WHOLE HOUSE declutter // make room for what matters
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2023
- Decluttering to make room for what matters is the BEST INCENTIVE I've ever found. So, why do you want more simplicity in life? What do you want to make room for?
🎙 MENTIONED
Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki: amzn.to/3DXHkuk
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Music licensed by Epidemic Sound.
Sometimes I have to ask myself why I can't let something go. Sometimes the answer is "my mother wouldn't let this go" or "my fantasy-self won't let this go".
Such a great question!
No, do not get rid of the gorgeous antique cabinet. Items like that are what lend depth and character to a home. Even if it's empty right now, that's great! That means free empty storage space in your home. Just resist the urge to fill it over time :) loved this video.
When she said "should I declutter it?" I literally said out-loud NOOO!
@@itsmeganaimee yes.. please.. declutter it into my house!! lol :) !!
lol, this one got me! I'm genuinely enjoying the debate. And, I cannot decide!
I would let it go. And the reason behind that is because it will need maintenance. Dusting, cleaning behind it, vacuuming under it. I personally don’t keep anything that takes up floor space unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s so freeing not having to move a lot of stuff around when cleaning.
maybe a family member or friend could use it? then is is out of your house but with someone you know wants it! I get rid of any/all containers so I don't have the urge to refill @@papertownhome
I love decluttering, every few months i have a reset so things don't build up too much. I love things to be cosy in my home, but not cluttered. I really enjoyed your video, thank you :)
Great job! About letting go when things feel hard, you can always have a buffer spot. I do this by putting things I'm unsure about in the trunk of my car because it gets it out of my home, and I can see what it is like to live without it. Rarely do I bring anything back into my home. I don't feel like I'm forced to decide right away, and sometimes it has taken me months with something in the trunk of my car before I decided I could let it go.
Love that! And, great term for it too!
You motivate me to declutter my whole house again and again although it's not many stuffs left
Every few months I feel like I have new eyes and more can go. Also, with life changes some things really do run their course.
Love, love what you said about minimalism not being the objective. I’ve never heard that quote before, so thank you!
That's awesome! I agree. I thought it was a really insightful perspective from the author.
I remember being SO OVER sofa pillows on the floor, and I only ever had tow or three at the most. Getting rid of them made feel like I could take more in on an inhale! Funny how something so small can make such a big difference.
I know! The simplest changes make so much more impact than you'd ever expect.
New subscriber and I love your videos. My season of life is quite past yours. I am 77. You really have good ideas and alot of common sense. Wish you continued success
Welcome and thank you!!
You're doing great. 🌞 I've been a minimalist for just over 3 years now, and it feels so soothing and free. 😁 All the best from UK. 💛
Yes! Thank you! All the best to you!
Focus on what's being kept - the 10/10 stuff. Letting things go says yes to priorities.
🙌
What a great, calming video ❤
Thank you! 🙂 Thanks for watching!
Just found your channel and I love it. I have listened to Goodbye Things at least 20 times! Love it! Love Walden also. I really like how you have included in your videos the "why" for decluttering and minimalism. Here's what I'd like to know: has it worked? Has decluttering helped you to actually have more time to do those things you wanted to do? I have always been more of a minimalist because stuff overwhelms me, but I'm just delving into the "why" and "what" I want more time and space for. I have a very large family, and want to make the most of my days and years with them.
Hey Buffy! Thank you so much for reaching out with your question. The short answer is YES it has absolutely helped. It hasn't eliminated the work and day-to-day of managing a home, but it brought it to a level of responsibility that didn't overwhelm me. So, bear with me, because this is a LONG response.
I started my simple life journey with two things: 1) I decluttered my kitchen and 2) I started doing the laundry every day.
By decluttering the kitchen I made the process of preparing food easier. Rather than digging through 20 pots and pans, I could easily reach for the one I needed without having to shift anything. Rather than struggling with an overstuffed cooking utensils drawer, it opened and closed easily. These things sound small, but after simplifying my kitchen I discovered that these small struggles had been cumulatively adding up and stealing my energy and emotional capacity throughout my days. It wasn’t until they were eliminated that I realized how impactful they actually were. I NEVER would have been able to anticipate that. l had to actually try out living with less. And then I was hooked. Once I knew the impact that minimizing could have on my life, I just needed helpful decluttering tactics and time to get the stuff out. The first round took about 3-4 months.
Doing the laundry every day was also very useful. It made me realize that daily habits would alleviate the mental clutter of undone chores and give me back free time. It was hard for me to pull the trigger on daily laundry. First I thought it would be wasteful to wash clothes without having a full load. Then I thought it would take too much time (I was accustomed to laundry involving a week's worth of accumulation so it normally took hours). I pushed myself to just try it and the result was SO MUCH EASE around that chore. It also freed up the hours spent doing laundry on weekends.
