Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

If there's one thing many of us have learned from the COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing, it's that having more space on our calendars for relationships, creativity, and rest has been a blessing.  Maybe we didn't realize the toxic effects of constant commitments, appointments, and giant to-do lists, but in hindsight they're easy to see.  We have an opportunity to make different choices going forward.  (If you missed Part 4,  here it is .) Part 5 - Unbusy 67.  Learn to say no. This can be a challenge, but you'll be happier if you have enough time and energy for what really matters to you.  If your heart doesn't say "Hell yes!" then just say no . 68.  Create white space. Don't cram your calendar – limit your commitments.  Let go of what has become a burden, and make space for serenity and serendipity. 69.  Delegate. You don't have to do everything yourself.  Get employees to help with projects, and your spouse and kids to help

If there's one area of our modern lives that's supposed to bring freedom and ease, yet often wastes so much time and creates frustrating complications, it's technology.  We can't live without it, but we need to make sure it's serving us, not stealing our energy and attention.  I hope this list inspires a positive change, however small.  (For Part 3, go  here .) Part 4 – Office and tech 50.  Stop as much incoming paper as possible. Get off mailing lists, cancel catalogs, and sign up for online billing and statements.  Don't accept flyers, handouts, or freebie newspapers. 51.  Sort mail now. Don't set it down somewhere it doesn't belong.  Piles grow when you neglect them, so take a few minutes right away. Junk mail can go straight into recycling (shred anything with personal information). File important papers (like a new investment statement or insurance declarations page) immediately; remove and shred what's outdated. Keep an "

Moving on today to one of the busiest rooms in anyone's home – the kitchen.  This is where we gather for nourishment and connection, yet it is also often the place where clutter gathers and sticks.  But little changes can truly have a big impact.  (If you missed Part 2, go  here .) Part 3 – In the kitchen 37.  Plan meals in advance. You'll spend less time staring into the refrigerator, wondering what to make, and be less likely to give up and call for takeout. 38.  Shop with a grocery list. Avoid making extra trips for forgotten items, and control impulse purchases too.  It could be worth the effort to create a master list of items you use regularly.  Print copies and check off items as you run out. 39.  Eat real food. Simple, unmodified, unprocessed foods are healthier, cheaper, and delicious. 40.  Quit bottled drinks...  ...including bottled water .  Install a water filter, or buy a filtering pitcher.  And soft drinks have absolutely no redeeming qualities. 

Continuing my list of ways to simplify, saving time, space, energy, or money, and bringing more serenity and satisfaction every day (find Part 1  here ). Part 2 – Wardrobe and grooming 25.  Hang up clothes, or put them in a laundry hamper, as soon as you take them off. Keep re-wearable clothing fresher and wrinkle-free, and your room more spacious and restful.  Use chairs for sitting, not piling. 26.  Organize your clothes by category. Hang all your trousers, skirts, or shirts together so you can quickly find what you need. 27.  Corral accessories. Use a drawer for scarves, a rack for necklaces, or a box for rings and earrings, rather than scattering them about. 28.  Don't be a fashion victim. Chasing trends is a waste of time and money. 29.  Know what flatters you. Avoid accumulating a closet full of wardrobe mistakes. 30.  Choose a base color for your wardrobe. It's so much easier to create outfits when all of your clothes go with a neutral base.  This do

I've been striving to simplify my life for more than 20 years, and for the last 18 months I've been writing about it.  I've learned that little changes in our environment, habits, and attitudes can have a big impact. So I thought I'd compile a list of ways to simplify.  Of course, not every item on this list will work for every person who reads it.  But I hope that you will find something that inspires a change, however small.  I'd love to help you save time, space, energy, or money, and to show you ways to find more serenity and satisfaction every day. Part 1 - Around the house 1.  Ditch the TV (or simply turn it off). If you're like the average viewer, you could save well over 100 hours every month, leaving you with time to do things that add value to your life.  And as a bonus, less exposure to commercials makes it easier to buy less, leaving you with more money and less clutter. 2.  If you do watch TV, save it for after dinner. Don't turn it on

We all like to have a little reassurance that we'll make it through hard times.  We want something we can lean on or gather around us for comfort. Business people call that kind of safeguard a "hedge."  Hedging, in finance, is a risk management strategy.  It deals with reducing or eliminating uncertainty.  For example, if you buy homeowner's insurance, you're hedging yourself against fires, break-ins or other calamities.  Generally, when people hedge, they try to protect themselves against a negative event. Common hedges If you live in tornado, hurricane, or blizzard territory, you likely keep at least a few days' worth of non-perishable food, water, batteries, a radio, and other supplies on hand.  Some hedgers adopt a prepper mentality.  They stockpile large amounts of survival necessities, along with guns, cash, gasoline, and more. Having a few extra essentials on hand is probably a good idea, and certainly a means of reducing anxiety in the event of a

