Hi,
I have a chronic illness and I know that I really need help in simplifying all areas of my life. For example, all the accumulated junk (furniture, books, electrical cords, etc,) that make it hard for me to keep up with housework. I have an appartment full of 'hand-me-down' furniture and none of it is very functional.
Even my computer -- well I can't get rid of the cables and cords but do I really need to keep all the books that come with it? I never look at them.
I have started a program of cleaning up and throwing out. I've sent off all but a few special books I love to charity and have only kept those and a few that I haven't read yet.
I've gone through my clothes cupboards and thrown out anything I have't worn in twelve months or anything I just plain don't like.
I'm now looking at my kitchen and wondering where to begin. Do I really need to own all these plates and cups and dishes etc when it is just me and my husband now living at home. A few times a year they come in handy for our family get togethers but I'm dealing with 'overflowing kitchen cupboards' that drive me crazy on a daily basis just to have the 'extras' for the occasional large meals -- like birthdays, festive season etc.
We do intend to buy an appatment at the end of the year and I have visions of minimalism. Creating the environment I want and need to live in. But whiile I'm waiting it's fairly urgent that I pare down as much as I can in order to be able to cope with being ill and still being able to manage and ENJOY the current environment I'm living in.
Plus the whole jumble of stuff I've surrounded myself with not only makes it harder to take care of my home -- the darn stuff clutters up my mind. I don't want to be looking at all this stuff.
Any suggestions on what to do next would be highly appreciated. For example, how minimalist can I go and my home still be comfortable?
I was sitting on my counch the other day and looked at a table at the end of the room. On the table were two lamps, a charger base for 'electric candles.' and a charger for a mobile phone. Under the table was all the dangling electrical cords attached to these things. Everytime I look at it now I think there must be a way I can ease the burden of trying to clean around all this 'junk' until we buy an appartment that we can do up in such a way as it will be minimalist from the floor up. Even then, I want to be ready to move into this future place with only what I need and use. Plus, a few things that brighten my spirit -- a few paintings etc. Not a lot of the stuff that has been given to me and which I really don't want any longer.
Help, please. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Hi blueskies,
I don't know about the larger question of 'what next' and I think only you can answer the question of how minimal you can go and still be comfotable, but I do have two specific suggestions:
1. If you want a relatively hassle free way to get rid of all sorts of stuff, have a look at Freecycle. Chances are someone wants the stuff you want to get rid of, and will come and collect it from you.
2. Search Lifehacker for some great solutions for cleaning up electronics charger/dock messes such as DIY charger boxes and the likes-in fact here's a great roundup from them: http://lifehacker.com/364054/top-10-ways-to-get-cables-under-control
I don't know about the larger question of 'what next' and I think only you can answer the question of how minimal you can go and still be comfotable, but I do have two specific suggestions:
1. If you want a relatively hassle free way to get rid of all sorts of stuff, have a look at Freecycle. Chances are someone wants the stuff you want to get rid of, and will come and collect it from you.
2. Search Lifehacker for some great solutions for cleaning up electronics charger/dock messes such as DIY charger boxes and the likes-in fact here's a great roundup from them: http://lifehacker.com/364054/top-10-ways-to-get-cables-under-control
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[color=blue:71f5338597][/color:71f5338597]Hello I am no zen but I am now present in my life and much happier and a sense of freedom and a great love for life though I to have a illness that brought about this change in my life, I to felt the need to make life more liveable and free of so much clutter, I can not tell you what to get rid of but, I can help you in being happier, but what I would say is get and read a new earth, this book and also cd's are to me a life saver I have lost almost 100 lbs and my life is not even the same life it is so much better all that stuff you have is keeping you from being present in your life even if you think you are you may find out you have maybe never been there ever, please read this book and make all that stuff go away and , fill your life with presance, fulfillment, love, freedom and true you seek and fond the stillness inside you and it alone will tell you what to do with all the junk you have keeping you in a unreal state of mind, but stop living in the past or future and live moment by moment voices you hear are self talk they will tell you this is not what to do but that is cause it is your ego and it does not do the now...only the past and future in the now all things are new, fresh and of you, in now the past and future have no power over you in the now. Please get and read the book it will change your life it really will.
best of luck
best of luck
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I try to have as little clutter as possible, to specifically make cleaning a hell of alot easier and faster. Start purging right away, you'll be glad you did!
