Clutter, Minimalism, & Convenience - TPW235

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Clutter, Minimalism, & Convenience – TPW235

Decluttering is a hot topic in many circles. For some, the logical outcome of decluttering is minimalism. But who we are matters more than what (or how much) we own. Finding a balance between clutter and convenience can contribute to a productive life.

Clutter, minimalism, and something in between

The recent launch of a Netflix series featuring Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, has triggered a lot of interest in decluttering. It’s also made this a great time to visit thrift shops if you’re looking for some finds, as lots of people are getting rid of things as a result of this craze.

Observing this trend has gotten me thinking about the value of decluttering and minimalism. I’m an advocate for reducing the amount of stuff we own, but how much decluttering is too much? Is there such a thing as getting too minimal?

What is Clutter?

“When I ask clients what they long for, the most common responses are “peace,” “space” and “freedom.” Clutter keeps us from achieving these goals, and we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars buying larger homes. Empty space is more valuable—psychologically and physically—than almost any object.”

from “The Best Decluttering Advice We’ve Heard”

The physical impact of clutter

Studies show clutter can contribute to lower feelings of well-being, unhealthy eating, poorer mental health, and less efficient thinking (from “5 Reasons to Clear the Clutter Out of Your Life”).

Stress hormones spike when dealing with clutter. “Similar to what multitasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively.” (from “How Clutter Affects Your Brain” )

The infographic on “12 Surprising Ways Clutter is Ruining Your Life” shows ways clutter decreases both our productivity and our quality of life

We’ve discussed this in past episodes, such as:

Clutter is personal

Clutter isn’t measured by the number of items you own. It really is in the eye of the beholder. Generally, it’s having more stuff than can fit into the space you have in a way that you’re comfortable with. If you have a ton of stuff but you also live in a 6000 sq. ft. house, it isn’t going to feel as cluttered as it would in an 1800 sq. ft. house. Clutter is a function of your circumstance, attitude, and personality.

Clutter is contributed to by having lots of things we don’t need, use, or give us joy, but fill up space in our lives and leave less clear space and therefore the consequences that I mentioned above.

There are lots of tools and systems for getting organized, but organizing our stuff can be time-consuming and expensive and might not solve the issue. Marie Kondo recognizes this, and that’s why her approach to decluttering – getting rid of stuff before organizing what’s left – is very popular right now. Many of us are looking for help in letting go of things that aren’t serving us, but that instead create a cluttered environment that we’re not happy with.

Choosing minimalism

Many people go the other direction from clutter by getting rid of most of their stuff. This movement, this idea of scaling down what you own is called Minimalism and there is lots of literature out there about it such as podcasts, blog posts, articles, even a Netflix documentary.

But what exactly is minimalism? For many of us, the image that comes to our minds are people living in homes with bare white walls, white furniture, nothing on their countertops, few possessions, and living in a tiny home. But I don’t think that’s the definition of minimalism.

Here is what minimalism is according to some thought-leaders on the topic.

From “What is Minimalism?”

“At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost all aspects of your life. While most people are chasing after success, glamour, and fame, minimalism calls out to us with a smaller, quieter, calmer voice. It invites us to slow down, consume less, but enjoy more. Minimalism brings freedom from the all-consuming passion to possess. It steps off the treadmill of consumerism and dares to seek happiness elsewhere. It values relationships, experiences, and soul-care.”

What I like about this definition is that it is a positive approach that encourages us to elevate what matters most to us and then promote it. From this perspective, minimalism is not about getting rid of things, but being intentional about the things that we have – having things we love, and enjoying the things we have.

From “What is Minimalism? Plus 8 things it’s not”

“Minimalism is about figuring out what you value most in your life and removing anything that doesn’t align with that. Once you have started living with this idea, you will see that a minimalist lifestyle goes far beyond just decluttering your house. It can be applied to how you spend your time, what kind of consumer you become, what you eat, your finances, etc.”

