Yesterday I fell down the blog black hole of year in reviews. There’s something comforting about reading about other people’ triumphs, travels, milestones, and struggles. A year is a long time, and yet it often feels like it flies.

I started jotting down the memories that stood out to me the most from 2015, and I realized just how much time it was. 2015 was an amazing year – it had some lowlights, but it had even better highs.

My 2015 highlights

I went to Spain! My first time out of the country (sorry, Canada, you don’t count).

I got strong. Real strong. My ankles healed, I built up my fitness, and I dove head first into olympic lifting and running.

I wrote a TV commercial… still weird to say. And begged Adam Savage to come play with us.

I made it through my first full training cycle without an injury… twice!

I hit a major half marathon PR that has me ready for more.

Minimalism was no longer something I just thought about a lot. I cut back on the time I spent watching tv, cleaned out the excess stuff and obligations out of my life, and made finding my essentials a priority. A touchstone.

I fell in love with writing all over again, and recommitted to my creativity.

In May I celebrated a year at my first full time job. Plus sprinkled in a little freelancing to indulge my other interests.

I moved closer to work, and experienced the joys of a shorter commute and more time for the things that truly matter to me.

Went camping twice, thus tripling the amount of times I had been camping in my life.

I started the year with a mild concussion and ended it with a massive sprained ankle. But winter is for resting, right?

Maybe I didn’t hit my original goals. 2015 might not have started off quite as I had hoped. There were times where I was disappointed, where tears were shed. But looking back, I remember 2015 as a year of taking risks. As a time of going all in on the things that I loved. As an adventure. Happy.

Each day this week I was preparing for it to be the last time I was able to hit the Minsgame goal for the day.

I’ve gone through every drawer, container, closet (to be fair, I only have one), and my car at least twice. I have heavily exercised the Minimalist’s 20/20 rule (if you can replace the item in less than 20 minutes for less than $20 and you don’t need it now, let it go). I have spread things in front of me and questioned if they still brought me joy or just memories of past joy.

I finally feel like I’m done.

Part of me has been hung up on trying to match what people like The Minimalists have. I wanted the least I could still be content and happy with. But I was getting caught up in the number of things everyone owned – the exact things that filled their space and lives.

It’s not about the number.

It’s about cutting out the excess so my space, and my life, is about what I want it to be.

I made it through day 22 with physical items (and I only partially regretted the harsh rules I set out for myself at the beginning). I’m happy with how I did. I pushed through the difficult days, and I’m finally at a place where I don’t feel like more needs to go. I found my stopping point, my current equilibrium.

I could likely be more harsh. I could live with less. I could cut to the bare essentials, but I don’t feel the need to. I am happy having a few extra pairs of socks and to not have to wash clothes in the sink after I go for a run.

I am content and at peace with what I have.

This week I got rid of more than 148 physical things and hopefully the constant, lurking feeling that I have too much.

So what am I going to do for week four?

I’m attacking my digital clutter.

Every year I feel like Christmas comes out of nowhere! Since I very strongly fear malls, I prefer not to buy things people don’t need, and my timing is terrible, I have gotten pretty good at last-minute homemade gift ideas.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Cookies. Best “wrapped” in a cute jar or on a nice plate the recipient can reuse.

2. Jewelry. From friendship bracelets to trendy beads to macrame, these are my go-to.

3. Homemade hot chocolate mix. I’m a sucker for just about any food in a jar. (See also, dinner in a jar.)

4. Luxurious body butter.

5. A favorite, freezer-friendly meal. It’s hard to beat the thoughtfulness and enjoyment that comes from being able to heat up a quick, lovingly made meal in a pinch.

6. Candles. I made these last year and they were a big hit. I like unscented best, and they burn really well in a smaller jar.

7. Knit or crochet a scarf. The closer it is to Christmas, the bigger the needle/hook to finish in time.

8. A makeup bag or pouch.

9. A heat pack. Shamelessly on my wish-list for this year.

10. Custom bobby pins. Or these gemstone bobby pins.

11. Origami ornaments. I’m tempted to attempt to make these for myself… even though I don’t have a tree.

12. A modern tote.

13. Clever art! I wish I was this crafty.

14. An iPad stand. Gorgeous.

The Minsgame got harder than I expected real quick. I’m actually starting to worry I won’t make it to the finish.

But for the most part this week, I would start to fret that I didn’t have enough things left to get rid of, and then suddenly I would have more items than I needed for the day. I have a few things stockpiled for week three, but they won’t get me very far.

This week another 92 things are out of my space.

I’m running out of unchartered territory. I’ve been through nearly every shelf, drawer, and container of my things, which means I’m going to have to make a second pass and face the decisions I’ve been avoiding.

