping bag
- 1 small travel makeup bag
- 1 broken Christmas ornament
- 1 Tupperware lid I missed the first week
- 1 empty container of fabric softener that has been empty since September
Looking around my apartment, I can see the difference the last three weeks of cleaning and decluttering has made. My space is more comfortable, cleaner, and brighter. I don’t have to shove aside things I don’t use in order to find the things I do. While I’m not sure how much further I’ll be able to go, I’m glad I made it this far.
If you’re interested in doing my minimalism challenge, or interested in the original challenge, which involves working with a partner and making a bet as to who will make it the the furthest in decluttering, comment below! Happy cleaning!
Christine in Korea 