Reading Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” the core principles resonated with me. I read through some of her other books (including Spark Joy) and I’ve now noticed a change in my mindset about clutter.
You have way too much stuff, too? Can you find things when you need them? Is your space filled with clutter? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could think outside the box when it comes to your stuff? Imagine being able to consider everything you own with an entirely new perspective.
This post will help you do just that. It explains the power of intentionally owning less and how you can change your mindset. Hopefully, helping you declutter and finally get rid of that old calculus notebook or those business cards from the 2009 list.
When you’re working your way toward a better life with fewer things, you go all sorts of places mentally and emotionally. Your mindset for clutter evolves as you learn more. One of our major mindset shifts focuses on the reasons we want to declutter to carry on through even when we get tired and worn out.
If you’ve gotten to a pretty good point but still feel things might be off, it might be time for more inspection of your life.
I was taken aback when I finally realized that some of the things I spent time on! I thought it was leisure time, but it was not really what I wanted to do and just added to my staying more cluttered than I liked.
To see where this may come into play with you, consider where you spend your time. After I realized I would spend a lot of time scrolling through Facebook and shopping on Mercari and Poshmark for great deals, I tracked my time. To find a great deal, I would ‘hunt’ for them perpetually, and then what does this lead to?
Some adrenaline rush, obviously.. but also spending money, effort to bring the item into the home, and extra accumulation. I loved finding a bargain, but did I really need it at the time?
More importantly, though, was I realized just how much of my precious free time was going to somewhat pointless shopping. When I realized this, I felt a little defensive, thinking I saved the family a lot of money. I was a worker by day but also a home economist at night. Those hours I spent looking for a 3/4 sleeve Ann Taylor shirt were time I could have spent on something I enjoy, doing something with the family, or even working toward a significant life goal.
When I think about making progress on something I feel passionate about, I was able to break my habit. When I would take a peek at a shopping app, it wasn’t as enticing to even scour for the goodies anymore. I now see the time I spent online shopping as more detrimental to my time and accumulation.
I hope you can see it, too. It’s very freeing. Plus, if you still enjoy shopping like I used to, then that is okay. Just realize that it is something using your time and may lead to overconsumption. So if you want to do it, just know it, but it may help structure rules to relieve yourself from new clutter. You could implement the one-in, one-out rule.
Or if you do enjoy spending your time like this, and even maybe feel like you don’t really make a purchase unless you get a good deal, then good for you! It may still be wise to review the time spent and set limits for yourself, though, if you’re still dissatisfied with where you on with your life and what you’re able to accomplish.
Experience the freedom and power of this powerful thinking. You can achieve success!
