It's all about leading a minimalist lifestyle, people!
What a freeing feeling it has been for me to pare down, to clean out, to get things completely out of the house. And I'm not done yet!
I know from talking with (former)
co-workers, friends and bloggers that many of us are looking to simplify our
lives. We tend to be of the “older” group of women who spent our 20s and 30s
yearning for things, buying things, accumulating “stuff.”
Now that we are on the “other
side” of youth, however, we begin to wonder why those things were once so important to us.
But it’s OK; when we were younger we had different lives, needs, aspirations. Now we need less, want less and realize that our possessions can in some cases cause us much "grief."
I think about the chore it
would place on someone else to have to go through my things and make decisions
about their disposition. I want to be in charge of that myself! Hopefully, that
time is not any way near, but I am beginning the downsizing process.
This list is from miss minimalist
and it's so good that I am sharing it in its entirety. If you find the topic interesting, you will have no problem reading through to the end. Perhaps you will not, or cannot, follow it completely, but there's something here for all of us who are looking to downsize. I am amazed at how many of these tips I already have adopted.
100 Ways to Simplify Your Life
(and Make Yourself Happier)
By miss minimalist
I’ve been striving to simplify my
life for many years now, and have recently (through my writing) been advising
others how to do the same. In the process, I’ve learned that making little
changes in our attitudes, habits, and environment can have a big impact. So
today, I thought I’d compile a list of 100 ways to simplify your life – from
the practical to the philosophical, and everything in between.
Of course, not every item on the
list will work for every person reading it. However, I hope that you’ll find at
least a little something that speaks to you, helps you save some time, space,
and energy — and perhaps even increases your serenity and happiness!
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| I can see myself being perfectly content with this minimalist bedroom. |
AROUND THE HOUSE
1. Ditch the TV (or at least turn
if off). If you’re an average viewer, you’ll save over a hundred precious hours
each month. An added bonus: less exposure to commercials means less desire to
buy stuff, and more money in your pocket.
2. Cancel magazine subscriptions.
Read the content online instead, and avoid accumulating a pile of reading material.
3. Read news online, instead of
on paper. You’ll save plenty of time, and plenty of trees, by reading only the
articles that interest you.
4. Get rid of excessive
furniture, so there’s less to walk around, trip over, or move when you have to
clean.
5. Opt for multi-functional
furniture, so you can satisfy your needs with fewer pieces.
6. Get rid of excessive décor, so
you’ll spend less time and effort cleaning around stuff.
7. Digitize your music. You’ll
eliminate the clutter of CDs, and have easier access to your music library.
8. Download movies instead of
renting DVDs. You’ll avoid the hassle of picking them up, dropping them off, or
mailing them back.
9. Put items away immediately
after use. It takes a lot less effort than cleaning up piles of stuff later on.
10. Have a place for everything.
It makes it much easier to find things, and put them away.
11. Clean as you go. Wipe up
spills, and take care of little messes before they become big ones.
12. Devise a cleaning routine.
Streamline your chores into an ordered set of tasks for maximum efficiency.
13. Do laundry in large batches,
instead of small ones. It’ll save you time, and reduce your energy (and water)
consumption.
14. Buy enough socks and
underwear to make it through a full laundry cycle, to avoid doing small
“emergency” loads.
15. Wash towels less often. They
don’t need laundering on a daily basis; you’re clean when you use them, after
all!
16. Consolidate hobby items in
designated containers. That way, all your supplies will be on hand when you
need them.
17. If you start a new hobby,
drop an out-of-favor one (along with its equipment and supplies).
18. Adopt the “one in, one out”
rule: when you purchase something new, get rid of something old.
19. Don’t start collections.
Avoid the clutter, and save your money, by channeling your energy and
creativity into something more productive.
20. Get rid of one item every
day. At the end of the year, you’ll have 365 less things to worry about!
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| A minimalist wardrobe cabinet to die for! |
WARDROBE AND STYLE
21. Hang up clothes, or put them
in a hamper, as soon as you take them off. Avoid starting a “floordrobe” or
piling them on a chair, and you’ll have less straightening up to do later.
22. Organize your clothes by
category. For example, hang all your pants, skirts, or shirts together so you
can quickly find what you need.
23. Use containers to corral
accessories like jewelry, watches, or scarves, instead of scattering them
about.
24. Choose versatile clothing.
The more ways you can wear something, the fewer items you’ll need.
25. Don’t be a fashion victim.
Chasing trends is a waste of time and money.
26. Know what flatters you.
You’ll avoid accumulating a closet full of wardrobe “mistakes.”