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If you haven't checked out Leo's list of simplifying guides, now would be a good time ;) Click Me!
I think the best way of going through your kitchen is to start with a random cabinet and going through it, and it only. I think for the most part, if you have more than one set of pots and pans it would be best to toss old ones (my parents and grandparents have pots are in hellish shape) and keep the new ones. Or, gather up doubles of those and give them away if they're in good shape. You could always pack up dishes and store them in your garage; a nice little box, wrap them in newspaper and store. If you have a bunch of sets like I do (I have 5 complete sets of dishes stored and I haven't even left home yet :( ), then consider keeping one or two sets and giving away the others. Same thing with cups, mugs, and other various items.
Other items that caught my eye... for furniture, keep only key pieces of furniture and toss/give away the rest. When I think a nice, clean, and comfortable living room I think of a couch, a chair, coffee table, an end table with a lamp and a closed entertainment center. Possibly a bookcase. So I really wouldn't want more than that. Think about what you'd want in your different rooms and delete the rest!
For cleaning: nothing on horizontal surfaces makes for a great way to be able to just dust and vacuum without diving around things. Thats a good place to start in simplifying, I think. Clean as many surfaces as you can, including the floor. Tie up cables using twist ties or those re-usable velcro ties.
And finally, for manuals for things. Make sure you can get any information in the booklets on the internet (I'm almost certain you'll be able to), then throw the booklets. My computer and laptop didn't even come with a manual, it was on the computer itself.
And, one last thing. My parents like to do the "Well... I MIGHT use it" excuse. If it hasn't been used in a year (unless its something you need for yearly holidays, or perhaps camping gear) or that you have too many of (do you REALLY need 6 can openers?) or that hasn't EVER been used (gifts, things that you bought that you thought would be cool and didn't implement), throooooow/donate it. And this especially goes for things that are broken that 'could be fixed'. Its not gonna get fixed if its been sitting in a drawer for 5 years, so throw it.
Good luck! :)
I think the best way of going through your kitchen is to start with a random cabinet and going through it, and it only. I think for the most part, if you have more than one set of pots and pans it would be best to toss old ones (my parents and grandparents have pots are in hellish shape) and keep the new ones. Or, gather up doubles of those and give them away if they're in good shape. You could always pack up dishes and store them in your garage; a nice little box, wrap them in newspaper and store. If you have a bunch of sets like I do (I have 5 complete sets of dishes stored and I haven't even left home yet :( ), then consider keeping one or two sets and giving away the others. Same thing with cups, mugs, and other various items.
Other items that caught my eye... for furniture, keep only key pieces of furniture and toss/give away the rest. When I think a nice, clean, and comfortable living room I think of a couch, a chair, coffee table, an end table with a lamp and a closed entertainment center. Possibly a bookcase. So I really wouldn't want more than that. Think about what you'd want in your different rooms and delete the rest!
For cleaning: nothing on horizontal surfaces makes for a great way to be able to just dust and vacuum without diving around things. Thats a good place to start in simplifying, I think. Clean as many surfaces as you can, including the floor. Tie up cables using twist ties or those re-usable velcro ties.
And finally, for manuals for things. Make sure you can get any information in the booklets on the internet (I'm almost certain you'll be able to), then throw the booklets. My computer and laptop didn't even come with a manual, it was on the computer itself.
And, one last thing. My parents like to do the "Well... I MIGHT use it" excuse. If it hasn't been used in a year (unless its something you need for yearly holidays, or perhaps camping gear) or that you have too many of (do you REALLY need 6 can openers?) or that hasn't EVER been used (gifts, things that you bought that you thought would be cool and didn't implement), throooooow/donate it. And this especially goes for things that are broken that 'could be fixed'. Its not gonna get fixed if its been sitting in a drawer for 5 years, so throw it.
Good luck! :)
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