While I’ve had the one in, one out rule for a few years now, the Minsgame has really made me question purchases before I make them. It’s been eye-opening to gather so much of my stuff in one place and realize I don’t need it and I rarely use it. It has made me really think about what I spend my money on and how much I really need.

The Minsgame has also made what really matters to me and the things that bring me joy really apparent.

My drawers keep getting more roomy – except one. I’ve gotten rid of a few pieces of exercise gear, but overall, I use everything I have. It seems crazy to have a drawer stuffed with clothes to sweat in, but when I took everything out, I realized that outside of a few pieces, it all gets worn frequently.

I could certainly live with less, but right now it’s more important to me to not have to worry about trying to wash mid-week. I have enough to get me through a full week of running, lifting, swimming, yoga, and any other sweaty activities I may be doing.

Why I’m really doing the Minimalism Game:

When I started the Minsgame I had recently gone through a major clean out from moving. I didn’t choose to do it because my stuff is overwhelming, but rather because I wanted to finally be done obsessing about what to get rid of. I wanted the decluttering and the worrying that I had too much to stop.

So this is it, my last big cut. The last time I dig through every nook and cranny daily. The last time I go to bed thinking about what else can go.

My phone doesn’t make any noise. At all. It doesn’t vibrate or chime or randomly play music. It’s finally a distraction-free phone.

It’s fantastic.

I didn’t like when my phone interrupted me, startled me out of thought with a vibration or a lit up screen. I can’t stand notifications or the constant stare of the little red circles with how many things I still have to deal with.

10 unread emails. Look at me. Look at me. LOOK AT ME!

So I turned it all off. The only notifications I get are for text messages and calls. Nothing else pops up across my screen. My unread emails don’t stare at me from my home screen. People I follow on social media can’t interrupt a phone call. My apps only get my attention when I open them.

When I need to focus, I can turn my phone face down and completely forget it’s there.

It’s peaceful. I look at it when I need to, not when it’s crying out for attention.

I know it’s not my phones fault. But we have a better relationship now that we’ve set some boundaries.

I don’t worry about missing “important” calls. I’m not expecting the president to call anytime soon, so returning a call doesn’t seem like the end of the world. My family and friends (even my grandmother) text me instead of calling, and most people know that I keep my phone on total silence and only check it occasionally.

If I am waiting for something truly important (a scheduled call, a friend who might need timely directions, the food delivery person telling me they have arrived), I keep my phone next to me face up. The light from the screen is enough to get my attention. If I can’t have it in my line of sight, only then will I turn on the vibration.

It’s changed the way I interact with my phone.

When I first switched it to total silent, I was constantly going to look for my phone to see if anyone had messaged me. I started to realize just how much I was looking at my phone. Minutes would go by and I would find myself walking back to it to check it again.

After a while I stopped checking. I started leaving it in other rooms. Forgetting to take it out of my bag when I got to work. Running to the store quickly without it.

It was liberating. The knowledge that I didn’t have to respond right away, that no one would be upset, the world wouldn’t end, was like being told you didn’t have to go to school that day.

Now when my phone distracts me, it’s because of something I am doing. It’s in my control to turn it face down, to put it in my bag, to leave it on my dresser, to stop starting at it. I’m working on resisting the urge to pull out my phone when I have a free second or I want to avoid what I’m actually doing. I don’t have games, and Twitter and Facebook got the boot a while ago (I still use Instagram, although I’m trying to limit how much). Each time I don’t give it my attention is another step in the right direction.

Week one flew by! It was so much easier to find things to get rid of than I was anticipating. I ended up doing most of the week on day two. Random things I had been hanging onto and unwilling to make decisions about in the past were suddenly easy to let go of.

I went through my “junk drawer” (really a wicker basket) and ended up cutting its contents nearly in half. I have a feeling I’ll end up getting rid of even more stuff in it later in the month.

The Minimalism Game is addicting. I can’t help myself. Every time I walk into a room I’m looking for the things I that don’t belong anymore. Unfortunately, I’m not just doing this at my house.

After seven days I already have a pile of more than 150 things to get rid of.

I’ve been pretty strict with myself in how I count so far. I don’t plan on continuing the Minimalism Game for the next few months. I want to make this month count.

Here are some of the guidelines I set for myself:

1. Paper is only 1 item whether it’s one piece or 100.
I don’t have much paper clutter, and it seems too easy to over-count it.

2. Small, like items are 1 item.
Pens, hair ties, binder clips – Anything easily bought in bulk that fits in one hand is one thing. (I could have done days 29 & 30 in hair ties and clips alone.)