27. Don’t buy “fantasy” clothes.
In other words, if you’re not a social diva, skip the cocktail dresses –
reserve your closet space for the stuff you’ll actually wear.
28. Get a simple, no-fuss
haircut; it’ll save tons of time in the morning.
29. Embrace your natural hair.
Don’t make it straight if it’s curly, curly if it’s straight, or brown if it’s
gray.
30. Keep makeup as minimal as
possible, or go without. Most of us don’t need to look like supermodels on a
daily basis!
31. Use multi-purpose products
(like a shampoo/body wash, or moisturizer plus sunscreen) to save time and
eliminate bathroom clutter.
32. Standardize your grooming
routine, so you can get ready each morning with a minimum amount of fuss.
33. Don’t buy hope in a bottle,
and clutter your cabinets with half-used “miracle” lotions and potions.
34. Avoid unhealthy habits, like
smoking, drugs, or drinking in excess. You’ll look better now, and avoid a
boatload of health problems down the road.
35. Let your inner beauty shine.
A pleasant countenance and radiant smile will make you more beautiful than any
cosmetics.
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| I could be quite content with this kitchen. The counters are not completely clear but I need a certain number of things on the counter in my dream kitchen. |
KITCHEN AND DINING
36. Love those leftovers. Cook
extra for dinner, and have it for lunch the next day.
37. Cook a week’s worth of meals
at a time, and freeze for later (Google “batch cooking” for recipes and
instructions).
38. Plan your meals in advance.
You’ll spend less time staring into your refrigerator, wondering what to make.
39. Shop with a grocery list.
You’ll avoid making extra trips for forgotten items.
40. Make one-pot meals, and
drastically reduce your after-dinner cleanup.
41. Pare down your dishes, cups,
and utensils to what you regularly use. It’ll limit the amount of dishwashing
that piles up in the sink.
42. Purge unnecessary gadgets and
seldom-used equipment. A large variety of meals can be made with basic pots and
implements.
43. Eat healthy foods (like whole
grains, fruits, and vegetables), and you’ll avoid a wide variety of medical
problems.
44. Keep your countertops
clutter-free. Cooking is so much easier when you’re not moving stuff out of the
way to do it.
45. Develop a set of standard
dishes (like a pasta, chicken, or tofu dish), and vary the sauces. That way,
you won’t have to reinvent the wheel each night.
OFFICE AND TECH
46. Stop as much incoming
paperwork as possible. Get off mailing lists, cancel catalogs, and sign up for
online billing and statements. The less physical mail you have to deal with,
the better!
47. Print as little as possible.
Don’t give yourself more stuff to file. Instead, print to a PDF file using free
software like cutePDF or pdf995.
48. Digitize your paperwork.
It’ll take up less space, and give you easier access to it.
49. Backup to the cloud. Use an
online storage service, as an alternative to DVDs or an external hard drive.
50. Pay bills online. It takes
much less time than writing and mailing a check, and you won’t need to buy
envelopes and stamps.
51. Bank online. Transfer money
without going to the bank, or standing in line waiting for a teller.
52. Automate recurring
transactions. It’s a great way to pay your rent, mortgage, or insurance
payments without lifting a finger.
53. Automate investments. Set up
your brokerage account to buy a fixed dollar amount of a certain investment
(like an index fund) on a regular schedule. It’ll smooth out the effects of
market volatility on your portfolio, and keep you from making emotional
decisions.
54. Stay out of debt. Life is
much simpler when you don’t have to worry about interest charges and minimum
payments.
55. Purchase bundled services.
Buying telephone, tv, and internet services from the same company reduces your
number of bills (and likely the amount you have to pay).
56. Telecommute. Arrange to work
from home at least once or twice a week, to save time and commuting costs.
57. Don’t let junk mail enter
your office. Keep a recycling bin by your front door, and dump junk mail and
solicitations (without personal information) straight in.
58. Sort incoming paperwork
immediately. Separate it into “file,” “act on,” and “dispose of” piles for
efficient handling.
59. Organize your digital files.
Develop a logical system of folders, so you won’t have to wade through hundreds
of random files to find what you’re looking for.
60. Purge your bookmarks
regularly. The stuff you found interesting last month, or last week, may be of
no use to you today. Don’t waste time scrolling through irrelevant stuff.
61. Quit Facebook (or don’t
join). It can be a huge digital commitment, and a major time sink. At the very
least, limit the time you spend on it.
62. Limit the number of blogs you
read. When you subscribe to a new one, drop an old one, so as not to increase
your time commitment.
63. Reduce your Twitter time.
Constant digital “chatter” can significantly reduce your productivity.
