Francine Jay - The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life

the joy of less

a minimalist living guide

how to declutter,
organize, and
simplify your life

By
Francine Jay

The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life
Copyright 2010 by Francine Jaskiewicz
Published by Anja Press, Medford NJ (www.anjapress.com)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the copyright owner, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The information in this book is provided for informational purposes only, without any warranty of any kind. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, financial, medical, or other professional services. If legal, financial, medical, or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information in this book. Company and product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The mention of a company or website in this book is not an endorsement of the company or website, or the information or services it provides. Readers should be aware that websites listed in this book may have changed or disappeared since this book was written.

The small butterfly
moves as though unburdened by
the world of desire

Poem from The Spring of My Life: And Selected Haiku by Kobayashi Issa (Author) and Sam Hamill (Translator)

What if I told you that having less stuff could make you a happier person? It sounds a bit crazy, doesnt it? Thats because every day, and everywhere we turn, we receive thousands of messages to the contrary: buy this, and youll be prettier; own this, and youll be more successful; acquire this, and your happiness will know no bounds.

Well, weve bought this, that, and the other thing. So we must be in seventh heaven, right? For most of us, the answer is no. In fact, quite often, the opposite is true: many of these items, and their empty promises, are slowly sucking the money out of our pockets, the magic out of our relationships, and the joy out of our lives.

Do you ever look around your house, at all the things youve bought and inherited and been given, and feel overwhelmed instead of overjoyed? Are you struggling with credit card debt, and can barely recall the purchases on which youre making payments? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter out of your home, leaving you an opportunity for a fresh start? If so, then a minimalist lifestyle may well be your salvation.

First, lets pull this term minimalism down to earth. It seems to have acquired a somewhat intimidating, elitist air, as its often associated with chic, multimillion-dollar lofts with three pieces of furniture. The word conjures up images of spare, cool interiors, concrete floors, and gleaming white surfaces. It all sounds very sober, serious, and sterile. What role could it possibly play in lives filled with kids, pets, hobbies, junk mail, and laundry?

Most people hear the word minimalism and think empty. Unfortunately, empty isnt altogether appealing; its usually associated with loss, deprivation, and scarcity. But look at empty from another anglethink about what it is instead of what it isntand now you have space. Space! Thats something we could all use more of! Space in our closets, space in our garages, space in our schedules, space to think, play, create, and have fun with our familiesnow thats the beauty of minimalism.

Think of it this way: a container is most valuable when its empty. We cant enjoy fresh coffee when old grounds are in our cup; and we cant showcase our gardens blooms when wilted flowers fill the vase. Similarly, when our homesthe containers of our daily livesare overflowing with clutter, our souls take a backseat to our stuff. We no longer have the time, energy, and space for new experiences. We feel cramped and inhibited, like we cant fully stretch out and express ourselves.

Becoming minimalists puts us in control of our stuff. We reclaim our space, and restore function and potential to our homes. We remake our houses into open, airy, receptive containers for the substance of our lives. We declare independence from the tyranny of clutter. Its positively liberating!

Sounds greatbut how do we get there? Where do we start? How is this book different from all those other books on organizing your life?

Well, unlike other organizational books, this one isnt about buying fancy containers or storage systems to shuffle around your stuff; its about decreasing the amount of stuff you have to deal with. Furthermore, you wont have to answer quizzes, make checklists, or fill out chartswho has time for that? And there wont be dozens of case studies about other peoples junk; the focus here is on you.

Well start by cultivating a minimalist mindset. Dont worry; its not hard! Were just going to think about the rewards and benefits of a decluttered life; itll provide the motivation we need later when dealing with grandmas old china. Well learn to see our stuff for what it is, and weaken any power it may hold over us; and discover the freedom of living with just enough to meet our needs. Well even get a little philosophical, and ponder how our new minimalism will enrich our lives and effect positive change in the world.

Why all the talk? Because decluttering is like dieting. We can jump right in, count our possessions like we count calories, and starve ourselves to get fast results. All too often, however, well end up feeling deprived, go on a binge, and wind up right back where we started. First, we have to change our attitudes and our habitskind of like switching from a meat-and-potatoes to a Mediterranean diet. Developing a minimalist mindset will transform the way we make decisions about the stuff we have, and the stuff we bring into our lives. Instead of being a short-term fix, itll be a long-term commitment to a new, wonderful way of life.

After our mental warm-up, well learn the STREAMLINE methodthe top ten most effective techniques for achieving, and maintaining, a decluttered home. This is where the fun starts! Were going to have a fresh start for every drawer, every closet, and every room, and make sure that each thing we own makes a positive contribution to our households. Well give every item a proper place, and establish limits to keep things under control. Well steadily reduce the amount of stuff in our homes, and set up systems to ensure it doesnt pile up again in the future. Armed with these techniques, we will conquer clutter for good!

Each area of the house presents unique challenges. Therefore, well proceed room by room, exploring more specific ways to tackle each one. Well start in the family room, creating a flexible, dynamic space in which to pursue our leisure activities. Well debate the merits of each piece of furniture, and figure out what to do with all those books, DVDs, video games, and craft supplies. Then well move into the bedroom, where well purge the excess to produce a peaceful oasis for our weary souls. Our goal: a clear, calm, uncluttered space that relaxes and rejuvenates us.

Since so many of us suffer from overstuffed closets, well spend a whole chapter dealing with wardrobe issues. (Heed the advice therein, and youll look fabulous with a fraction of your current clothes.) Then once were in the groove, well attack the stacks of paperwork in our home offices, and reduce the flow into our inboxes from a flood to a trickle. Our minimalist makeover will tame even the messiest of workspaces!