12 Comments to 'TRULY Simple Living'
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TRULY Simple Living
Posted By Frugal Living Moderator
I’ve been doing a lot of decluttering lately. And I mean A. Lot. I have been giving away, donating, and just throwing out bags filled with stuff. And the funny thing is that I am by no means a ‘keeper.’ I’ve always been the kind to throw something away rather than keep it for some time in the future when I might need it. So it has really been interesting to me to see how much stuff I have been able to get rid of.
And I’ll tell you, I’ve been ruthless. I’ve been in great and dire need of making my life much simpler. I can testify that the less stuff one has the easier it is to keep things organized. For example my 11 year old son was struggling with keeping his drawer that he keeps his shorts in organized. I went down to survey the situation. The problem? He had way too many pairs of shorts to even begin to fit into the space he had to keep them in. Together we went through each pair of shorts and decided which ones actually got worn and which ones spent their lives in that drawer. We gifted the unused pairs and now it is much simpler to keep his drawer clean, not to mention finding the shorts he wants to wear on a certain day is now much easier!
I’ve been using this same battle plan in all kinds of areas. Toys. Dishes. Scrapbooking supplies. As a matter of fact, I have whittled my scrapbooking supplies down to about one fourth of what I originally had. I kept only what I used the most, and loved the best. You know what I discovered? Not only can I create a layout in less time, but I now have to be more creative with what I have on hand. I like my layouts more. They are simpler, but now they focus on the subject and not the newest, trendiest and latest technique, gadget, or super pricey doo-dad.
While I’ve enjoyed the feeling of less is more, downsizing in this area just hasn’t had the total effect that I had hoped. It took me awhile before I could put my finger on exactly what I needed to do. Then finally it came to me.
I needed to downsize and get rid of some of the *activities* that I felt were necessary to have the ‘perfect’ home. I’m one of those who think that if I could just be more organized, run faster, push myself harder then I could do it all. What I have discovered is that this type of self inflicted pressure leads to one very tired and somewhat depressed Mom.
How many of us have fallen into the trap of believing that in order to be a good wife and mother you need to have a perfectly clean house, perfectly balanced meals, and the laundry all folded, ironed and put away at the end of each day? Surely I can’t be the only one? And then when we visit blogs where the hostess gives an overview of how much she accomplished that day all while homeschooling her kids, sewing all their clothes, painting the living room and running her wildly successful home based business………how many of us have wondered what is wrong with us that we aren’t doing all of that too? Can anyone else relate to this intense pressure to be perfect?
Enough I say! It is time to put a little more effort into my Mary side.
So my next area of decluttering is going to include getting rid of some of these beliefs I have held onto for so long. I mean, really, is the world going to end if I don’t iron every article of clothing we own? Or if my house actually looks like…….gasp!…..somebody actually LIVES in it? Will I be the scandalous talk of the town if my baseboards don’t get scrubbed each day?
I’ll let you know one way or another. As of tomorrow I am going to start decluttering some activities of mine and see if making my life a little simpler in that area might not just be what I’ve been needing to do for a long time now.
May 8th, 2007
Great article! I used to be a packrat, but then I turned into a throw-it-away person. I simplified my boys’ toys and clothes, my clothes, and other things. It makes life so much easier. I really relate to the thought that if I can do all those things I can be the perfect mom, and I feel so bad when I read of moms like you described who seem to be able to do it all. Then I realize that we each have our own limits on what we can handle. It’s great for them to be able to handle all that, but for me it’s just not probable, I need to stick with what I am capable of doing and be happy with it.
“Decluttering the beliefs I have held onto for so long.” Wow, that part really hit me with this post. Thanks for pinpointing something that I think I need to take a good, hard look at.
WOW I have never thought of decluttering my beliefs. I too beat myself up because I don’t accomplish as much as the supermoms I “know”
~Tish
If you haven’t stopped by The Unclutter blog, take time to read through their posts. Lots of informative articles about de-cluttering all aspects of our lives. It’s a good read.
-BigNerd
my house is sooooooo in need of decluttering. I am determined to get rid of TONS of stuff in the next few months - but the problem is - I can’t seem to get away from this computer to get it done!
I never thought of “decluttering” my beliefs about housekeeping. A good point well-taken.
And grats on slimmind down your scrapbooking stuff. Really, all you need is a quality scrapbook, adhesive, and pen.
I couldn’t do just that though.
Life can become so cluttered with junk, activities that steal our space and time. Spring cleaning is in the air in bloggityville!
Thanks for an encouraging post!
You just described my life. I try to get EVERYTHING perfect before I allow myself to relax and enjoy life. That is just impossible in a house of 3 kids. I need to declutter my beliefs of what being a good mom is for sure!! Awesome post.
Oh Elizabeth, can I relate to that. I’m still struggling to give myself permission to enjoy life while things are still a bit messy. Phyllis
I read a book called “Celebration of Discipline” a few years ago in preparation for teaching a Bible study to teens about Christian disciplines (like prayer, fasting, etc.) The chapter entitled “simplicity” hit me like a ton of bricks! It resulted in a yearly “fast” from buying myself anything new to wear (which was so HARD for me!) but more importantly helped me be aware of my consumer driven attitudes. Too much “stuff” in our lives bogs us down!
I read a book called “Celebration of Discipline” a few years ago in preparation for teaching a Bible study to teens about Christian disciplines (like prayer, fasting, etc.) The chapter entitled “simplicity” hit me like a ton of bricks! It resulted in a yearly “fast” from buying myself anything new to wear (which was so HARD for me!) but more importantly helped me be aware of my consumer driven attitudes. Too much “stuff” in our lives bogs us down!
Thanks for the insight that simplifying our clutter and our beliefs makes life much more fulfilling!