And so, whether it be age, desperation, or just an infusion of humility, I have begun to understand that indeed that even the longest journey starts with a single step.

One thing Merlin suggests in today's post (Modest Change: Cancel Something) is something I have actually been trying to do for some time now.

Sam and I are both...how to put this delicately...slobs. Oh, and packrats. That too. Needless to say, when two packrats merge households, there is no end to the chaos. Even after 5 1/2 years, there is still TOO MUCH STUFF. It makes both of us crazy.

In my attempt to make some sense of the chaos, and perhaps even become a civilized human being while still in my 30s, I implemented a "new one comes in, old one goes out" policy, zero-sum game, for many items...especially clothing and household items.

Sam still cannot bear to get rid of anything, so I frequently have to make his choices for him. He seems happy that way, and it makes me happy to have one (or six) less things around the house.

Of course, that creates a secondary problem of the omnipresent "Goodwill pile" in our vanity area, but it's all about baby steps, no?

More to come on this topic