I downsized from a house to a small apartment. I got rid of a lot, but kept one sentimental item.

The author went back and forth about keeping a Tupperware bowl from his childhood while downsizing.

Courtesy of Jesse Gormley I recently moved from a single-family home to a small apartment.

During the move, I had to sort through my possessions and decide what to keep and what to let go of.

I realized I didn't need most of my stuff, though I did keep a Tupperware bowl from my childhood.

Recently, after a major change in my personal life, I relocated from a single-family home to a 660-square-foot apartment.

Transitions are hardly ever easy.

Among all the uncertainty that comes with moving from a large living space to a smaller one is figuring out what to do with all your stuff.

It's a weird predicament to be in, standing inside what is soon to be your former house, surrounded by possessions and knowing that not all of them can come with you.

When I started packing things up, some decisions took all of two seconds.

The television was coming with me.

So were my clothes, kitchenware, and the handful of pieces of furniture that would actually fit in my new apartment .

Easy.

After that, though? That's when the real decisions get made.

I made three piles to help me decide what to take with me I found myself standing in the middle of the room holding things that had somehow survived every move I'd ever made.