Most people would like to live a simpler life, but chaos effectively prevents them from doing so. It comes in many forms – a tight schedule or a decision to remodel a home on a tight budget. Having too much stuff can also stress us out. Check out how to bring minimalism into your life!
If it’s important, keep your documents in a cabinet near your computer. If not, recycle or throw them away. Take pictures of flyers of your favorite take-out menus and save them in a folder on your phone to eliminate kitchen clutter. If you really want paper menus, put them in a container on your countertop
If you have a lot of juicers, squeezers, or grinders, it’s time to reduce your inventory. Think about what you use most often and eliminate anything that doesn’t fit into your regular routine. If your kitchen cabinets don’t close, get rid of pots you can’t find the right lids for. Throw out broken dishes and cutlery.
Although your aunt’s fondue set was a thoughtful wedding gift, if it’s been collecting dust in the back of your pantry, it’s probably best to sell it or donate it to someone else. If any old kitchen appliances have broken and you’ve spent the last two years trying to fix them, throw them out.
If your kids are grown, it’s time to pass on to the younger generation or get rid of old toys. If your little ones are still small but you’re tired of tripping over toys, designate and organize a play area that makes it easy for kids to stay organized. Just be sure to get rid of things that are broken or unnecessary beforehand.
Almost every family has a stack of old magazines hidden somewhere in their living room. Unless the magazine has some historical or sentimental value to you or your family, there is no reason to keep it. Recycle the scrap paper that is littering your living space.
Try to keep your pen cup to no more than ten pens at a time. Get rid of any accessories that aren’t working properly, even if it means getting rid of half the pens in your office. By the way, throw away crumpled sticky notes and stained folders.
Fatigue doesn’t always come from having a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes you may spend a lot of time on the wrong tasks. Surely, you have spent half of your day answering emails only to miss the opportunity to focus on the right project.
To avoid this problem, write down a list of your tasks and sort them by priority – important, less important and optional. Once you have everything on paper, you will most likely realize that the least important tasks are taking up most of your time. You need to re-energize yourself and get down to the really important tasks
One of the wonders of modern technology is that many tasks can be automated so you don’t waste time on them. Something as simple as going to Google Calendar and entering the date and location of a meeting will only take a few minutes, but it can be done even faster with a tool like Calendly. Imagine how much time you can save each year by automating tedious tasks.
Walk around your house with a box and fill it with duplicates. If you have two sets of measuring cups, put them in the box. Did you find two books or DVDs that are the same? Put one in the box. Do you have two sets of cup pads? You only need one. Once you’ve filled the box, label it “Duplicates” and stash it away for 30 days. If you don’t need anything or don’t even remember what was in the box anymore, give it to someone or throw it away.
This area can be a kitchen table, nightstand, countertop or drawer in the kitchen. Use this clutter-free zone as inspiration to live with less stuff. If you like a clean, clear environment, expand this zone a little each day. A clutter-free countertop can become a clutter-free room, and a clean room can encourage you to decorate your home in a minimalist style.
It’s easy to come to terms with the idea that buying in bulk saves you money. But unless you’re buying products for the whole family, that’s not always the case. It’s not just the food you don’t eat that goes to waste. Spices have a limited shelf life, which means they will start to lose their properties after a while. If you buy a container of cumin for one recipe and then only use it every few months, you’ll probably throw it away before it’s empty. Remember, in a minimalist lifestyle, you only buy the things you actually need.
Photo by Philipp Berndt/Unsplash