When I started on this journey, I worked full time and wasn't getting enough time with my daughter. I decided that my responsibilities in the home had to be changed into something manageable that could be done in bite-sized chunks every day. Otherwise, I'd spend the whole week away from her at work and the whole weekend working in our house. That "why" was very powerful for me. I also think it helped that I experienced impactful changes very quickly. It's why I encourage people to focus on these questions:
What is the stuff in my house that most demands my time?
What is the stuff that weighs on my mind?
These questions can help you figure out where to start in your own decluttering or in the habits that might help you in your home management. For me, decluttering the kitchen made a big difference, but I can't assume that's the barrier for everyone.
The final question I ask when decluttering is, Does the value an item adds to my life outweigh what it demands of me?
Everything in life is a **trade off**. The instant pot may cook chicken really quickly, but it also needs to be cleaned, maintained, stored, etc. So, is it providing enough value to be worth the work that goes into maintaining it?
I think that finding our "why" is an important part of this process. And, I suspect it was a huge factor in my success. There are big, psychological barriers that hit us when we declutter. Guilt and scarcity mindset about purchases we've made. Fantasies about the type of women we are or the kind of mothers we want to be. Discomfort about letting go of sentimental items or family heirlooms. I could go on and on. I think that because I wanted more time with my daughter it helped me to move past these barriers. It was very obvious to me that she mattered more than any of my hangups and that life is full of trade offs.
I hope this response helps! These are difficult questions and I'm still learning how to answer them well.
Thank you for the time you took to reply. I think it helped to solidify my decision to keep going this route. I’m a clean freak so I stay on top of everything all.the.time. But I’m finding that the process could be much smoother and faster if there wasn’t the excess. Convincing a husband and six children of this is another battle 😂
@@buffybowman1192 That is VERY true! You have a different challenge with a larger family and older children. I can tell you that Steve (my husband) was supportive, but wasn't on board to the extent that I was. There are areas of our home that are not simplified as much as I would like because that's his preference. So, I focused on the areas that impacted me and my daily life the most. Doing that did help Steve to see the value in this work, though it took a little while. As for kids, if you haven't seen The Minimal Mom's videos on working with kids, I'd highly recommend!
@@buffybowman1192girl, I hear you. We're a family of 9 and by George, it's an uphill battle. I have decluttered before but it's time again.
I just found your channel and binged all your vlogs! They’re very relatable and down to earth❤
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🥰 And thank you for watching!
I just happened on your youtube. Maybe when you go through the toys, you could put them in a "time will tell bin" ala The Minimal Mom. This way you could see if you or your children really, really miss them.
If they are super sentimental, maybe start a memory bin for each of the children and save some toys there. (I'm 68 with seven children. I saved one outfit per child. And they all grew up to say, "no thanks, mom" for what that's worth!)
I also would let go of the piece of furniture that you have emptied. If you keep it, the top will become a catch all and you will find yourself refilling the cupboards. Again, for what it's worth and just my opinion.
Thank you! I was **literally** just looking at my toy closet and thinking, it's time to give the baby toys a new home. So hard to say goodbye to that phase of life! And, I agree. The cabinet doesn't have a need anymore. :)
Lol to the last part! I have saved some things for my girls and I can definitely see them saying "no thanks" one day. Hahaha. Thanks for the encouragement to let go of some things.
So excited to have seen your channel!!!! Love your style of videos! 😍😍😍
Welcome!!
Wow! You did a great job. I’ve been struggling with decluttering. I get analysis paralysis and a lot of times just end up not getting rid of anything. Today, however, I actually decluttered some things and I was so excited! On the items I was going back and forth with, I asked myself “If this item spontaneously combusts, would I want to go and get another one?” I said no to the items in question and it was an easy “No” after that for those items! I was so happy.
I look forward to your toy declutter video. I struggle with that too. I think that the ‘time with tell’ box will really help if you are on the fence with toys. There was only one item my son asked for and so that was the only thing he got back. The rest is either donate or in rotation.
Thank you for sharing, and congrats on having some break throughs. I love love that question! And, sometimes I really wish some of my things would combust, lol.
I think you're right that a toy declutter video is in the future. I've gotten some wonderful encouragement from other moms here and it's helping me prepare mentally!
@@papertownhome isn’t it the truth! Then we wouldn’t have to go through it all. I wish you luck with your upcoming decluttering!
I really valued this video😊 Also, about to move house, so this is helping me get excited about clarifying my goals. All the best!
That's wonderful! Good luck with your move.
Subscribed
Loved this declutter style video
Thanks for watching and following the channel!
Amazing job, love your videos and the way it is filmed. Keep up the good work!!
Side note: less typing, more talking so we can enjoy the scenes. What you wrote is gold btw 🙈( i think it's better to hear them 🙈)
Thanks for the tip! I'm so used to working with a team, so it's strange to not have people to run ideas/approaches past. Very helpful to get audience input!
goodbye things barely talks about kids stuff, but its still equally amazing and my favourite book!
Soooo true! His version of minimalism is not attainable for me, but it's AMAZING inspo.
