Easy Minimalism (Efficiency Hack #9)
You do like the idea of minimalism and de-cluttering
…but…
you also like to re-use things and make the most of everything you have
…so…
you don‘t like getting rid of things when it actually comes to de-cluttering because you see it as a waste
if this is you then this stupidly simple efficiency hack is for you.
When we moved to the countryside from our big house in London, we had too much stuff to fit into our smaller surroundings. For example we had too many mugs for our little kitchen (did I tell you how much I like drinking tea?) so had to stash some of these deep at the back of some cupboards.
When a mug breaks, it’s sad for a second (particularly last week when my favorite mug broke and I had to interview all of the mugs to find a new favorite) but then it’s also a great way to downsize by just not replacing the broken mug. A few years on and several smashed mugs later (all of which were accidents – I’m not proposing you go all Greek on us and start deliberately smashing crockery) we now have a small enough, cottage size collection of mugs – perfect.
The same goes for clothes that get worn, ripped or stained or anything else for that matter – the preferred option is just not to replace them unless absolutely necessary.
I’m calling it: Easy Minimalism.
😉
So it goes something like this.
Every time something breaks do the following:
- Don’t despair, don’t stress – see it as a potentially good thing – see it as another step towards minimalism and…
- Ask yourself this “Do I really need to replace this?“
The answer to step 2 is probably “No” – and… congratulations you have just downsized a little more 😉
You’ve removed a little more clutter and made a little more space in your life.
The trick is to do this consistently every time something needs replacing – ask yourself if you really need to replace it. Do it every time consistently and you should see a decent impact.
Magic.
Next Efficiency Hack: Make Little Lists
Previous Efficiency Hack: Automation with If This Then That
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Hi Klaudia,
Thanks for the comment & glad you liked the article.
I’m not sure I understand exactly what you mean but you seem genuine enough. Could you explain a little further?
thanks & best wishes,
Alan
Which mug passed the interview and why???
Hmmm. Well, to be completely honest, the answer to that is not quite as straight-forward as you might imagine…
So you didn’t use the eeny, meeny, miny, moe method?
That method is only good for deciding who gets the last bon-bon
Agree! Having moved countries and houses a few times, I realised how much ‘stuff’ we can accumulate without even knowing it. When I moved countries, I thought I would be away for just 6 months and so I took just 5% of the things I have. This same amount (and a little more that was bought in the new country) turned out to sustain my needs for 2 years. What helped me to stay minimal and clutter-free was to keep in mind that I am in a temporary home – whatever I buy today, I would one day need to figure out how to move or give them away.
Right!
Thanks for this comment Hui-Min, it’s amazing how if you already have ‘stuff’ you tend to hold onto it but then if you have a reason (such as moving) to be selective, you discover how little you really need.
I like the idea of keeping in mind being in a temporary home. I may well even adopt that attitude even though I’m not…