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Take a look in your closet, bedroom, attic, or wherever you keep your belongings. Now, I want you to enter that area (preferably with someone who can hold you accountable) and start organizing everything into three piles: keep, donate/sell, and discard. The keep pile should be the easiest, as this pile is for anything you want to keep or are unable to decide on. The donate/sell pile is for items that you no longer want or need yet have some value and are not in poor condition. These items can be donated at multiple places around town (churches, thrift shops, or donation boxes that may be scattered around town) or sold on marketplaces such as eBay or Facebook. The final pile is for anything that is junk and should be discarded.

Organize and Simplify

The hard part is over! Getting rid of items that you have had forever is never easy but needs to be done occasionally, allowing yourself to declutter and embrace minimalism. I am sure you kept a good number of items and are now wondering how to best organize everything. One simple solution is a method I highlighted earlier, investing in shelves and storage bins. Typically, these are cheap, but you may also find some on Facebook Marketplace or similar websites, take a look around! Once you have your storage method in place, organize items into specific boxes, such as putting anything that is a childhood memory in one storage container, and then marking it.

Embracing Minimalism

You have done it! Everything is decluttered and organized. But how long will that last? That is up to you and your willingness to adopt minimalistic habits. One minimalistic habit that I have adopted is following the one-in, one-out rule. This practice is as simple as taking an item away, once a new item is obtained. Another habit is scheduling regular decluttering. Periodically (I try to at least once a month) set aside a few hours and go through everything again. Are there items that you kept last time around, but have now realized that you do not really need that item? Good! Now get rid of it.

My favorite habit is practicing mindful consumption. Mindful consumption not only helps your wallet but also makes you think about what you are buying and why you are buying that item. Just last week, I was looking at buying a new Lego set. I practiced mindful consumption and made the decision that I would likely not use the Lego set after I made it, and it would only take up more space in my home.

Be mindful of what you keep in your home and the actions you are taking to keep that clutter down. If you are like me, and have an impulsive personality, decluttering and embracing minimalism will help lead to your happiness and mental/physical cleanliness. Figure out what habits work for you and stick to those habits. Time to get rid of that shirt Grandma gave you and declutter!

Like many, people tend to watch their country play on the big stage. Personally, I enjoy watching every game my country plays in a national tournament, starting with the group stages. I become fully invested, feeling the thrill of a win, the humbleness of a defeat. I bring friends over to watch the games, building a community and growing the hype of the event. I have been out to bars on game day, everyone in the bar wearing the jersey of their favorite player or wearing our famous red, white, and blue. The groans when we miss a crucial goal, the jubilation when we finally net that goal in the 89th minute. Everyone in that room, and around the country, are feeling the same emotions. Why is this? Pride. Sure, everyone may have a favorite player or country to cheer on in hopes of winning, but it really hits home when you get to see your country up there, people who are just like us and have had similar experiences or lived similar lives.

Social and Cultural Impact

Not only does a major tournament win impact a country right away, but it also impacts the culture and younger generations for years to come. Young people look up to successful and influential people. When I was a child, I looked up to David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox, after they won the 2004 World Series. This is not an example of a country winning a major tournament, but it emphasizes the fact that championships can impact the newest generations. Seeing these two play, as well as the team, motivated me to beg my father to let me get involved with baseball. Just walking around in public, I see dozens of younger people wearing Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe jerseys. These youth not only brandish their role models but most likely also participate in the sport at their own level.

Increased Popularity

When a country wins a major tournament, every news outlet will be talking about it. When it is the country that you live in, you are almost guaranteed to hear about the championship. I do not even live in Argentina, but when they recently won Copa America, I heard about it everywhere; on social media, on news channels, even on the radio! After, sometimes even before, a major tournament, athletes will be displayed through many sponsors. Going back to Copa America and Messi, all I saw between games was Messi in one commercial, or I would go to the store and see Messi on the side of a box. Not only is Messi a superstar, but he is also a world champion. Argentina fans worship him as the best to ever play and the country halts to stop to watch his magic surrounded by other fans.

Winning an international tournament can have major impacts on a country after the victory, such as bringing people together, increasing sport awareness, and influencing the newest generations to pick up that sport and flourish. Coming up soon is the 2024 Summer Olympics. Pay attention to athletes that may be unknown or countries that typically do not win and watch their journey, seeing if they win. Once they win, look at the impact that win may have on that country/sport/athlete. I am sure you will see a major difference.