// HYPOTHESIS_LOADED
We are hoarders by default. We keep cables for devices we haven't owned in a decade. We keep shirts that "might fit again one day." We attach memories to inanimate objects.
The Protocol: If I have not physically touched or used an item in the last 180 days (6 months), it MUST be sold. If it cannot be sold, it must be donated. If it cannot be donated, it must be trashed.
NO EXCEPTIONS. Not for sentimental value. Not for "just in case."
> DAY 1: THE GREAT PURGE BEGINS
I started in the closet. The rule was brutal.
"Have I worn this winter coat in 6 months?" No, it's summer. (Wait, seasonal exception? NO.
THE ALGORITHM IS ABSOLUTE. I live in California now. Sell it.)
- High School Letterman Jacket: DONATED (Pain: 8/10)
- 14 Graphic Tees from 2015: DONATED (Pain: 2/10)
- Designer Boots (Worn once): LISTED $150
- "Maybe I'll paint again" Art Supplies: LISTED $40
The hardest part was the "Identity Items." The guitar I swore I'd learn to play. The books I swore I'd read to look smart. Getting rid of them felt like admitting defeat. It was an ego death.
> DAY 3: THE CABLE NIGHTMARE
Why do we all have "The Box"? You know the one. A tangled nest of USB-mini, VGA cables, and power bricks for routers we threw away in 2012.
I dumped it on the floor.
Item: Proprietary charger for a Fitbit released in 2016.
Verdict: TRASH.
Item: RCA cables (Red/White/Yellow).
Verdict: TRASH. Who am I hooking up a PS2 for?
I cleared 4 drawers of tech waste. I felt physically lighter.
> DAY 5: THE FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE JUNGLE
Selling the big stuff is where the human glitch reveals itself.
Me: Selling 55" TV. $200. Works perfect.
Buyer (Karen): "Will you take $40 and deliver it to my house 2 hours away?"
Me: "No."
Buyer (Karen): "You ruined my son's birthday."
I realized that stuff is a burden not just to store, but to get rid of. Owning things is a liability. It costs time to manage inventory.
> DAY 7: THE ECHO
My apartment is... empty. I have:
- 1 Bed
- 1 Desk + Chair
- 1 Laptop
- 7 Outfits
- Kitchen Essentials
But my focus has skyrocketed. There are no visual distractions. No piles of "to-do." No "I should read that book." There is only what is essential.
> DATA_ANALYSIS
> FINAL_VERDICT
We buy things to solve problems, but the things become the problem.
I thought I would miss the "Identity Items." I don't. I actually feel more like myself because I'm no longer pretending to be the guy who plays guitar or paints. I'm just the guy who exists, right here, right now.
CONCLUSION: Purging your space is purging your mind. Highly recommended, but maybe keep one extra phone charger. Just one.