The last category in the discarding process is mementos. It was difficult to determine what was included in this category as it is basically everything else. I had the following major categories:
- Cards
- Snow globes
- Stuffed animals
- Pictures
- Random stuff
It was pretty easy for me to part with the cards. I enjoyed receiving the cards, but the book resonated with me about not holding onto gifts out of guilt.
The rest of the sub categories were difficult to get through. Clayton seemed especially resistant to this part of the process and assured me everything sparked joy.
As you can see from the after picture we parted with very little. I admit that I did not get rid of any pictures. It was a lot of effort to put my photo albums together, and I do take the time to look at them regularly and enjoy them.
We have done a great job of getting through the discarding process, and I want to make sure that everything we have determined sparks joy is on display in our home. My new policy is to not have anything packed away where we cannot enjoy it.
Have you successfully sorted through and discarded mementos? Please share any tips in the comments.
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Mementos are definitely the hardest thing to get rid of. I’ve found that it’s easier to part with items I’ve had for 5 or so years. For example, I collected snow globes in high school. I packed most of them away when I went to college. When I unpacked them four years later, I was surprised how indifferent I felt about them — and only then could I let them go.
Great post 🙂
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That’s a great point, Natalie! There were somethings we had stored in totes that we didn’t look at the entire time we were at our last place. It was certainly easier to part with that stuff.
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If you’ve ever heard of the The Minimalists, they run a minimalism blog and once suggested that aspiring minimalists pack up every possession they had (probably tough with kids, though). Once packed, they recommended unpacking what you needed as you needed it – and anything still packed at the end of a month could be donated. I’ve always wanted to try that, because I think it could be a fun exercise in seeing what items I truly use… and if an item has been packed away for a month, it might be easier for me to part with 🙂
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