64. Check and answer email during
defined periods. When you’re distracted by constant incoming messages, it takes
longer to complete the task at hand.
65. Take digital sabbaticals.
Disconnecting for a period of time – be it an hour, a day, or a weekend – can
be quite liberating!
TIME MANAGEMENT
66. Learn to say no. It can be
difficult, but will ensure you have enough time and energy for the stuff that
really matters.
67. Delegate. Give up trying to
do everything yourself; get employees to help with projects, and children to
help with chores.
68. Limit your commitments. Don’t
increase your number of obligations; drop old ones to make way for the new.
69. Right-size your expectations.
When you expect too much of yourself and others, disappointment and stress are
often the result.
70. Choose your battles. There
are thousands of little things that just aren’t worth fighting for – let them
go.
71. Go with the flow. Instead of
trying to control things, let them happen as they may.
72. Be flexible. Adapt to the
situation at hand, rather than insisting on doing things “your way.”
73. Forget about perfection. For
the vast majority of tasks, good enough is good enough.
74. Fix little problems before
they become big ones. A little effort now can save a lot of headaches later.
75. Consolidate your tasks. It’s
more efficient to do your ironing, pay your bills, and answer your emails in
one sitting than in bits and pieces.
76. Consolidate your errands.
Plan your visits to the grocery store, dry cleaners, post office, etc., so you
can take care of all of it in one trip.
77. Declutter your To Do list.
Purge any unimportant, unnecessary, or unfulfilling activities.
78. Ask for help or advice.
Reaching out to someone with more expertise can often save you hours (or days)
of muddling through on your own.
79. Share your expertise with
others. An open exchange of information makes things easier for everyone.
80. Make it a goal to do less,
not more. Increase your productivity to free up your schedule, rather than jam
more stuff into it.
ATTITUDE
81. Keep an open mind. Life is
infinitely more interesting and pleasant when you’re willing to consider
opinions and viewpoints that differ from your own.
82. Accept others for who they
are. Live and let live, and you’ll have much less to worry about.
83. Live in the present. Don’t
spend excessive hours pining for the past, or fretting about the future. Be
here now.
84. Don’t meddle in other
people’s business. Concentrate on keeping your own life in order, and don’t
worry about everyone else’s.
85. Forget about the Joneses.
Conspicuous consumption benefits nobody but the companies selling the goods.
We’d be happier, more relaxed, and more satisfied if we disengaged from it
entirely.
86. March to your own drummer.
Don’t feel obligated to follow the crowd, or live according to others’
expectations.
87. Think before you act. We can
often save ourselves a lot of trouble if we think about the consequences before
acting on impulse.
88. Think before you speak. Once
you let some ill-considered words out of your mouth, you can’t get them back.
Better to hold your tongue than have to deal with the fallout.
89. Don’t be overly sensitive.
Sometimes others don’t think before they speak. Let careless remarks roll off
your back, not ruin your day.
90. Don’t hold grudges.
Forgiveness eases your stress and tension, and frees up your time and energy
for more positive pursuits.
91. Don’t be a drama queen.
Making mountains out of molehills unduly complicates life.
92. Have an attitude of
gratitude. Be grateful for what you do have, instead of stressing over what you
don’t.
93. Realize that you’re not
living in the spotlight. Most people are too wrapped up in their own lives to
care (or notice) what you own, what you’re wearing, or how you look.
94. Embrace the concept of
enough. Once our needs are met, there’s usually little utility (or happiness)
in acquiring more – by contrast, it often leads to cluttered homes and empty
bank accounts.
95. Enjoy without owning. Admire
the objects in a shop window, the art in a gallery, the plants in a garden,
without acquiring them for yourself. You’ll often get more pleasure from things
when you don’t have the responsibility of ownership.
MISCELLANEOUS
96. Downsize your digs. A smaller
home means less to maintain, less to clean, and less to pay in mortgage,
utilities, and rent.
97. Go car-free. If you can walk,
bike, or take public transit where you need to go, consider ditching your car.
If you’re in a multi-car household, consider whether you can get by with one
less car.
98. Avoid advertising like the
plague. When you don’t know an item exists, you won’t stress over desiring,
acquiring, or paying for it.
99. Don’t shop unless you need
something. In other words, don’t browse stores, catalogs, or websites looking
for something to need.
100. Make your own definition of
“success.” Raising a happy family or excelling at your job are better measures
of success than status symbols and material accumulation.
Is this list helpful to you? Do you want to, or have you already begun living in a minimalist manner? I would love to hear your view on this subject.
