i have been thinking recently about starting a new series here at becoming minimalist that researches the causes of clutter in our lives. the benefit of the series would be to help me (and others) correctly identify what in my life is keeping me from living a more minimalist lifestyle. the drawback of the series is that, by its very definition, it will take a difficult and negative look at each of our lives. and i prefer to motivate people by focusing on the positive.
but, last night helped cement in my mind the need for this series/category. so, here we go.
clutter cause – laziness.
one of the reasons that clutter and “things” begin to accumulate in our lives can be traced back to simple laziness. i saw that evidenced in my life last night as i decided to clean out a storage closet in my basement. it’s one of those closets that defies categorization – it currently houses board games, old shoes, winter gear, baseball cards, toys, old video game equipment, electrical cords, and more. you probably have a similar closet in your house (one that defies labeling). i was going to have a few free moments last night and thought it would be a good minimalist project.
that was, until… i actually got started. i determined to begin the project as i typically do by removing everything and sorting into my trusty piles (keep, relocate, remove). i began by removing the board games until… two of them spilled open. so i decided to start with the baseball cards… until i decided to open the boxes and look through them (again) to see what i owned and reminisce for a bit. because i was sitting on the couch and the tv remote was near by, i turned it on. and my night was done. the closet would not be cleaned, instead i chose to watch television. the motivation was gone.
as i sat there watching tv, i knew exactly what i was doing. i was giving up on the tough project for the mindless activity of watching tv. i simply chose to be lazy.
and it dawned on me, it is simply easier to live life with clutter. it takes less effort. staying ahead of clutter is hard work (physically and menally). and one reason that i live with clutter with my life is because i have chosen laziness too many times… just look at my closet in the basement.
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Why do you have a TV in the basement to begin with? Doesn’t seem very miniimalistic to me… All the best. I enjoy your blog and have always been minimalistic. I have aslo finally convinced my husband to become minimalistic as well. And we will be moving in one year to a smaller house where only the essential will be taken. Everything else will be given or trashed. We are looking forward to having more time for ourselves and our outdoor (free) activities!