These are a few of my (100) favourite things: The 100 thing challenge
I’ve been living between two homes recently. As they are over 100km apart and I travel by public transport most of the time, I’ve become very selective in what I lug between the two places in my backpack. It’s had me asking myself, “What physical possessions do I really need?”
Kelly Sutton, over at The Cult of Less has been receiving a bit of attention lately for his decision to dramatically reduce his possessions and digitise his life. I’m not sure if I’m keen to part with physical books yet but it’s made me start compiling my own list of essentials.
It’s not a new idea. Folks have been intentionally simplifying and downsizing their lives for years. In 2007, a guy called Dave Bruno set himself a 100 Thing Challenge where he reduced his possession count to less than 100 and then lived with only 100 possessions for 12 months.
My working list currently stands at 111 items (and it excludes consumables such as food stuffs, toiletries, notebooks, etc). There are whole categories of things I haven’t included (books, CDs, tools) because the number would lose all meaning if they were included.
Initially, I was aiming for keeping it under 100 items as per the 100 Thing Challenge – and sure, it could drop under 100 items depending on where I was living. The number is arbitrary though. This is all about minimising the clutter and noise in my life. If I own something it has to serve some essential function in my life or be so beautiful that every time I see it my heart swoons.
I still have a long ways to go…
But in the meantime here is my current working list of my 100 Things …
My 100 Things
Laptop
Phone
ipod dock / stereo / speakers
headphones/headset
Backpack
Messenger bag
Wallet
Keys
pen
glasses
long pants casual x 2
long pants work
shorts x 2
gym short
track pants
tshirts x 5
underwear x 6
bra x 2
socks x 3
Singlets x 2
Jacket – heavy
Jacket – light / sports
Jumper
Flannelette shirt
Long sleeve shirt – work
Long sleeve shirt – casual
collar shirts x 2
togs
boardshorts
rashie
Pyjamas – winter
toothbrush
wetpack
umbrella
shoes – boots
shoes – shoe
running shoes
thongs
hat
bed
side table
bedside lamp
heater/fan
desk
bookshelf
chair
dining table
dining chairs x 2
couch
lounge table
tv
tv table
bike
bike helmet
shopping bag
glass
wine glass
cup
plate
bowl
knife
fork
spoon
cutting knife
cutting board
small saucepan
small steamer
large pot
frypan
spatula
large spoon
bottle opener
large bowl
comb
brush
bathtowel
bathmat
facewasher
beach towel
sheets
pillows
doona
broom*
dustpan & brush*
mop*
bucket*
vacuum cleaner*
fridge*
washing machine*
outdoor chairs x 2 *
*these would depend on where/who I was living/with
It’s been an interesting exercise in discovering what physical possessions are important in my life and I intend to use it as a guide for what I keep and what I let go of. Interestingly, as I give each item consideration, I find I’m changing the way I think about consuming. For example, if I have one set of sheets (I’m not sure if that is practical) then they sure as heck are going to be beautiful.
I’m curious to see where I am with it in 12 months.
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