As friends visit our home a year later, they are amazed at the transition and cannot get over our brighter and more open floor plan. Our story has encouraged others to ask about the process and request advice on how to part with things you no longer need but have a hard time giving up. I have put together this blog post in the hopes that I can help guide people in the direction of having less. It isn't something that happens overnight or something that you do once and the process is finished. It's a process that requires constant vigilance in order to keep clutter at bay.
Less is More
I posted a blog about the basics of living more simply at the beginning of our journey. If you are in the beginning stages of simplifying and need a starting guide, you can find that post here. This post will be about where we are a year later and how we have continued to pare down and keep from reintroducing clutter back into our lives.
Deciding What To Toss
When you are in the beginning stages of purging, it is easy to find things you can get rid of because you have so much stuff. But as you begin to whittle down your pile, you will find items that you know you cannot wear, are broken or of sentimental value. You wonder if you will ever fit into it again, could fix it or should hang on to it "just in case". When you come to these items, store them somewhere out of sight for at least a week. If you come upon that item later and realize you had forgotten about it or really did not need it, then you know you can part with it. Another way to decide whether or not to keep an item you are stuck on, is a method author Marie Kondohold suggests in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She suggests holding each item in your hands. This is why it is important when starting this process to remove every item out of the space before sorting. If when you touch that item you feel joy, then it is important enough to keep. If however you hold that item and think, "Why did I buy this color anyway? I look horrible wearing brown". Then that item needs to go.
Keeping the Clutter Away
Getting rid of things you don't need is an ongoing process. In fact, it can become addictive and you will find that the more you pare down the more you will look for more things to remove. Because of this, you should always keep a donation bag somewhere in the house to collect those items when you think of them. Once the bag becomes full you can donate. A way to keep from bringing items into your home is to have a rule that for each item you purchase and bring into the home, you have to donate one thing to make room for it. This will keep you from spending money on things you don't need because you will really question if it is worth having to give up something you already have.
Everything in Its Place
If an item is worthy of taking up residency in your home, then it deserves to have a designated space. A chair is not a place for your purse. A dining room table is not where you should keep your mail. Once you get in the habit of putting things where they belong, it will become second nature. It is easy after a long day at work to kick off your shoes in the middle of the living room but that is not where they belong. Make the effort and you will notice the difference it makes. And yes, this means you will need to finally do away with that junk drawer.
Organizing is Not The Answer
There are lots of simple living books out there that will tell you to go out and buy lots of storage containers and spend your weekend doing all the color coding and labeling your heart desires, but there's a difference between organized living and simple living. By organizing your things, all you are doing is rearranging the stuff you have; not getting rid of it. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the mindset that by organizing your things you are making your life easier. Your weekend is much better spent doing more enjoyable things.
Keep Countertops Cleared
There is no reason to keep your toaster on your kitchen counter. Even if you use it daily, store it away when you are done using it. It seems crazy as toasters have always been a kitchen counter staple. But one very important rule to simple living is you only display things that are beautiful and bring you joy. I don't know anyone that thinks their toaster is beautiful, but personally I would much rather keep a vase of flowers on my counter instead of a toaster. Keeping counter clutter to a minimum of one or two items is a must in simple living homes.
Where We Are Today
"The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less." - Joseph B. Wirthlin
When I look at photos of our home before our journey, it amazes me that we allowed ourselves to become comfortable with our surroundings. We decided the colors of the walls in our home were 'not bad' when we moved in so we left them instead of painting. When people would give us things we 'liked' but did not love, we would hang onto them because we felt we had to. There is not one item I have given up that I regret not having any longer and there are items I held onto that I later realized I did not need. We have made at least $1,000 in items sold on Craigslist and eBay over the last year and are happy to know those items are going to people who will enjoy them more than we did. There's a freedom to living a clutter free life that is hard to explain but is understood by people who live a minimalist lifestyle. Only when you start your journey will you understand, and it will be your story to share with the world.
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