However, when the messages build up, are too negative or overwhelming then I feel that’s where the problem lies. For example, I love my kitchen flowers so I’m happy to do what they (silently) ask of me. Some of these messages might be well within reason and that you’re happy to take note of.
This requires our time, energy, thought, money and resources in different ways. The stuff in your home sends out silent messages that usually require us to remember or do something or makes us feel something. “The body soap in the bathroom: Excuse me, I’m running out.” “The dead lightbulb that has yet to be replaced: Don’t tell me you forgot to buy my replacement yet again! Why can’t you do something so simple?” Maybe you recognise these from your own home and life? I don’t write down on my daily task list that I need to tend to this vase but every time I look at it, I’m consciously or unconsciously checking for signs that I need to do something to look after it. That vase of flowers sits on my kitchen counter but it also sits on my Silent To Do List. Sometimes the petals fall off or I spill some water as I top it up so I need to wipe the counter around it. However, I have to change the water, top it up, feed the flowers, remove the dead ones and replace the entire bunch from time to time. It brings a bit of homeliness to my intentionally clear, but easy-to-clean-and-cook-in kitchen. It’s colourful, brings me joy, makes my kitchen counter look pretty and it’s something nice to look at when I’m washing up. I have a vase of flowers on my kitchen counter. And therein lies the basis of the Silent To Do List! The stuff in our homes and lives comes with pros and cons. If I didn’t have family then I wouldn’t need to do endless laundry, if I lost my job then I wouldn’t have work deadlines. Things to do, think about, remember, places to be, problems to sort out, meals to plan and prepare, laundry to wash and fold, finances to check, school letters to read and PE kits to remember, work deadlines to meet, the dog to walk and take to the vet, birthdays to plan for, emails to find, paperwork to file… and so the list goes on.Īs I mentioned above, however, we do all need stuff and many of the things that I have to do and remember, I’m really very grateful for. That’s how my brain feels when I have too many tabs open! A bit like when you have too many tabs open on your computer screen and the computer struggles to keep up with what you want it to do.
The excess stuff is clutter and clutter distracts and confuses me from what I want to be doing instead.
#Minimalist declutter list full#
Or, to put it a more accurate way, I used to mistakenly believe that I was happier with a fuller life and that a fuller life had to be full of stuff. I used to accumulate stuff without really thinking about it. However, as a passionate advocate of simple and intentional living, I guess I’m probably more aware of how much stuff I have and why I have it than I would be otherwise. There’s nothing wrong with stuff and, even as a minimalist, I still enjoy and feel the benefits of the stuff I have in my own home. Stuff comes in various shapes and forms but we all have it in our homes, on the floor, the counters, the shelves and in our cupboards. It could be furniture, food, books, crayons, toys, photos.
It may be stuff to eat, wear, play with, watch. We all need stuff in our homes and lives.
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