Francine Jay - Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-free Life

Copyright 2019 by Francine Jay

Illustrations and hand-lettering copyright 2019 by Ryn Frank

Branch illustration and title lettering by Kimberly Glyder

Author photograph Kathy Howard Portrait

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhbooks.com

The Library of Congress has catalogued the print edition as follows:

Names: Jay, Francine, author.

Title: Lightly : how to live a simple, serene, and stress-free life / Francine Jay.

Description: Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018043606 (print) | LCCN 2018046472 (ebook) | ISBN 9781328588586 (ebook) | ISBN 9781328585035 (hardback)

Subjects: LCSH: Storage in the home. | Orderliness. | Stress management. | Time management. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / Time Management. | SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Happiness. | HOUSE & HOME / Sustainable Living.

Classification: LCC TX309 (ebook) | LCC TX309 .J395 2019 (print) | DDC 648/.8dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018043606

Book design by Melissa Lotfy

Cover design and illustration by Kimberly Glyder

Along a mountain path by Matsuo Basho translated by William R. Nelson and Takafumi Saito from 1020 Haiku in Translation: The Heart of Basho, Buson and Issa. English translation copyright 2006 by Takafumi Saito and William R. Nelson. Reprinted by permission of William R. Nelson.

Excerpts from The Adventure of a Skier translated by Ann Goldstein from Difficult Loves by Italo Calvino. Text copyright 1958 by Giulio Einaudi Editore, S.p.A. Torino. English translation 2017 by Ann Goldstein. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words are reprinted by permission of Friends of Peace Pilgrim.

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As we go about our days, life can get heavy. We dont set out to burden ourselves, but were naturally inclined to accumulate thingspossessions, responsibilities, emotionsrather than release them. And when were trying to keep up with work, family, and other commitments, we dont even notice the inflow. Before we know it, our closets are overstuffed, our calendars are overbooked, and our spirits are overwhelmed.

But heres the good news: It doesnt have to be that way. If we want, we can shake off many of those burdens and live more lightly. We can breeze through our days rather than drag through them. In this book, Ill show you how.

First, let me tell you why I became a minimalist: I fell in love with traveling lightly. After a few trips lugging around a heavy suitcase, I vowed henceforth to travel with just a small carry-on. The experience was liberating! Without the excess baggage, I felt free as a birdenergetic, unencumbered, and ready for anything.

I wanted to re-create this same feeling of freedom in my everyday life. So in between trips, I cleared the excess from my household. Every bag of discards felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders.

Lightly became my mantra. It started with the stuff in my home but grew to encompass my entire life. Whether I was facing an excess of cookware, commitments, or anxieties, Id ask myself: How can I cast off some of this weight?

As I pared down, my spirits soared. Stress and fatigue fell away. I began to move through my days with more ease, efficiency, and grace.

Lightly transformed my life, and it can transform yours, too.

This book is a minimalist manual for everyonewhether you want to strip down your stuff to the essentials or simply free some space in your coat closet. Whether you want to overhaul your schedule or just gain an hour or two in the evening. Whether you want to change your entire outlook on life or just get rid of a nagging guilt.

You can lighten up a little or a lot. How far you take it is entirely up to you. In these pages, Ill give you all the techniques, the philosophy, and the inspiration you need. Theyll be here for you whenever youre ready.

Theres no shortage of decluttering books on the marketperhaps youve read a few yourself. Maybe the methods didnt work for you; or they did, but the clutter has started to creep back in. Maybe you purged your excess and organized the rest, but havent achieved the satisfaction and serenity you expected. Perhaps youre wondering, Whats the point? or Whats next?

Lightly is different: It goes beyond declutteringfar beyondto uplift your thoughts, your actions, every moment and aspect of your life. When you declutter and call it a day, its easy to backslide. But when your entire life is aligned to a guiding principleto live lightlyyoull find a new sense of purpose and fulfillment, and a powerful incentive to stay on the path.

The best part: Theres no pressure. You dont have to follow a program, do everything in order, or do it all at once. Ive written this book so you can pick it up anytime, turn to any page, and be inspired.

The first section, Lighten Your Stuff, shows you exactly how to slim down the contents of your home. Simplifying your surroundings is the first step toward living more lightly; an open, airy space calms your soul and lifts your spirit.

Possessions can be powerful psychological triggers; its almost as if emotions get stuck to your stuff. When you release physical clutter, mental clutter often gets swept away with it, giving you a jump start on your path to inner well-being.

Lightening up your stuff doesnt have to be tedious or complicated. Ive distilled the process to a few powerful techniques that make it easy and enjoyable. Whether youre tackling one drawer or an entire room, they make light work of letting go.

Which brings me to an important point: Feel free to start small and go slowly. Most of us dont have the time or energy to clear out our entire homes in one fell swoop. Instead, we do our decluttering in fits and starts when we have a free hour or two.

Thats why Ive devoted separate sections to each category of stuff. Think of it like a recipe book for minimalism: Whatever youre reducing, from books to bags to shoes to sheets, you can turn to the relevant page for advice and inspiration. No need to read through an entire chapter when youre just wondering how to pare down your plates.

And you dont have to follow the sections in order. Start with stuff thats easy for you, and work your way up to bigger challenges. If you have no strong attachment to your office supplies or kitchen gadgets, work on those first. When you see how good it feels to let go, youll build the confidence and momentum to address your beloved books or family heirlooms.

The general techniques, plus category-specific advice, are all you need to eliminate the excess. Go for it! Ill be right here to hold your hand and help you through it.

I start with curating your home simply because its the natural entry point to a lighter lifestyle. Its hard to focus on more abstract burdens, like your commitments and worries, when youre surrounded by clutter. Its also easier to develop non-attachment to superficial things (like your socks) before diving into the deeper waters of your mind and spirit. But if youve already tidied up, feel free to leap right in to later sections; you can always come back to the Stuff chapter if you need a refresher.