How a Naked Table Makes My Home Life Better

By
What's so great about minimalism?  My naked table is a perfect example of the benefits.


You might think a naked table is boring, impersonal, or lifeless.  "Those minimalists live in a sterile white box.  Ugh!" But that nakedness is temporary.  The table gets covered with stuff every day.


But it always starts out naked.


naked table





Room for life.


The naked table leaves room for the life that happens in my home every day.  It's always up for anything.


When we're ready to use it, we don't have to move flowers, candles, or a centerpiece, or find somewhere to put them out of the way.  The table is bare of keys, sunglasses, and neglected piles of mail.  It's empty and ready to be filled with the things and activities we care about.


And when we finish with a project, we put the pieces away, wipe the table, and leave it naked and ready for whatever happens next.


We fill the table with life and activity:

  • meals
  • games
  • crafts
  • schoolwork
  • writing projects
  • and more...




Choose less to get more.


naked table
The naked table is like the rest of my minimalist home – clutter-free and ready for real life.  I don't waste much time taking care of things that don't matter – I spend my time doing and enjoying things that do matter.  I also gain:


1.  More ease

Too much stuff made me feel like I had an endless to-do list.  There was always something to take care of, which could make me feel defeated even before I began.  But when I simplified, there were fewer things competing for my time and attention.  It became easier to do what's necessary to keep life flowing smoothly. 


2.  More money

When I stopped spending money on things I didn't need, or that I didn't wind up using, I had more money to spend on my priorities.  I don't mean to imply that all my purchases are perfect.  But I'm more intentional about shopping, and I have less waste and more satisfaction than I did before.





3.  More clarity

Less clutter means fewer distractions.  Less to keep track of.  More opportunity to figure out the important stuff – your goals, values, and what your life is for.  (Hint:  It's not for gaining the most stuff.)


4.  More resilience.

When we're overwhelmed and over-committed, there's no margin for flexibility.  It's harder to adapt to the unexpected, which is a real problem because unexpected things happen all the time.  With more space in our homes and on our calendars, we have room to maneuver and make do.


5.  More connection.

With fewer chores, we have more time to be with the people we care about.  Instead of spending all day cleaning, organizing, or running errands (or just giving in to the chaos), we can tend to what needs to be done in a shorter time, leaving more time and energy for relationships.  We can place people over things and keep them there.


naked table
6.  More gratitude.

When we let go of what we don't need or use, we're more grateful for what's left, because those items are valuable and important.  I can't say I cherish my three pairs of jeans, but I certainly take good care of them, because they're all I have.


With fewer things clamoring for our attention, we can notice and feel grateful for details we might otherwise overlook.  This is a great source of happiness.





Your table can be naked too.


Get rid of things that don't matter so you have time, room, and energy for things that do.  Choose a table in your house and make it naked today.



Ready to start a simpler life?

Subscribe to receive my free printable 

 
and declutter 100 items (or more) in just one hour!

Comments

  1. Ale CRJanuary 23, 2023 at 9:04 AM

    Beautiful, thank you very much Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2023 at 5:28 PM

    after i read more abooout the naked table ` iam going to the kitchen and clear the kitchen table,

    ReplyDelete

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

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

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

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

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