Never underestimate the importance of removing stuff you don’t need.
Encouragement provides us with motivation to persevere. It invites us to dream dreams of significance for our lives. And it begs us to work diligently with optimism and promise.
Overcoming the pull of consumerism is a difficult challenge regardless of our stage in life. Simplicity requires encouragement. To that end, I hope you will find motivation in these articles below.
Each post was intentionality chosen to inspire simplicity in your life. For maximum effect, find a quiet moment this weekend and enjoy them with a fresh cup of coffee or tea.
How I Stopped Checking My Phone And Started Using It With Intention | For The Interested by Josh Spector. I set out to change my phone habits and create a simple set of rules to limit the negative (and amplify the positive) impacts of when and how I use my phone.
I’m Drowning in Clutter and It’s Making Me Depressed | Perfection Pending by Melissa Sackett. It’s so incredibly hard to parent when you’re drowning. When you feel squished under the weight of all there is to do and all the stuff surrounding you, longing to be put in its place.
The Shorter Your Sleep, The Shorter Your Life: The New Sleep Science | The Guardian by Rachel Cooke. “It had a powerful effect on me. After reading it, I was absolutely determined to go to bed earlier.”
I didn’t have any expectations concerning that title, but the more I was astonished. The author did a great job. I spent a few minutes reading and checking the facts. Everything is very clear and understandable. I like posts that fill in your knowledge gaps. This one is of the sort.
Thank you! I am not sure I have ever put all those thoughts together, but the idea and description cemented the process in my mind!
I really enjoyed the article on stop checking your phone!! I don’t have FB, twitter or any other social media, but I must check my texts/email a thousand times a day and at every stop light, sitting in the parking lot, etc. I will definitely be incorporating Mr. Spector’s ideas into my life..Thanks!!!
I was thinking about if i had this and if i had that etc but the truth is i don,t really need any of it, i am self employed and trying to find work is hard enough without needlessly adding to my list and then working to pay it all off and get out of debt, you know like the hamster on the treadmill getting nowhere, just spinning around forever, the other day i went out with my sister and daughter i could have worked and have the money to buy things etc or have the time with them, i chose the time with them, we didn,t spend much and i thought will they be there someday or not but no one can take that memory away which was more precious than possessions, i know how hard it is to declutter, most don,t know where to start or feel the guilt, but make small consistent steps forward, sometimes if we don,t feel the pain we will keep doing the same thing, so expect the reality of it being hard and curb silly spending on meaningless things just because they are cheap or a quick fix believe me, they are not,
love the reads Joshua i look forward to them as a good motivation to examine my ways etc.
Thank you for sharing these links and your words. Removing stuff and decluttering doesn’t only apply to physical, but also to online and even mind.
For example, I try to keep my email subscriptions to minimum. This is to keep my inbox as clean as possible.
Thank you so much for sharing our piece about drowning in clutter. It’s had quite the impact on people, and I’m happy to have found your site.
I recently did a spending freeze since I needed to save up some money to fix my house. After a month I realized I actually felt better not spending any money. It’s been 3 months now and I’m still doing a spending freeze – and it’s not hard at all now.
….using a ride-on mower for lawn control and eradicating all the weeds from the gravel driveway has made for a happy day….
Wow! The drowning in clutter article gave me heart palpitations! I have been decluttering for about a year now and have made such good progress. I’ve sold things and taken car loads to donate. But I live with twin boys, a husband and a dog. My life comes with clutter and sometimes it can feel like I’m suffocating/drowning. It’s at those times that I try to remember I’m doing the best I can and that my people are the most important “things” in my life. So I continue to purge…all while trying to be content where I am now and in where I am going! Some day I’ll get there…or maybe I’m just a constant work in progress!
What do you do when your spouse is resentful about things being donated without his permission?
We are going to be building a 987 sq ft. house next year. We were going to buy a four bedroom modular but then I got hurt. I wasn’t looking forward to 20+ years of payments. I asked DH what he really needs at the end of the day. Our son is still home(21) but will be gone soon. I just want one floor, a washer and dryer, and an open floor plan. Half the cumbersome furniture was here when we moved in and won’t be moving with us. Sorry writing a book. I’m going to start journaling our new chapter.