fifty.

I've had a few people ask me just how much we've unloaded at this point, and how we knew when we were "finished." The answer to the first part is easy: So far, we've given away, sold, or donated about fifty percent of everything we owned. That includes everything from kitchen stuff to books to clothes and everything in between. We are living very comfortably with half of what we used to have.

The second part of the question is more difficult. What I'm beginning to realize is that we'll never be finished minimizing. As I look around at the fifty percent we still own, I know it's still too much. Yes, I managed to bring my shoe collection down from 70 pairs to 25 pairs, and that's great. But do I actually need all 25 pairs of shoes? Of course not.

There are many schools of thought on how to minimize -- or, rather, how much to minimize. Some people like to count their possessions. Others suggest packing away everything you own, and only unpacking things when need arises. Still others will offer a list: you should own no more than X number of shoes, or pans, or chairs in your home. Different strokes for different folks. And that's totally fine.

I don't believe there's one right way to approach minimalism. Words like value and need and enough are so subjective, that I think it's really up to each individual or family to figure out how minimalism could work for them. Our process was to literally pick up, touch, or hold every item we owned before making a decision about what to do with it. That method worked for us, but it's only one option of many. Only you can determine what to keep and what to unload, and that thought process is as critical as the act itself.

So, here we are at fifty percent. It feels great. But, more importantly, it feels like a beginning.