What living an uncluttered life means to me
The journey never ends and that’s a good thing
When I post something of my own on social media or repost/retweet about living more simply, inevitably a few people will comment on why they like having all of their stuff.
If you’re in that camp, I say, “Awesome! You keep doing you.”
In fact, I used to be in that camp. I loved my stuff.
And then I got tired of all the stuff I had to dust around each week. I got tired of all the clothes, so many that I rotated between summer and winter with each season having its own tote. I got tired of so much stuff in drawers that it was easier to shove more in rather than go through it.
I simply got tired of all of it but wasn’t sure what to do.
And then I started listening to this cool podcast and watched a documentary by the same name, The Minimalists. I’ve referred to these two friends who make up the dynamic duo, Jonathan Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, in previous posts. You can check out their story here.
I listened to their message, read about their journeys, watched their documentary, and read all three of their books. I consumed everything I could and branched out upon learning about other minimalists who are doing their thing living their lives in the way that best suits them.
And then I jumped to action. Sure, there were times when my husband worried I would purge him (he made the cut!) but minimalism isn’t just about getting rid of stuff (but it is a solid starting point).
“Minimalism is not about deprivation; minimalism is about aligning your short-term actions with your long-term values.” — The Minimalists
It’s about getting real with yourself about what you want your life to be and then pursuing it with ridiculous and consistent passion. This is precisely why I started Everyday Life Uncluttered.
It was about realizing that life is not a destination but a continuous journey. It’s getting rid of the physical clutter that no longer serves a purpose. It’s paying down debt to the point of living a life with more freedom. It’s having more experiences over obtaining more possessions. It’s enriching my life with more mindfulness in who I spend my time with and how I choose to spend my money.
I appreciate that my life is more about going for walks, finding the best pizza in town, reading books, writing, and spending time with my family. It’s less about cleaning (we now live in a space of 835 square feet), searching for stuff, and not knowing what I do or don’t have.
But as I said, it’s a continuous journey. I still have too many books. I’m getting better at gifting some as I finish them. I have a Kindle, but I still enjoy the feel of a book in my hands most of the time. My husband often tells me that I shouldn’t buy another book until I have read the ones I currently have…and then I buy another one anyway.
I do like clothes, but I subscribe to one new item in, two existing items go out.
I need to do a better job of making sure we consume the food we have before purchasing more.
I want to be more mindful of the purchases I make. As much as possible, I buy from small independent businesses.
What often keeps me moving in the direction of keeping the stuff at bay is playing the 30-day minimalism game periodically. It’s even better when friends and family join in to hold each other accountable.
So, you keep doing you, and I will keep doing me…with a lot less stuff.
It all comes down to the choices we make on a daily basis.
“One day or day one. You decide.” — Joshua Fields Millburn
Thanks for reading this piece! I’m a high school counselor by day and a writer 24/7. I write about everyday experiences with a positive twist, because that’s how I roll.
