100 Thing Challenge

Yesterday we set aside today for cleaning up our house.  That would not be so bad if by “cleaning up” we merely meant dusting and vacuuming and putting a few things away.  But we had bigger aspirations.  All in all, it went pretty well.  I got our porch cleaned and new porch lights installed.  I got the new dresser set up that my in-laws graciously bought for our older daughters.  I got the cardboard that the dresser came in chopped up and put in the garage with the other piles of cardboard.  And my wife and children did a lot of cleaning up, too.

It’s just that, in grand scheme of things, it does not seem like enough.  We have a lot of stuff.  And honestly, it is difficult to purge.  What goes?  That is a hard decision.  But I have an idea.  A spontaneous idea that might change my life forever.  I’m calling it the 100 Thing Challenge.  And I’m taking it.  Here is how it goes.

I’m going to only keep 100 things.  All the rest gets purged.  Sold.  Given away.  Traded ;-)  Some how, all the other things will no longer remain in my possession.

This seems like a good idea to me, but I want to be realistic and proceed with caution.  So I’m taking it slow.  First, I’m only going to take the 100 Thing Challenge for my own personal things.  Stuff like my car, which is mostly mine but which my wife uses sometimes, does not count.  And I’m not going to include clothes at this point, though I am considering that next.  And anything that involves physical exercise gets a pass for now.  A few things might count as one thing.  For example I have a collection of Marklin toy trains.  I’ll need time to consider if the collection counts as one or each item counts as one.  For now, the whole collection is one thing.  But that’s about it.  Guitars, iPods, camera equipment, watches, trinkets of all kinds, and more.  All those things count as personal possessions.  And I’m going to finish my 100 Thing Challenge with only 100 of them.  I’m giving myself till the end of August to have my 100 things and to  have gotten rid of everything else.

Comments

[Cory Verner]

Dude, sounds like this is going to be extremely entertaining to watch. It’s already turned into 200-300 things while writing this post. I don’t mean to be skeptical but, I am a little bit. But I will say that I admire you for taking a stand against stuff in a pretty radical way. I will be interested in hearing what you need to get rid of. I’ve got dibs on your camping gear and any photog stuff that get’s dumped (your camping stuff is NOT one thing dude! nor your photography stuff.

But seriously I am stoked your doing this. Is there any possibility that you’ve already counted your stuff and found out that you have 100 things though. This whole thing might not purge much stuff after all.

And last, what about your books?? All one thing?? Anyway, I’m just chiming a bit. I do look forward to hearing more about this.

GREAT BLOG.

C

[toyfoto]

i want to do this with ever fiber of my being.

[Dave Bruno]

Gotta start small C. Sorry my books and camping gear are off limits for this first challenge... and you. I'm talking personal stuff. Think, what's on my desk, in my drawers, under my bed, etc.

regarding toyfoto - start small.

[Raymenie]

For the past five years I've moved at least once a year (think moved to different countries not just down the road!) and each time I do I clear out so much junk it amazes me! When you get started you'll probably find there are at least some things that are ridiculously easy to get rid of on the basis that you never really use them anyway!

Good luck to you!

[Nina Ruth]

if you get rid of the Israel photo I made you I'll hunt you down...

Just kidding! Sigh. Can I have your stuff? Ok, but seriously...
Not sure I can do the 100 things challenge, but here's my own personal start...being slightly OCD (think "Monk" from tv, people!) every few months or so, I purge my clothes closet (if I haven't worn it in a long time, I probably never will...it gets donated, given away to a friend or returned if I still have a receipt somewhere), my bookshelves (is it something I will EVER dog-ear, underline or even reread? If not, then it goes to the library), and my makeup case (heck, do I even wear makeup?! Why do I own any? Why do I keep buying more?!) Baby steps...baby steps...

(breathes into a paper bag to keep from hyperventilating)

Does my Narnia stuff count as 1 item?

;-)

[s'mee]

This is a fantastic idea. Makes me (again) wish I were more Ed Begley Jr. and less typical American. I have faith in you, little in myself to actually do this.

Billions of folks all around this rock have fewer than 100 items to schlep a round with them and they manage to keep breathing and to be happy.

An organizing strategy I employ to aid me in keeping most "things" at bay is this rule: If I buy something new, I must give something away. One new dresser for one old one. One new sweater for one old one. yada yada yada

Good thoughts and hope that you'll be successful.

[Josh Bozarth]

Hey, I love this idea.

You are definitely smart to keep it to your own personal stuff.

"Honey, I'm sorry, but the blender has to go."

[Donald Giannatti]

I am always a bit skeptical about arbitrary assignations. 100. Why not 94? Or 236? Numbers are arbitrary by their nature, and yet man continues to convey to them a mystical meaning. And by no means am I discounting your desire to minimize, I just wonder why the induction of that particular point of reference.

