Downsizing Mini Challenge
If you are looking to downsize but don’t know if you can commit, here is a downsizing mini challenge for you. But beware… it is challenging! If you complete this challenge, you can move on to my 4 easy steps to downsize your closet!
This challenge is the secret that allowed me to move across the world and back TWICE with only a suitcase! The idea stems from the feeling that I would get when I visited my parents. I would look at my closet and all of the items I left there and think to myself, “Why did I keep this in the first place? I haven’t used it once in the past year, and I DON’T miss it!”
So what are you waiting for? Challenge yourself -
Step 1: Get a carry-on suitcase.
It can be yours, your parents, your friends, your neighbors - doesn’t matter! Point is, you need a suitcase. Must be carry-on.
Step 2: Set a 20 minute timer.
Tell Alexa, Siri, Google, or whoever your technological buttler is to set a timer for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Pack your essentials!
You have 20 minutes to take all the items in your house you think is absolutely ABSOLUTELY essential. Which shoes can you live without? Do you really need that many pairs of jeans? Don’t forget about your period panties!
Have everything? Great! Pack it in your suitcase!!
Rule of thumb: If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t come with!
“To where?” You may be asking yourself…
Your very own staycation!!
Step 4: Live Out Of Your Suitcase
Yep, that’s right!
For the next WEEK you must only use the items that you packed with you in your carry on suitcase! Let’s see how “essential” your essentials are. The only rule: you are not allowed to use any other of your possessions all week long (well, except food and water of course). Hellooo I told you this challenge was challenging! If you really want it to work, you cannot give up on yourself!
You think you can’t do it? CHALLENGE YOUR CAN’T.
Step 5: Reevaluate Your Essentials
What things did you use? What things did you never touch? Did you forget to pack anything? Was it enough? If you had to do it again, what would you do to be more prepared?
Go through each item one by one and think about how much use you got out of it in the past week. As you are going through your items, split them up into four lists.
All of the things you now deem truly essential - your “needs.”
Things that were nice to have but not crucial - your “wants.”
Things you didn’t actually use and know you can do without - the “non-essentials.”
Things you wish you had with you throughout the week - your “don’t forgets.”
In this step it is key to focus on the facts of what happened the last week and not on how much you like the item.
Downsizing might be really intimidating if you are looking at all the things you currently own. That is why breaking it down and starting with a carry-on size suitcase scales-down the task to a much smaller size. Once you already get one foot out the door, it will be much easier to downsize the rest of your belongings. You already have four lists (your “needs,” “wants,” “non-essentials,” and “don’t forgets”) setting you up for your downsizing success.
Once you are done with the downsizing mini challenge, the next step is to follow my 4 easy steps to downsize your closet. These steps were the secret to helping me downsize enough that I can live in a van.
If this downsizing mini challenge helped you, share it with your friends! Tag me in your instagram posts! I love staying up to date with what you guys are doing!
