About six months ago, I graduated and moved back into my parent’s house. The move was exhausting. I didn’t realize just how much stuff (read: junk) I had accumulated over the past four years, hopping around from dorm to house to apartment. Pots and dishes and so many pairs of shoes and a blender. All things that aren’t as useful right now. So, it all sat in the garage and in my closet--until now. At the top of my New Year's Resolution list was downsizing.

While I’m working on my master’s program (which happens to be online), I have decided to make myself available for work wherever I can find a good position in terms of location. But, the next time I move, it might be further than from Miami to Orlando. I gave myself a goal--reduce my life to two checked bags and a carry-on (ideally, it’d be one checked bag, but that’s just unrealistic).

And with that, my new year began. I dug through my closet and put everything on display to pick through. So, what did I learn about downsizing and cleaning out all my things?

It’s hard. It’s heart wrenching and refreshing, the feelings are complicated and you have to give yourself all the time you need to do it. You pull out that letter that your best friend from high school who is no longer your best friend wrote to you and you sit on the floor of your childhood bedroom and cry. You decide to put it back and keep that one. You find those heels that you couldn’t find for your birthday weekend. You find that mug from your study abroad trip that you forgot you bought. You get really excited about those heels and the mug that you can’t believe were in there. You find the recommendation letter from a high school teacher that’s no longer with us and cry at all the nice things she said about you, hoping that she knows how much she meant to her students wherever she is.

And then you find a random bottle of wine and brainstorm who to share it with… Maybe no one…?

That was when I stopped to think about it. All of these things tell the story of who I am and where I’ve been. When you look back at old journal entries, all you have are the memories. But, when you go through everything in that closet that you forgot you had, there are tangible moments, things that you see, feel, touch and they just transport you to a different time in life. Or maybe you smell them and remember a whole boatload of memories at once (I found a lot of old perfumes).

I learned that you have to separate the reminiscing and the cleaning. Decide what holds memories that you’ll keep and what you know you’ll never use. It’s a good time to figure out priorities. Do you value that “lucky” shirt that doesn’t fit you anymore? Or that stuffed animal? Or do you want to keep the mugs? If that dress has been sitting in your closet untouched for the past six months, are you really ever going to wear it? (That one’s a probably not). How much can you hold onto? Suggestion: give yourself a bag and make that your limit.

After two trash bags of clothes, a bag of shoes, a bag of bags and a small grocery bag of jewelry that all went to Goodwill I feel so much lighter, like a new person. Someone that’s not holding onto anything. Call me crazy, but I like the feeling of being light and able to travel. The world feels open to a million possibilities. But, most importantly, your mind feels clear and available for all of that buzzing potential.

If you’re feeling stuck, downsize, become a minimalist. There’s something to be said for the art of cleaning. And I think that’s because it starts off as cleaning, but slowly turns into the art of letting go. The person you’ve become over the years is actualized and your physical environment matches your mind. But, with all of these complicated feelings, you have to give yourself as much time as you need to get it done. It’s okay if you only go through a few things because you got stuck on a memory and didn’t feel like cleaning after.

So, go clean, let go, forgive and let your things tell the world who you are now.