Living Minimally

Minimized Room

I have frequently written about purging, getting rid of all the extra stuff that is obsolete, expired or adds no value. Or as Marie Kondo puts it, things that do not bring you joy. But let’s take it up a notch.

I heard this quote in one of the Veggie Tales episodes my kids used to watch, “The more you have, the more you have to have to take care of the things you have.” I believe there is value in the minimalist philosophy; don’t have excess. Get rid of the ‘some day…’ stuff. There may be many things that have value and bring a measure of joy, but in reality they could bring more value, or joy, to someone else.

I have a friend whose grandparents died a few years ago. They never had a lot of stuff. Her grandparents had downsized a few times; therefore, they did not leave behind an overwhelming amount of possessions. My friend chose a Tupperware container that she remembered her grandma used to contain chocolate chip cookies. There were many other things she liked but she really did not need them. The Tupperware container was priceless! I think this is true of many of the things we keep for sentimental reasons. It just takes one item, not a drawer of them, to get the memories to flood back.

• If you have young kids at home, allow them them to give away toys that are not their favorites, so that another child can enjoy.

• Probably 10% of your closet space is taken up with clothes that you like, but you don’t really wear because there are others you like better. In classrooms and churches, they say that 80% of capacity is full capacity. Your closets and drawers probably feel the same way. :)

• Sometimes you need to admit your mistake. You bought something and realize it has no value. You don’t have to do the whole Kon Mari thing, just let it go so someone else can enjoy it.

Minimalist has a different definition for each of us, but the underlying principle is, having too much stuff in your life means less time you have to enjoy that life.

If you need help developing this habit, email me. I would love to be part of transforming your spaces! And I guarantee it will be pain free! Let’s have some fun!

Kim Miller

Professional Organizer

KimsOrganizingSolutions.com

832-715-9540