About five years ago I took a one day seminar on clearing out clutter. It was something that interested me at the time even though I didn't have a lot of clutter and I was really surprised by one of the main tools this class taught me. It's something I still strive to use more often. When I remember to implement it, my whole life works better, not just the clutter clearing part. Can you guess what it is?
It sounds simple (and it is) but what I learned is that the key to digging yourself out from clutter is getting rest and being relaxed.
We live in a culture where we're supposed to be busy, working on this working on that, making progress, getting things done. But if this level of activity crosses over into a frenzy (always going out, never staying in, never having a moment of nothing in your day) there is no time to be thoughtful about what you keep around you or how you really want to live. And if you're in a state of busy-ness most of the time, you're not only more likely to hang on to things you don't love but you're more likely to keep buying things too!
During the class the woman giving the lecture encouraged us all to take naps, to make being relaxed a priority, even if we just had to steal it here and there. Obviously we can't all quit our jobs and hang out on the couch all day, but we can make an effort to take things down a notch, opt to stay in sometimes (without the tv on and without surfing the internet), go to bed a bit earlier one night a week.
A trick I learned is to give myself more than enough time to get to meetings and appointments. This way I'm not stressed out in the car and if I'm early, then great, I get to check out a new store, take in the weather, move a bit slower. In the same spirit, instead of dedicating the weekend to clearing out the living room, spend 15 minutes every day, do it at a normal pace and really pay attention to what you're doing.
Has slowing down helped you build the kind of home you love?
[Image from Kim and Paul's Twin Peak]
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Um.. awesome, so now I'll note to never buy Hunter Douglas Window Treatments. Thanks!
And yes, slowing down does help me quite a bit. It takes a lot of focus for me to actually slow down and realize that it is OK to move at a slower pace, but once I do (and unfortunately it's rare when it happens) I realize that I actually get more accomplished. Not in number, but in quality. Cleaning, building, shopping, creating, whatever it is... it just gets done better. If I go shopping and take my time, I'll walk away with less item, but better quality and longer lasting items (i.e. I don't buy that $5 shirt that I'll never have any place to wear just because it's $5). Funny how it works that way... I really wish the rest of society would cater more towards that.
what's with the ad? agree, Sparkle, i know to never buy HDblinds!!
that sounds like good advice, RandR makes me a nicer person, i know. and am soon changing jobs which will be less stressful in the hope that i will be able to relax and smell the roses more. so my place will be clutter free!
On weekends, we try to avoid driving as much as possible and instead walk and ride our bikes. What sounds like an impossible goal, ends up making the weekend slow, relaxing, leisurely and absolutely wonderful. Instead of rushing around to get errands done, fighting traffic and stopping for a quick bite....my weekend is actually enjoyable. An errand on a bike ends up taking you through a new neighborhood....lunch on a saturday is a stop at a cafe with a beautiful patio....and of course a nap is a must as well! Making time for this has made me more organized during the week...the motivation to get things done on a weeknight to have time on the weekends is perfect!
I can relate to this as well. We moved across the country three months ago and I've had the luxury of taking some time off before I start looking for a new job. In our previous apartment, it took me four years to get the space management right and the last year to get rid of a lot of stuff. Of course then it was time to move!
Here in our new place, with a lot of time of my hands, I've been able to move things around, evaluate if it worked and make corrections. I am almost done.
Thanks for making this feeling I had more concrete -- validation is wonderful.
Wow, you all just articulated exactly how I have been feeling lately. You know what, you do buy more when you are busy, we need the time to think things through properly. I too try to keep the car at home on weekends, walking through my neighbourhood keeps me connected to the local area and when i do buy i am supporting local businesses. This philosphy applies to so many parts of your life and habits, when you are relaxed and well rested you also take more time thinking about what food you put into your body.
Yay, I love validation!
After spending a year on the Hawaiian islands, this concept makes absolute sense to me. Unfortunately, it is hard to remember while on the mainland. Thanks for the reminder.
Hunter Douglas make lame blinds anyway.
But the secret to decluttering is not to rest and be relaxed. I can rest and relax in a mess. In fact it is easier in a mess.
The secret to decluttering is to not want clutter in the first place. Some people like knick-knacks and frou-frou and good on them.
But if you really want to declutter you need to embrace minimalism and appreciate emptiness. If you like, cast it as a form of anti-consumerism or even being green.
But unless you find the aesthetics of minimalism appealing, you will be fighting a losing battle.
I'm a minimalist and a compulsive shopper, which is not a good combination. But my minimalism comes through in the end when I see how much worse my place looks with lots of stuff.
If you see the beauty of John Pawson or Tadao Ando as something to strive for, you can declutter. If you prefer the busyness of Midcentruy Modern you will be doomed to failure.
Kids, pets, friends, interests and books don't help either.
I need to slow down... definitely.
Emily
Hey David from HD, looks like you stepped into a pile of s_ _ _ t.
These post are remarkable. I love AT because the people who post and contribute are really likable. I don't know any of you but I thank you for just being who you are, making the world a better place. We need more of you to save this planet.
Love ya Grandma :-)
I wish I had the luxury of stopping to relax. Can I live vicariously through you guys for a while?
Hello, editors, please delete the spam post in this comments section!
What was the name of the class or who held it?!?
S _ _ _ t?
Shirt? Shoot? Slept? ;-)
Seriously, I'm relaxed and get plenty of rest. I always thought that's why I had piles of clutter!
Well, a turning point for me was when I decided to try to do just one thing at a time. Which led to a question: What do I love to do? I ended up ditching a lot of gadgets and hobby paraphernalia that were entertaining but little else, and that meant more space in my tiny studio because I had less to store.
You don't need to go all the way to minimalism to avoid clutter. The two are totally unrelated. Clutter is by definition, unwanted, messy, and unnecessary. You can have a full, lushly decorated, comfortable environment and it still not be cluttered. And in some minimalist environs, a single misplaced magazine creates clutter.
I rather think that getting up off your tush and cleaning is a much more effective clutter clearer than resting and clearing your mind. Just because you took a class, doesn't mean what they taught was right. Don't fall into that trap. Suppose Galileo had listened to his teachers...
Clutter builds when you have no time. So, when you slow down, it makes sense that you would have the time to declutter.
It doesn't look like David from Hunter Douglas will be making a big commission off this crowd! Ha!
I thought the secret was going to be 'stop bringing stuff into your home'.
Quiltmaster and Mrs.B -- yeah, precisely my thoughts. My home style is not minimalist, but I don't have lots of curios or knicknacks either. I keep the idea of "curated" in my mind when it comes to displaying art or a vase or even a chair. Every single thing should have breathing room so that it may be seen.
And yeah, not having time to keep things tidy is exactly why things get messy!
Quiltmaster--Constructive Living, a Western variation of Morita philosophy/psychology, sums it up as
"do what needs to be done".
Hi AT Community. New poster here. Enjoying AT and all it has to offer. This one has implications at work. If we're always on the go, there's no time to stop and check in on existing processes. Got to go back and make sure what you put in place is working for you or it's no good. Experience is usually the best source for improvements.
To me, it's not about the relaxing, but finding myself in the right frame of mind to let the clutter go. I was home for a week ill and spent almost an entire day going through clothes and home office. It was great! Got the ball rolling to go through the garage too. Sometimes it's like the Nike ads "Just Do It!"
That photo is very inspirational. Does anyone know who makes that chair/ottoman set?