The Great Decluttering Disaster of 2023
It all started innocently enough. I was scrolling through Instagram, mesmerized by images of pristine white walls, perfectly organized spice racks, and people who apparently own only three shirts. Minimalism, they called it. It looked so serene, so…easy. Like all I needed was to throw away 90% of my belongings and BAM! Inner peace achieved.
Fueled by the delusion that I, too, could become one with the void, I launched into a frenzy of decluttering. Clothes I hadn’t worn since high school? Gone! That bread maker I used once and swore I’d use again? Donated! My collection of novelty mugs featuring every iteration of the “Friends” cast? Okay, that one was hard, but two mugs made it into the “keep” pile. I was ruthless, I was unstoppable…I was also incredibly naive.
For a glorious 24 hours, my apartment resembled something close to those aspirational Instagram photos. Surfaces were clear, drawers were (somewhat) organized, and I basked in the glow of my accomplishment. Then, reality hit. I needed a spatula. And a new lamp because, in my decluttering frenzy, I’d gotten rid of the one I actually used. Oh, and those shoes I’d been eyeing online? They were on sale!
It turns out, living with less stuff is significantly harder when you haven’t quite conquered the art of not buying more stuff. My attempts to embrace minimalism quickly devolved into a vicious cycle of decluttering, online shopping, and feeling like a complete failure.