In Episode 182, we talked about Courtney Carver’s book Soulful Simplicity. Much of the material I read while preparing for this episode reminded me of the things she talked about in that book. Again, it’s not about giving things up, but identifying what matters most to us and making sure we have enough space in our minds, hearts, and homes for those things.

Why is it valuable?

You can make space for what matters most.

“Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom.”

from “What Is Minimalism”

Question to ask yourself:

“How can I expect the things that I really do love or that are useful or important to shine (or be found in a timely manner) if they are hidden by a bunch of crap? If you hold onto everything (or too many things) because everything is special in some way, then really nothing is very special.”

from “An Easy Mental Shift that has Me Decluttering Like Crazy”

We need far less than we think we do.

Perhaps you grew up with not much, and the things in your life have significance in a way they probably don’t need to have. For me, the things in my life may take on the significance of evidence that I’m not the poor child I was at one point. But possessions aren’t evidence of that at all. They’re just things.

Even the things associated with memories aren’t the memories themselves, so you can keep the memory but get rid of the thing, which is something Courtney Carver mentions in her book.

Clutter vs. Convenience

I talked in a recent episode about how choosing and applying systems and productivity tools are very personal choices. It’s not always helpful to take a system (any system) and apply it whole to your life. We need to think about what works for us and the way we live and what matters to us.

Personally, I’ve been slowly working through various areas of my home, donating and discarding things I haven’t used for years, with a goal of creating more clear space in my home (and in my mind). But I’m not getting rid of everything. I’m not even getting rid of all duplicates of things. Perhaps this is a valid idea for certain items, but I don’t think it’s necessarily valid in every situation.

For example, convenience is an important part of being efficient and making time to do the things I care about. So I keep duplicates of certain items because I like to keep things I need frequently near to where I use them. If you find yourself reaching for a convenience item more than once or twice and having to go to another part of the house to get it, consider getting another one to put near where you keep reaching it.

One example of such an item for me is scissors. I keep them in lots of places: the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, guest rooms, walk-in closet, office. If you find yourself using your teeth to break a tag on something in your closet or trying to find something sharp to break the plastic wrapped around a package, and it happens more than a few times, consider getting a duplicate pair of scissors to keep near where you want to use them.

Other examples of items worth keeping duplicates around the house are boxes of tissues in various rooms of the house; cleaning products under each bathroom sink (rather than one set in a centralized location), cozy and pretty throws in every room where someone might want to sit or take a nap. I’ve got the space in my house to do that, so it isn’t clutter, but rather a convenience that makes our life more efficient and/or more comfortable.

Notice, though, that the things I mention keeping duplicates of are things we are actually using. That’s different from having a cupboard full of dishes we never use or a closet or dresser full of clothes we never wear.

For me, it’s a matter of whether the item actually contributes to making our lives more convenient and comfortable or whether it’s just taking up space. If it’s the latter, then I’m probably going to get rid of it.

Here are some other ideas for when duplicates might be a good idea for the sake of convenience even if you’re decluttering and going for a more minimalist approach. Remember there should be a balance and you need to find that for yourself depending on where you are and how much of a stockpile is necessary.

If you travel frequently or go to the gym regularly, have duplicates of certain items so you can keep your bag packed and ready to go.
Have a reasonable number of back-ups of key essentials to avoid unnecessary trips to the store. When you open the last of an item such as shampoo, paper towels, toothpaste, dish soap, put it on your grocery list and buy two. Adjust this based on the amount of storage space you have and your particular needs. Remember that this is not a justification to stockpile endless amounts.
Emergency preparedness. Keep a reasonable stockpile of certain essentials kept in a secure place for emergencies.

Keeping things in perspective

“Who we are is more important than what we call ourselves. Minimalists and hoarders alike, let the focus be on how you treat people, and live your life, instead of how much stuff you have or don’t have.” (from “The Downside of Minimalism” )

What do you think?

Is your space (home or office) more on the cluttered or minimalist end of the spectrum? If you’re going for minimalism, what concessions do you make to convenience? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below this post or in The Productive Woman Community Facebook group, or send me an email.

Resources

Articles

Past Episodes

Books

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver

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