Welcome to session #2! If you didn't catch the Traveling Light intro, now's the time! Today, we're going to get the first 6 insights from the man's perspective. Here we go ...1. Start with this principle - Francine Jay's The Joy of Less shares that "decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep, rather than deciding what to throw away." What a freeing ground rule for all these discussions.
2. Figure out your household's "pen life" - When evaluating your office supplies, ask yourself how long you would be able to write with your current supply of pens (assume each will last for a conservative 6-months). When we calculated this it was over 15 years! This didn't even include mechanical pencils, highlighters, Sharpies, crayons, and white board markers! There's no way we needed nearly 40 pens for the two of us. We organized by color and style and strategically located those we'd need around the apartment (e.g. by the fridge, office, bedside table drawer). The rest we said 'sayonara' to, and then repeated the process with another office supply.
3. Sell the old when buying the new - We saved 58% off a new GPS by shopping smart and then selling the old version on eBay. It made us feel like we got an amazing deal when we factored selling the old item into the new item's cost.
4. Apply Pareto's Law - This is commonly called the 80/20 Rule, which states that 20% of your stuff gets 80% of the use. Think of your go-to clothes, DVDs, games, shoes, and electronic devices. With this principle in mind, focus on eliminating much of the 80% that gets little use. Case in point ... we had a 13-piece knife set which worked well, but needed replacing. We realized there are really just 3 knives that we used the most, so we pared down (pun intended as the paring knife made the cut!).
5. Clean surfaces are amazing - We never realized how wonderful it is to have clean surfaces. We are down to 2 items on our kitchen counters (toaster and a crock with cooking utensils). The more we removed, the more we realized we appreciated clutter-free surfaces. We bought new knives with sheathes so that they can be stored in a drawer. Now there's no more knife block on our counter!
6. Photograph your memories - We learned that memories are not found in a souvenir, knickknack, or tchotchke. Memories are found by recalling the experience itself. Rather than keeping a lot of trinkets, we found that taking a photo of an item and storing it in a "Memories" folder online or on your computer is an excellent way to remind yourself about an experience and tell others about it.
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2 Questions from Linda
Which one of these 'traveling lighter' brainstorms grabs you?
What's one step you can take today to head in that direction?
What's one step you can take today to head in that direction?
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I'd have to say the 80/20 rule is something I need to think about. When testing this in my mind when it came to my shoes I realized that's pretty much accurate. And probably so in the other areas as well. I feel like though that as soon as I get rid of it I'll be looking for those red shoes I never wore often but now had the perfect opportunity to wear! I know….."what if thinking"…..need to get over it. Okay, I will try. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteWe women can easily have a love affair with shoes, can't we ... I remember a long ago friend who had rows and rows of her sneakers by her back door. I never did understand why ... I mean how many walks can you possibly take? It sure gives cause for pause, doesn't it.
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I appreciate your candid thoughts tonight, Melody!
I must confess I like to have backups, so that one is especially hard for me, but it's a journey and I'm learning!
DeleteI could probably reply with a whole post on this topic alone! One thing that helped me was one of the books we read said to have a “base color” and that “everything” can go with that color. Jonathan and I chose black. Now, I still have a pair of navy sandals, that as women we know just don’t go with black, so I haven’t cut out EVERYTHING, but it did help me get rid of several other pairs.
DeleteWe have one of those hang-on-the-door shoe racks and it was my goal to make sure that all my shoes fit in there – so it was a good test to see which ones I really wanted to keep and which ones were worth getting rid of.
Also, on this note: I have had some “regrets”. I probably shouldn’t say that, but it’s true. For example, the other day I was making apple crumble and we decided to simplify our kitchen utensils and we got rid of what I call the “butter cutter” thinking, well, I don’t use it that often and if I do make something I’ll just use a fork. It was NOT a fun experience and I missed the butter cutter and its ease of use, so in rare instances, we do decide that there are things we can replace if we change our minds. (Of all things we’ve gotten rid of, this has happened twice). It also helps that we don’t go to Good Will that often, so our tote of donate-able items sits for few weeks and we have time to change our mind.
Now we know what we can get you for a graduation gift!
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I remember when I realized that I had 10 years worth of lip gloss. I'm thrifty so I didn't get rid of any, but I certainly stopped buying more! I now have a 7 year supply left...
ReplyDeleteI still buy my favorite go-to Bonne Bell lipgloss in bulk. You just can't have too many for pockets, desk drawers, pocketbook, briefcase, travel bag, countertop, vanity, etc. Need we say more?
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So good to see you again, Debby!
As I read this post, which I loved, I realized I also love my 33 year old knife set on my counter, many of which I never use! The problem is, I don't like change! The simplified look is great for some, but I love the feeling of comfortable clutter! How come half my family likes it one way and half likes it the other?
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Mah. Sometimes so much in our lives seems to be changing or feels like it's out of control, and our things can offer us some familiar comfort, some sense of place. I think the balance is to keep what you love and what you use ... and reconsider other things that have lost their purpose or value over time.
DeleteThere's no one size fits all, is there. Even in the closest of families!
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Thankfully even with different approaches, a family still loves one another!
DeleteA great idea for a series. Great tips. My husband and I did try to simplify about a year ago and made some progress but never kept up with it. Thankfully, we live in a small home which forces us not to hold on to things but I know there are still many more ways we could simplify.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to following along.
Much love to you.
I love the perspective that you bring to the table as a military wife, Beth. Having a spouse overseas, having to move often, having to buy and sell along the way, packing and unpacking ... I'm guessing these would play into a simpler lifestyle.
DeleteAs always, I'm glad that you're here, my friend!
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Beth, for us it has come in waves as well. We have to revisit things from time to time. I hope these posts can stimulate some new ideas.
DeleteThese are great! I generally go to the "1 year rule" -- if you haven't used it in a year, it really isn't needed and could be donated, sold or discarded.
ReplyDelete1 year. I love that. It's the sticking with it that can be difficult. I pretty much do that with clothes now. I know what I like wearing and I know what doesn't fit, doesn't look good, doesn't make me feel good in my skin.
DeleteThose things head out the door when the season changes. Like my brown boots that fit like a glove til this year. And now leave me feeling permanently disabled when I take them off at the end of the day.
Out the door they're going. Along with {gasp} the homemade bridesmaid's dress my mother made me for Jonathan's mother's wedding with the cute peter pan collar and lace cuffs. {What were you thinking, Marilyn?} And the dresses I word for my daughter's weddings, including the one that I call my Morticia Adams dress.
Sigh.
I've got pictures. I can remember. And I don't plan on wearing them again.
That's such an excellent point, Nancy. So much happens within a year's time, that items that don't get used probably aren't as critical.
DeleteI didn't know she made that dress! How neat. I'm constantly amazed at the things I learn about her. What an amazing woman. There could be a post on one-time-attire (wedding outfits, prom dresses, ugly sweater competitions, etc.)!
DeleteGreat suggestions on a topic that I've been convicted by a lot recently, Linda. I really want to simply my life and schedule and these are small ways I can begin. I really like that idea of focusing on what you want to keep when paring down. I'm going to try that one for sure! Thanks for sharing this couple's journey and all the helpful insights they've learned and are passing on to us!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a fun ride! It looks like we're in good company ... everyone seems to have some area that needs a little pruning, eh?
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I've never heard this "decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep, rather than deciding what to throw away." Powerful!
ReplyDeleteGood words! A real paradigm shift, yes? Sometimes all it takes is a re-calibration and it kicks us into action.
DeleteThanks for dropping in, Elizabeth!
It was revolutionary for us too, Elizabeth. Glad you found it powerful!
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