I am doing something similar, though less obtrusive or possibly destructive. I have a place in the garage where I put everything I have not touched in a month. If I do not need that item within two months it gets sold or given away or donated. That way I have learned to be very careful about what I use and purchase. Believe me, it is working well.

Good luck on your project, I will follow along to see how it goes.

[Dave Bruno]

The 94 Thing Challenge! I like it. But alas I'm sticking to 100 for now. The number 100 is wholly arbitrary and anti-mystical, kind of like "two months" ;-)

[Jennifer]

Does it include furniture and kitchen stuff?

I want to do this so bad.

[korrynne]

i evacuated from new orleans for hurricane katrina with a backpack of shorts and tshirts and although none of my stuff was damaged, i was suddenly locked away from it for about 4 months. it's pretty amazing how little you really need to live comfortably...

[Jasi]

i'm with you on this. recently investigating my life now as a wife (to a pack rat) and a mother (to a busy, thing-collecting, toddler), i've noticed that my minimalist ways are bogged down by shared space. so aside from our shared things, i'm paring down everything to essentials plus 1. i wish us both luck.

[Jason]

This is a great idea! For the last 6 months or so I've been making a mental list of things to get rid of when I finally get my new job and move to another state. This has made me put that mental list on paper. I'm currently at #28 and that includes a few items that are multiples (clothing) and would increase to about 50 if I listed them separately. My plan is to donate, sell, trash, or give to friends/family if they can use it. I look forward to your updates. Maybe I'll blog about my own experience as well :-)

[Nenette]

I love this, and will definitely talk about it in my blog sometime.
I'm in the process of getting rid of my stuff... keeping the husband and 2 kids though... maybe I'll make them do their own 100 Things list... I've already got my 5-year-old son to downsize his collection of "pamphlets I find in every store I go into and flyers I get in my mailbox" down to about 20. It ain't been easy, I tell ya!

Nenette

[AnomaLily]

I love this challenge!

I own more than 100 things, but it is pretty close. This is all my belongings being moved on a small bicycle trailer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53034218@N00/434812095/

My house is only 8 feet wide so it makes keeping things to a minimum very necessary.

[Nina Ruth]

Well, if we do need "stuff,: like, say, to give as gifts for people's birthdays or Christmas/Hanukkah, besides "regifting" or charitable donations, another idea is buying only from fair-trade companies. For more on this, go to www.tradeasone.org

[Danielle]

There's a book called "The Gospel According to Larry" that I read when I was a teenagers... The main character in that limited himself to 75 things. A much easier thing for a fictional person to do I imagine, haha.

Good luck with your 100! One of these days, maybe I'll try this myself.

[billyb]

Motivating post, Dave.
Hey, while you're at it, might want to challenge the world to the challenge via a killer tool the folks at mysociety have built called http://www.pledgebank.com.
Good luck!
I look forward to seeing how this goes,
-bb

[dresstosurvive]

I recently moved and condensed my life down to contents that would fit in a duffel bag (a week's worth of clothing), a backpack (survival/hygiene essentials), another backpack (paperwork, cellphone, keys, etc), and a chest of blankets.

I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 things in my life.

[james]

I love this idea. I'm going for the 100 including clothes, books, everything except things that I own jointly with my wife like the dogs. I started by throwing 5000 pages of course notes. So liberating.

My only issue, that I've been meditating on for over a week now, is how much underwear to keep.

[allen klesh]

Well I must say that you have opened my eyes! I am taking your Challenge and am down to a little over 200 items. I'm on my way to a simple life!

I'll be putting up a list on my website and keeping a count as I go. I'm also going with the idea of "if you buy one, throw one out". Thanks again!

[Harriet]

Twenty years ago, during my first midlife crisis (I've had several more since then), I spent six months in Europe with nothing but what I could fit into one carry-on bag and a small shoulder bag. Everything else went into storage. And quite of the few of the things that started out in that carry-on bag got mailed back to the States because I just got tired of carrying them.

Unfortunately, once I got back home to Conspicuous Consumptionland again, I lapsed right back into my old habits. I am now so overwhelmed with stuff, I keep running into things I don't even know I own.

I'm either going to have to try your 100 things idea or go to Europe again.

[hmbnancy]

Wooo Hooooo !

At the minimum it will keep you from buying more.

Great idea.

I'm invested.

[hmbnancy]

Wooo Hooooo !

At the minimum it will keep you from buying more.

Great idea.

I'm invested.

[Sue]

I have been intrigued by this...did a household inventory of EVERYTHING except clothes, expendable items like TP & soap, food, and tiny stuff like nails. Other than that, as I decluttered, I counted every towel, every dish, every piece of furniture, each book, each CD, every tool, etc, in our entire 4 bedroom house (occupied by myself, husband, adult daughter...another daughter lives at college so her stuff lives with her). Our grand total is 1397 items! This sounds like a lot, but we don't have knicknacks, collections, or useless junk! Pretty much everything on the list one of us uses or interacts with at least weekly (in season). Now I'm challenged to bring it down even more!