The Annual Shred

We live in a culture of excess. Everywhere you turn, there’s a sale, a trend, a “must-have” item that promises to make life easier, happier, or more complete. It’s hard not to buy into it—literally. A new outfit for a mood boost or identity shift, a gadget that solves problems you didn’t know you had, or knick-knacks that serve no purpose other than to fill a corner of your home.

Unfortunately for us, all that “stuff” doesn’t fill the voids we’re trying to patch up. Instead, it piles up in drawers, closets, and our minds, creating a sense of overwhelm. I felt this keenly as I sorted through my things these past few weeks—clothes I haven’t worn in over 2 years, kitchen tools I keep telling myself I’ll use one day, trinkets which have accumulated over many trips. Each item seemed to carry a whisper of nostalgia or future potential.

Decluttering, then, is more than just cleaning—it is a reckoning. A chance to confront what I truly need versus what I convinced myself I still need. It’s a chance to feel lighter, and shred layers physically, emotionally — and spiritually too. Decluttering is about reclaiming a sense of control in a world that constantly tells us we need more (we really don’t).

It strikes me every time I declutter, how hard it is to let go, even of things I didn’t love or use. But I remind myself: our worth isn’t tied to what we own. Letting go of excess doesn’t diminish us; it frees us.

So as I go through my belongings, I’m focusing on the idea of creating space for the future—literal and mental—for what truly matters: relationships, experiences, and time.