I bought the book Throw Out Fifty Things a few weeks ago and it’s changed my life.

Of course, I haven’t read it – inspirational books like this only need me to purchase them to apply their basic principles.

But I have thrown out multiples of 50 things in the past few weeks. All because of this book!

“What’s that got to do with math?”

Great question; I’m glad you asked.

Well, for starters, “fifty” is a number. In particular a positive integer.

And if you buy this book (adding one more thing to your pile of stuff, as Husband points out), then you probably have at least 50 things you can throw out.

Which means you have way more than 50 things.

How many things do you have?

Take a quick inventory. No – not of everything. But just of what you see right in front of you at this very moment.

Chances are you stopped counting and started estimating at around 50. Then you stopped altogether at around a few hundred.

Even if you divide this by two (if you’re married or partnered) that’s still a ton of stuff.

“Things” are more than what you see.

Now take a quick peek at your email. How many things are clogging your inbox?

If you’re online, I’ll bet you have a plethora of people you’re friends with and following.

And if you write a blog… look at how many drafts you have.

So throw out fifty things.

Well, make sure to recycle them or donate them. But get them out of your world.

If it helps, think of how many thousands of things you have. If you have 500 things in each room and you have ten rooms, that’s 5000 things.

Throwing out 50 of those is 1% of your stuff. That’s practically nothing. And you’ll feel great!

I’m throwing out 70 things in the next three weeks!

I’ve pitched books, sold cloth diapers and donated socks – at least 50 pair of the cutest 1980’s socks you’ve ever seen!

Shirts, pants and shoes… if I didn’t love them, I gave them to someone who would.

And now it’s time for the e-throw-out.

I have 70 articles on this site – in draft mode! So for the next three weeks, every one of them is getting published or pitched.

Many will be conversation starters, as my twitter friend Miles MacFarlane suggested. Some might turn into full articles.

And some drafts will meet their fate with the “File 13” button of death.

And I’ll be free!

Okay, there’ll certainly still be things that haunt me. Things I need to do, want to do and have to do.

But I won’t have a mountain of “should-haves” sitting on my shoulders.

So how about you? Share in the comments what kinds of things you’ll throw out for your first 50 things. And let others join the fun – tweet this out!

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