Great videos, very insightful and applicable for me at this point in my life. My husband and I are retiring and selling our home. Our plan is to travel in our 19 foot camper for a while and see the U.S. I have been decluttering for quite some time and have done quite well. My struggle is clothing, we currently live in New England, but in about a month we will head south west, and I know I won't need heavy coats, boots, gloves, etc.. but I am like variety in my clothing..and I don't know what the weather will be everywhere. I feel foolish clinging to more than what I need. I am striving for the capsule wardrobe and yet I have that fear of "not enough"....any words of wisdom? thank you1
Hey Elizabeth! Thanks so much for watching and for asking your question. I think clothes can often be the hardest to simplify - especially for those of us who enjoy variety. I sort of got forced into living with a smaller wardrobe because of my body changes (and my laziness about shopping for new clothes). But, having had the opportunity to live with a smaller wardrobe I found that I really, really loved the freedom that came with it. Here are some tactics you might consider...
1. Curated Collection: Rather than thinking about your clothes through the lens of "decluttering" or things to getting rid of, try to build a "curated collection" of your favorite clothes, the things that you choose to wear most and things that will mix and match well with each other. Some strategies that employ this approach are the 10-item wardrobe (10 core pieces and a few extras for special occasions and lounge wear) or the 333 strategy (33 items for 3 months, extra items in storage). If you Google either of those approaches you'll find great info from the original creators.
2. Seasonal and Time Will Tell bins: Both of the approaches I mentioned above use bins to store away clothes that are out of rotation. This might be because you're testing living without the thing (a "time will tell" bin) or because it's not seasonally appropriate. Typically, I use "time will tell" bins for items that I want to test living without, but am not yet confident enough to declutter. Most things in those bins get donated down the road. And, it's helpful to have a "donate-by" date in mind for those things. Seasonal bins are just a necessity if you have multiple seasons or, in your case, if you're traveling a lot and experiencing different climates. My recommendation with a seasonal bin is to set a container rule. This means, you decide that you'll have one bin (whatever size you choose) and all your out of rotation clothes have to fit into that bin. This will help you to keep a few extra things on hand, but not let it get out of hand.
3. Onion Method: This is a decluttering strategy whereby you take multiple passes through each category (e.g., clothing, kitchen items, etc.) in your home. Essentially, you do one sweep of decluttering your closet, live with that for a little while, then you take another pass. Each sweep you'll likely let go of more things and start to enjoy living with less. When you start to enjoy and truly see the freedom of less then you'll feel motivated to let go of more.
4. Limited Palette: This is a strategy I used for years (before minimalism). Basically, I decided that my wardrobe would consist of a limited color palette. I picked two neutrals and one color. For me this was black, navy and a royal blue. This helped to slim things down SIGNIFICANTLY because I didn't need black and brown boots, just black. I didn't ever buy an item that wasn't in the pre-determined color palette. For me, there was enough variety in the style of clothes I chose and the textures I selected, but the color palette was simplified.
Most likely, you'll find that a mix of these different methods will help you get to your goal of a simplified wardrobe. My guess (though I don't know the details of your situation) is that you probably need to test living without the larger wardrobe before you'll feel comfortable letting go of things. When I started this process I had SIX "time will tell" bins in the basement 🤣. Then, every week or so I'd go down and reevaluate what I'd kept. This eventually got me down to where I am now: a 10-item wardrobe in current rotation, one "time will tell" bin (still holding out hope on a few items, lol), and one seasonal bin.
Good luck in your decluttering! Congrats on the new phase of life. It sounds amazing! And, you've got me thinking more deeply about the subject of decluttering clothes so you can expect a future video on it.
@@papertownhome I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas and personal experiences. I think a combination of a curated closet, onion method and limited palette strategy may be perfect for my situation. Makes such sense to wear what you love, in the colors you love and reach for and when something doesn't work any longer, let it go! I hope you decided to share your fall wardrobe with us. I was very inspired and the simplicity of choosing and caring for a small wardrobe seems very freeing. Best of luck on your channel, I really do find your content, and video style very honest, real and relatable.
hey get rid of it all you won´t miss it!
lol, don't tempt me! Haha.
So it's funny you bring up pillows and I look at them like yes use the ones that are just there for your comfort and not for decoration and I swear like you hit that right there on the point where you think that nail is going to go in the wall you hit it right on point and go straight in I am there with you sweetheart and I tell you like when I got rid of my pillows it was just like a relief because I don't have to trip over them on the floor I don't have to worry about them popping up I don't have to worry about anybody criticizing my decoration I criticized myself because I kept them around thinking what they would think and I was just horrified at the point of someone criticizing me like why do you have pillows around when it's only you and technically it's none of your business what I have in my house it's how I want to live and how you choose those words it was just a blessing in disguise so I give you that strength and I give you that blessing of my word like I will support you 100%
sell the chunky cabinet girl!
Hahaha, love this
Γιατι δεν εχετε Ελληνικη μεταφραση?
I have no idea! But, I'm looking into it. Thanks for letting me know :)