Most of us face an endless barrage of choices, one after the other, all day, such as: What should I wear?   What should I eat?   What should I do first?   What should I do after that?   Should I answer this text or email now, or should I finish what I'm working on? When we go to a store or a restaurant, we wonder:  Should I order the cheeseburger or the turkey wrap?   Should I buy the green skirt or the floral one?   Will I be happy with this car or that one?   It can be exhausting – and that's not all. Whatever we select, we may fear that another option would have been better.  And although we may think that more choice is a good thing, too many alternatives can slow us down, make it harder to decide, and even make us question our competence.   As Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and author of The Paradox of Choice , writes, "It's not clear that more choice gives you more freedom.  It could decrease our freedom if we spend so much

My husband came home one Friday at the end of a busy week, took his shoes off, and left them sitting by the front door.  He took his backpack over to the dining table and left it on the floor behind his chair.  Then he asked what plans I had for the evening. How did I greet him? Did I give him a kiss and say, "Hi, honey, I'm glad you're home"? Did I tell him I'd been thinking we could try a new restaurant for dinner? Did I notice the shoes and backpack and ask him to please put them away?  (After all, it would only take a minute.) Did I notice the shoes and backpack and simply put them away for him myself?  ( Only a minute , remember.) Unfortunately... My choice was "none of the above." I immediately launched into a tirade about the fact that his shoes didn't belong on the floor by the front door and his backpack didn't belong in the dining room. Of course, he got a bit huffy when I berated him, and so we began our evening with an ar

So you've decided you want all the benefits of decluttering:  more space, more time, more freedom, and a clearer idea of what really matters to you and how you want to use your energy and money to create your best life.   But you don't want to spend months slowly paring down your possessions.  Maybe you're afraid you'll get bogged down and sidetracked, or that you'll become discouraged and give up.  Maybe you're just impatient and  ready to get on with a streamlined life . You can do this now. For more immediate results, follow the example of blogger and motivational speaker Ryan Nicodemus.  He threw a party – a Packing Party .  He and his friend Joshua Fields Millburn (together they're known as The Minimalists) packed all of his belongings as if he were moving.  Kitchenware, clothes, linens, electronics, decorative items, mementos, furniture – everything .  After several hours, it was stacked halfway to the ceiling in his living room.  There were boxes s

There's a public service announcement on New Zealand TV that's a good message for all of us during this COVID-19 quarantine: Don't think of all you're giving up, think of everything you're gaining. What does it mean? Don't mourn the loss of your always-on-the-go life.   Allow yourself to grasp how trivial some of your concerns were and how much false urgency you let yourself respond to.  Appreciate a slower pace.  Don't bemoan the shopping trips you can't take.   Celebrate your lack of new clutter, your freedom from new debt, and the creativity you're discovering as you use what you already have. Don't complain about your inability to purchase entertainment at movie theaters, bowling alleys, casinos, theme parks, restaurants, etc.  Relax and revel in all the time you have to read, garden, cook, craft, walk, bicycle, watch the sunset, and talk to your nearest and dearest. Don't fret that you can't travel.   Be thankful that you

Is it possible that one day we'll look back on the COVID-19 quarantine with gratitude? Of course, I'm not suggesting we'd be thankful for illness and death, or economic hardship.  But maybe we'll learn to appreciate more time at home with our families less commuting and more telecommuting fewer appointments and less hurry more walking and biking less indulgent and exotic travel and more learning to appreciate our local and regional attractions for schools, less emphasis on test scores and more emphasis on what students are reading, writing, and creating fewer frivolous connections and more meaningful ones strengthened with phone calls, video chats, even handwritten cards and letters With so much more time on our hands, might we finally discover that we're unsatisfied with excessive scrolling, TV, or video games?  Once those dull, even depressing, time wasters are exposed, might we see a revival of activities that challenge and refresh us? I can dream, can't I? Y

Your home is like a mirror that reflects you.  Studies demonstrate an interesting property of mirrors:  If you smile every time you catch your own reflection, you will, at least temporarily, feel happier and see yourself as a happier person. If your house makes you relax and smile, there's a pretty good chance your mindset will start to reflect your environment.  And guess what – all of these home improvements are free! 5 more things you can do to create a happier, healthier house 1.  Make room for connection and nourishment. Don't use dinner tables, coffee tables, armchairs, or your couch as storage spots and dumping grounds.  Clear off surfaces to facilitate easy gathering .  Encourage quality face-to-face time by turning chairs and couches toward each other instead of the television.  And speaking of TV: save it for after dinner.  Give your family 30 minutes for distraction-free communal dining. Go deeper:   After a certain hour, put everyone's cellphones in a fami

Houses are like mirrors, and over time they come to reflect the people who live in them.  So a house can tell you quite a bit. Some houses say that the people who live there are bright, optimistic, and fulfilled.  Others send the message that the inhabitants are stagnant, overwhelmed, or that they no longer care.  What does your house say about you? 5 things you can do to create a happier, healthier house 1.  Create a working entry. Ditch the morning ritual of a frenzied search for your keys when you're already running late.  Instead, put your entry to work.  Consider a hook for your keys, a tray for sunglasses or mail, a small bulletin board for a calendar or reminders, and a mirror for a last-minute appearance check before heading out. Go deeper:  Place all of these things on a table with concealed shelves for storing your shoes.  You'll keep them handy but out of sight, remove a tripping hazard, and stop tracking in dirt and debris. 2.  Improve the scenery. You do