See My 100 things List (+ things I got rid of)

NOTE: This is a follow-up post of the 100 things post.

So I finally got the list done.

I landed a little below 100 but on the other hand, I couldn’t really count kitchenware, as I share that with my wife and our tenant.

Here is the list of my 100 things.

My 100 things list

Clothes
2 Pairs of jeans
2 Sport shorts
3 Shorts
1 Skiing pants
4 Shirts
6 T-shirts
1 Tank top
4 Sweaters
1 Suit (counts as 3 items)
2 Winter sweater
3 Jackets (summer, winter + leather jacket)
1 Cap
1 Beanie
4 Shoes (running-, converse-, leather- and winter boots)
1 Scarf
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of gloves
1 set of socks*
1 set of boxers*
1 Belt
*See note about socks/boxers in the text below the list

Music stuff
4 Guitars
Guitar Amp
3 Guitar Cables
Trumpet
Trumpet mute cup
Trumpet mic

Outdoor stuff
Bike
Diving goggles
Skiing goggles
Sunglasses
Rollerskates
2 Hand protection gear
2 Knee protection gear
Longboard

Image credits: Skatepro.

Sentimental stuff
Embroidered picture (from mom)
Folder with model plane plans (from childhood)
Box with Legos
Wooden Lego car (inherited)
Small porcelain dog (inherited)
Old chest with bible verses (inherited)
Park meter (A funny lamp I’ve built)
Family album
Super Nintendo SNES (Super Mario ’92)
Card game
Wedding picture

Bathroom stuff
Shaver
Tooth brush
Nose hair trimmer
Hair trimmer
2 Towels

Everything else
Wallet
Trolley
2 Bags
2 Retro speakers
Glue
iphone
Bible
Mac
External screen
Comforter
Headphones
Printer
Alarm clock (don’t always want to sleep with my phone)

….That makes a total of 96 things.

 

*My wife talked me into counting boxers and socks as one item each because it would be gross to try and cut these down to an absolute minimum. We don’t like washing clothes too often, so I have kept approx. 10 pairs of boxers and socks.

Another thing I have counted as one item in my wallet. I use a tiny wallet which also holds my 3 keys.

The hardest things to get rid of

Of course, some things are harder to let go than others. For me, it was very tough to let go of my CDs. I have collected 100s of very unique underground metal CDs, and after a little ceremonial moment, I chose to only digitalize the ones I could not find on e.g. Spotify.

I have given my CDs to my bandmates and friends, so they remain “in the family”.

Some of the last stuff I got rid of was some old wooden indoor model planes, which I build as a child. I have so many good memories with these, so I ended up saving some good photos on Dropbox instead.

I decided to keep the building plans, so I can build new ones if I ever get a kid who is interested in building them with me.

I thought a lot about whether to keep my ’92 Super Nintendo or let it go, and ended up keeping it. It holds so many good memories, and when I really need to relax, I love to get in a comfy chair and play this awesome simple game.

Keeping some stock under the bed

As you can read in my first 100 thing challenge post, I have sold what I could and donated a lot of stuff. But some shoes and clothes (like old half worn-out band shirts) I have kept in a box under our bed.

This way I can use them whenever something else gets worn out. I think it would be a waste to throw it out in order to land on 100 possessions, so I decided to keep these, but I don’t count them as part of my 100 thing list.

What’s next?

I have decided to stick to only owning a maximum of 100 things for a year, and then evaluate whether I want to continue this way. I am excited to see how it affects me.

I already feel like I have more energy to focus on changing habits and learning new stuff. I have started to learn Japanese, and I have almost quit biting my nails – which I contribute to the fact that my head feels clearer and more focused with all the clutter being removed.

When you think about it 100 things is actually a lot of stuff. In some countries owning 100 things would be considered being wealthy.

E.g. I still own 4 guitars – which is pretty crazy. I think the 100 thing challenge is a very good challenge for everybody in rich countries.

I also recently bought an extra pair of sunglasses like these to keep in the car. I always forget to bring my sunglasses so I need an extra pair inside the glovebox.

Don’t be too focused on the number

It’s all about rethinking what you need to happy. Don’t focus too much on the number “100”. Maybe your ideal number is higher or lower? What you should consider is:

Do your things make you happier – or would you actually feel happier without?

You might also like:

The rules of the 100 Thing Challenge

Clever furniture for tiny spaces (multifunction)