These Oldies Still Have the Goods: Revisit Them for New Inspiration

By
At least 350,000 words – that's about what it comes to.  Almost 400 posts, not to mention a dozen books.


It continues to surprise me that I have written so much.  Some of you have been here for all of it.  Thank you.


Back in November 2018, when I published my first post, I knew very little about blogging.  I'd always been a writer in various ways, and particularly enjoyed writing essays from a personal point of view.


(I can just imagine my brother saying, "What a weirdo.  Essay writing?  Are you kidding me?!)


And here we are today, nearly 45 months later, on post number 399.


old typewriter



This one's a little different.


Even though I continue writing about decluttering, minimalism, gratitude, and other values of a simpler mindset and lifestyle, I work hard to create new content with fresh insights and ideas.


But sometimes it's good to revisit the oldies.  We grow and change, and come to that old material with new eyes and different needs than we had before.


So today I'm featuring three favorite old posts that I think you'll enjoy reading again.


Each has been tweaked and updated, retitled, and in some cases completely revised and expanded.  In my humble opinion, the content of these posts is quite good, and I think your takeaway will be high.


So pour a glass of iced tea (add frozen berries, citrus slices, or some mint or basil leaves for a bit of kick), get comfortable, and click through to these posts.





3 old/new posts

1.  5 Ways to Live More Simply – Even if You Can't Declutter Yet

Decluttering made a huge difference to my life, but it isn't what made the biggest difference.  Instead, a few simple mindset shifts brought me more peace at home and work – even before I launched my epic decluttering project.


Even if you can't carve out time to declutter right now, these five simple steps will change the way you think.  Change your life with minimalism today, even if you can't declutter yet.


delicious iced tea
2.  The Best Way to Clear Clutter – Plus 12 Steps to a Successful Spending Freeze

There are a lot of ways to begin decluttering, but for many of us there is an essential first step.  That's because decluttering isn't only about what leaves your home.


This post is chock-full of some of my best strategies for controlling the impulse to buy what you don't need.  It's a lot to take in, so remember to practice one step at a time.


3.  20 Ways to Increase Happiness by Being Kind

The world can always use more kindness, but did you know that kindness has a boomerang effect?  Thoughtful, generous behavior has been scientifically proven to make the instigator happy.  Everyone wins!


I would love to hear from you if you have more ideas about simple, effective ways to treat others the way you'd like to be treated.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 Fun, No-Risk Ways to Try a Minimalist Wardrobe Today

By
Image
Is your closet bulging with clothes, yet you feel like you have nothing to wear?  Do you shop often for new pieces, yet still feel unsatisfied with what you own?  I've been where you are.  Maybe, like me, what you really need is a minimalist wardrobe. A minimalist wardrobe is a small, carefully chosen collection of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched to create dozens of outfits.  When you streamline and craft your wardrobe in this way, you can break free of the never-ending cycle of buying, purging, and buying even more clothes. I realize that a minimalist wardrobe can sound scary.  When you're used to an overstuffed closet, the idea of paring down in order to gain more usable choices seems impossible, impractical, and like something you're going to regret. I had similar feelings when I first tried a minimalist wardrobe years ago.  That's why I've created this list of ways to test the idea before you make a full commitment.  It's an approachable way t
Read more

9 Best Shopping Hacks for Your Successful Minimalist Wardrobe

By
Image
If you haven't already checked it out...  I was named an expert in an ApartmentGuide article. Check out the featured article : How to Declutter Your Home Fast: Tips From Our Experts | ApartmentGuide I used to spend most weekends and even some evenings after work shopping for clothes.  I often told myself I was "just looking," but the truth is, the more we "look," the more we buy.  I couldn't keep money in a savings account, and I always had credit card debt, but it took me many years to notice the connection between my shopping habits and my lack of funds.  (I know – dumb.) So I had a closet full of clothes, but "nothing" to wear – or so I told myself as I made yet another trip to the mall.  I'd buy clothes that I'd wear once or twice, at which point I'd realize I didn't like them as much as I thought, they didn't look as good on me as I had believed, or they had stretched, shrunk, faded, balled up, or otherwise been ruined in
Read more

6 Ways Minimalism Will Make You Happy

By
Image
Maybe you've been decluttering and organizing for a while now.  You're making progress, but you're not really feeling that serenity and happiness all the minimalists talk and write about. Yes, things are more manageable in your home.  You're not spending so much time searching for things or deciding what to wear.  And yes, your home is... shall we say prettier ?  You're looking at fewer piles of neglected things, fewer things that you kept out of guilt or inertia, and more things that you actually enjoy seeing.  The things that bring a smile to your face.... Oops.  Sorry, that just snuck in.  I'm writing about how you're not feeling the joy, and how you're wondering why you should continue with all of this minimizing.  Let's try again. 6 reasons to get excited about having less 1.  You're saving money. Seriously, start keeping track of the money you save because you're not buying stuff you don't need.  Remember the cute merchandise you
Read more

How Minimalism Has Made Me Rich

By
Image
We only get to spend our money once.  So every time we buy something, we're making two statements: I don't have enough (which might be true when it comes to food, gas, toilet paper, or some other things). This thing is more valuable than anything else I could have done with my money (again, sometimes this is true). Every time we make a purchase, we have less money for something else.  Yes, we can make more money, but that takes our time and energy – and those things are finite. So our choices of how to spend are more momentous than we think. That's why my Starbucks habit is a problem, or maybe why your clothes-buying or music- and app-downloading habits might be problems.  Maybe we can technically "afford" those things (that is, we aren't using credit to buy them), but is that the best way for us to use our money? A true windfall I recently received a small bequest from my Uncle Clarence, who passed away early last year.  His wife Alice, who predeceased him, w
Read more

Here Are My 10 Essentials - What Are Yours?

By
Image
I was reading an older post by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits fame, and he mentioned a semi-regular feature on GQ called 10 Essentials .  Each entry features a designer, entrepreneur, or celebrity naming 10 things that are essential to them. A valuable exercise I won't link to GQ's feature, because within moments of looking I could see that it was basically a hard sell for luxury consumerism.  But I love the concept, and think it would be useful – and possibly fun – to think about the 10 things that are my essentials. 1.  What I wear Jeans.   Almost every day I put on a pair of black or dark wash jeans.  I love the comfort and versatility of jeans (you can dress them up or down).  The ones I buy are designed for my plus-size body, but almost everyone can find a style and cut of jeans that fits them, looks and feels good, and wears well. 2.  What I also wear Sketchers Go Walk shoes.   Affordable, comfortable, simply designed – black Go Walks * are my daily shoes. * This blog is read
Read more