3. Digital items can count, but not until the last week.
I want to clear some of my digital clutter, but I also don’t want this to be my safety net. I don’t have many files on my computer, but anything stored in the cloud is fair game. I’m using the like-item rule again here (see above). Photos (one to 1 million, doesn’t matter) = 1. Documents, PDFs, emails, each group is only one.

4. Food and other fast-consumables don’t count.
Five-year-old hair spray? Sure. Old milk? Not so much. I have teas and things that I’m trying to use up or give away to people who will enjoy them. For now, these are bonus items. I don’t want to count them because I have a feeling it will be too easy to clean out the fridge for a day where I should really be making tough decisions about my shoes. For now, if you can eat it or use it in less than a month, it doesn’t count.

5. No ejection seat.
The “official” rules call for removing each day’s items from your house (or car or office or Batcave) immediately.

That’s not happening.

It’s not convenient or time-efficient for me to drive to the donation center and used clothing store daily. Instead, trash and recycling (which I’m not counting anyways for the most part!) get the immediate boot. Donations and items I am planning to sell are all in one spot in my closet. I’m going to put items on eBay, Craigslist, and Freecycle weekly. All of my donations, including everything that doesn’t sell during the month, will be dropped off all at once in the first week of January.

This week I got rid of 28 items, which with my rules above, comes out to over 150 individual things.

I can’t wait for next week! I’m preparing to really dig in as it gets harder.

I heard about the 30-Day Minimalism Game years ago, and I put it off for various reasons ever since.

Every once in a while I will browse #MinsGame on Instagram, and just seeing all of the things other people are getting rid of makes me feel more at peace. When I’m having a stressful day at work, I’ll spend a few minutes cruising through the pictures from around the world until I feel better.

It’s pretty clear I need to do the game myself. I already pretty much know what I’m getting rid of for the first week or so. I’ve picked out my donation center, a new store to try to sell some clothes to, and I finally remember my eBay password… I think.

I’m willing to get creative and get rid of digital clutter if I really truly run out of things, although the more I think about it, the more unlikely it seems that I will need to dive that deep. I have a whole garage hiding random things left behind from the last tenants.

January is right around the corner, and I’d love to start the new year with more space and without the constant desire to get rid of things.

Day 1 is done.

Want to join in? All you have to do is get rid of one thing on day one. Two on day two. Three on day three. And so forth until you hit day 31.

Are you in?

As kids we are taught to have a Christmas list where we put all of the things we even vaguely want, and they magically appear for us. We are never told about the debt many people accrue over the season or the environmental impact of all of the gifts that end up shoved in the back of our closets.

For months we are bombarded with ads that make the holidays look like some sort of shopping utopia. People often confuse the joy of the holiday season with the short excitement and anticipation they get from receiving new things and buying gifts for other people.

I want the holidays to be about spending time with my friends and family. I want sip on warm drinks under twinkling lights. I want to remember the laughs we had at the table and the time my mom made the turkey walk the plank. I want to put my feet up, grab my book, and relax during the shortest days of the year.

I feel sad when I drive past a packed mall parking lot and when I hear people talk about how stressful December is for them. The ads and the special packaging and the holiday cups and the “deals” seem to make us less and less happy with what we already have.

We’re missing the point. And it’s making us miserable.

When I first started actively pursuing less, I didn’t really know how to handle the holidays. I wanted a minimalist Christmas… but I didn’t even know what that meant. When faced with questions about what I wanted, I ended up only asking for things I needed. Which was great, but it didn’t solve the root of my problem.

I wish there wasn’t so much pressure to ask for things.

What if we don’t ask for anything? What if we don’t want anything?

My family is fully supportive of my efforts to reduce the amount of things I own and my impact on the world. They have thoughtfully given me amazing things like yoga classes or the entry fee for a race I’d like to do. They didn’t laugh at me when I asked for socks or a salad spinner. But my friends are a little less certain of what I’m doing, and I feel pressure to reciprocate with little things they probably won’t use either. At work we traditionally do a novelty t-shirt exchange, and I was torn between sitting out so no one would waste money on something I wouldn’t use and joining in on the office-wide fun. I opted to join in and instead ask for a poster that I could hang up at my desk (something that I will actually use that will have less of a carbon footprint than a t-shirt).

I’ve found that living with less is particularly challenging around the holidays. Relatives and friends are constantly asking what’s on your list. People give you funny looks or think you are being difficult when you say you don’t want anything. Really.

No one wants to be the Grinch.

But at the same time, being open and honest about what you really want (“I’d love to spend some time with you. What if we went out for coffee and a movie instead of exchanging gifts this year?”) makes everyone happier in the long run. People are buying gifts to bring joy to someone else. They aren’t trying to clutter your home or challenge your beliefs.

It’s uncomfortable at first, but the more I talk about it and the more I express what I really want, the happier I am (and hopefully my friends and family are too).