step 1: goodbye clutter

it's tough to imagine fitting just my clothes into a new york sized apartment, let alone everything i own. while i twiddle my thumbs and eagerly wait for moving day, i've launched a war against clutter to make sure i'm only taking the necessities with me.

here are my tips and tricks for letting go of unnecessary items:

1. pick out a charity you love to receive unwanted items.
it's so much easier to give something up when you know it will help someone less fortunate. i love giving things to goodwill. 
2. get yourself in the mood.
put on your favorite music that's both aspirational and inspirational. my go-to is the angus and julia stone pandora station.
3. have lots of trash bags on hand.
sort things into give-away, recycling, trash, and even items to sell! i recently paid for almost all my moving costs just by selling items i didn't want to take with me.
4. count how many times you've used the item in the last year.
if it's only a handful of times, chances are you can do without. i have several cookbooks that i was certain should come, until i realized i find all my recipes online!
5. get rid of multiples.
i had several pairs of black pants for work, until i realized i only ever wore my favorite two pairs! same goes for my three coin pouches and four travel mugs.
6. imagine your dream home.
can you picture this item with the decor? you should be constantly working toward your dream home!
7. ask yourself if you want this enough to pay to ship it across the country.
i actually am moving so this is my rule of thumb, but i find it's a pretty good indicator even if you're staying where you are.

enjoy!