I believe that you need to let go of things in life to make room for new experiences. It sounds hypocritical coming from a former hoarder like me, but it is quite possibly the most important lesson I've learnt these past two years.

Decluttering or tidying up is cathartic. That's why I feel clearing out your house can improve your life.

Like many, I discovered this before moving into my BTO, as my better half and I attempted to clear out our guest room. Horrifyingly, it had become 'The Room of Requirement', also known as the place-where-you-dump-things-you-think you-need-but-really-don't.

But the problem went beyond that. After living in our resale flat for 12 years, we had accumulated a lot of stuff. The plague of junk had spread to the study and living room as well.

This is a just a portion of the junk the disposal company had to clear.

We recycled and donated as much as we could and tossed out everything else. But over a decade's worth of barang is not easy to get rid of. After spending two or three hours sorting through junk while pausing to reminisce, you become sian and refuse to deal with it till next week. So, the problem persisted.

Professionals were called in and even they took nearly four hours to clear our flat.

The first lesson of decluttering is not to bring stuff home in the first place. Now, after over a year in our BTO, we remain clutter-free. Besides, there's no space for junk in a smaller flat.

Moving office back in 2018: I ended up throwing away most of the items on my old desk. The mess is real.

Attachments

While there are many reasons for people to hoard, mine is simple: I tend to attach memories to items. Case in point: Parting with my second motorcycle was nearly as hard as parting with my first one. This, despite preparing for this eventuality from the first day of ownership.

I purchased a Yamaha FZ16 in January 2024 and nicknamed her 'Zoey' the day I rode her home. The COE expires in November, so you can say I've been readying myself for nine months. Every day I repeated this mantra: Only by moving on can I own a newer machine with better performance and comfort.

In September, I agreed to transfer ownership of the bike to a good friend 'when the time comes'. I thought I'd have Zoey till the first week of November. But the time to say farewell arrived sooner than expected.

Letting go with a grateful heart helps you move on quicker.

A sudden goodbye

As I write this, my friend just told me he wants to take over as soon as possible. At this point, what else was I waiting for? So, I said yes.

My heart immediately sank. It's like in the movie Inside Out when Sadness takes over the controls. The realisation that I would be saying farewell sooner than planned was harder to take than anticipated.

Moving on doesn't mean I'm unfeeling or uncaring. In fact, our time together has become cherished memories - the best way to remember my ownership experience.

Zoey, thank you for forgiving my noob-ness and at times, ineptness. Thank you for the funny moments and learning opportunities. Thank you for keeping me safe. You are a good bike, and I appreciate our time together.

If you go to 'bike heaven', I hope it will be painless. Before we part ways, I shall also pat you like your previous owner and say, "Good luck!" And to whoever gets you next: "Ride safe, always."

The pent-up emotions have been released. Catharsis is on the way.

– Jeremy