One thing I've noticed about myself over the last few years is that I accumulate stuff at a speed previously only attained by light, sound, and Usain Bolt. Even over the course of a semester, I end up with all kinds of things I didn't have at the beginning of the year--everything from school supplies to computer accessories, to that three-person beer bong I'm now so attached to.

All that stuff comes home with me, and then gets schlepped back to school, where I accumulate even more stuff. And around goes the merry-go-round.

This winter, I've decided to do something that I hope you'll join me in doing: the mass purge of all the things I don't need anymore.

Here's how it works: In the process of packing my stuff to go back to school, I'm going to leave at home 50% of my stuff. That means for every shirt I take, I leave one. For every pair of shoes I take, I leave one. For every notebook I take, one stays home. You get the idea.

What this is going to do for me is make everything I have easier to find, keep the crap out of my life and let me only deal with things I want and need, and force me to be more economical with my stuff. Having extra space, fewer things to choose from, and a lot less to move in and out all the time is a pretty awesome consequence, if you ask me.

All that stuff you leave at home is of course accessible to you if you need it, which is the beauty of this process; intentionally leave too much home, and see what you really need when you get back to school. I'm betting I'll be surprised how few of the things I can hardly bear to leave home I actually end up needing, but if I do, they're only a phone call and a UPS box away.

Clutter in my life stresses me out, and keeps me from being focused or having fun because there's always a mess somewhere in my life. Let's cut the mess, eliminate useless stuff, and start the semester off right this time!

And then, of course, accumulate a lot more stuff. Which--bonus--you've now got space for.