The 2023 Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff Recap

By
Welcome to the 101st and final post of 2023!  This year has flown by – in fact, I want to think and then write about that very phenomenon soon, and see if we can all gain some insight into how we can slow down time.  I don't mean to make time drag, but wouldn't life be better if we didn't blink and suddenly it's summer, which speeds by until all at once the kids are getting excited about Halloween and Christmas 2024.  We don't want time to plod along, but I don't think we want it to slip by unnoticed either.


awesome night sky



The ad-free decision



Back in April, I strengthened my decision to refuse Google's targeted ads on this blog.  Ads on a site about minimalism don't make sense to me, although I've seen other minimalist sites with plenty of ads.  But wanting to increase my earnings (which came to about $2.00 per hour in 2022), I decided to join Buy Me a Coffee, a San Francisco-based company that allows creators like me to receive direct support from those who use and appreciate their products.  Many of you responded very generously, and I want to thank you.  I'm grateful for your support and encouragement.  Pam, Linda, Kimberly, Rachael, Doris, Anne, CTW, and many others – you are the people I write for, and you inspire me when I feel uninspired!  If you want to, any reader can buy me a coffee today.


To those of you who go the extra mile and purchase my books* – you're my favorites.  You're who I think of most when I sit down to write.


* This blog continues to be reader-supported.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.





More milestones



The number of subscribers to Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff continues to grow slowly but surely.  Thank you for sharing with your family and friends, on social media, and with links from your own websites.  This website exists because of your support, and I'm grateful for all of it.


I'm so proud that more than a dozen of my posts were featured on the giant website nosidebar.com and that I continue to be a regular guest author on thesimplifydaily.com.  And back in August I was honored to be a guest author for Joshua Becker on becomingminimalist.com with my article "Why Decluttering Isn't Like Waving a Magic Wand."


Writing is fun for me, but it's also a lot of work and a challenge to my creativity and intelligence.  Without readers, it would be impossible to sustain the energy and commitment I bring to the task.  When you let me know via comments or an email (karen@maximumgratitudeminimalstuff.com) that something I wrote made a positive difference to you, you not only make my day – you give me a reason to keep working.





Top 10 posts in 2023 according to readers


1.  This is the Best Place to Start When You're Overwhelmed by Clutter

It's possible to feel so overwhelmed by clutter that we don't know where to start removing and simplifying, even though we long to do so.  Let me make it easy for you.


2.  20 Things You Probably Own Too Many Of (and what to do with them)  

Clutter steals our time and attention and makes our home environment seem out of control.  Here are 20 categories you can probably declutter with ease.


3.  How to Declutter More Effectively by Understanding 4 Personality Types

There are many decluttering strategies, but some may work better with your personality.  I describe four tendencies, with tips and tactics for each.


northern lights
4.  9 Ways to Free Yourself from the Trap of Consumerism

We must consume in order to live, but our society teaches us to continually increase our consumption patterns.  We're never supposed to be satisfied for long.  How can we curb this tendency and find contentment?


5.  Try This Easy 10-Minute Declutter Method in Any Room

Just 10 minutes is all it takes to start decluttering.  The short deadline is doable, and motivates you to work faster, smarter, and with more confidence.


6.  How to Own Less: The 10/10 Possessions Theory

You can test the Minimalists' 10/10 Theory of Possessions today.  But the real question is, once you have your data, what will you do with it?


7.  7 Steps to the Perfect Tiny Wardrobe

Find contentment, confidence, and creativity with a minimalist capsule wardrobe.  Here's your best seven-step guide.


8.  6 Easy (and Possibly Surprising) Ways to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free

There's a reason you decluttered, and it's not so you could let clutter creep back in.  Maintenance is important, and these helpful tips are a bit atypical.


9.  5 Signs That You Might Love Things More than People

We say that people are more valuable than things, but then sometimes make choices that don't look that way.  Is your stuff crowding out your loved ones?


10.  How 3 Minutes in the Morning Can Make Your Day Better

Our mindset impacts our mental, emotional, social, and physical health and affects how successful our days will be.  Here's how to harness that power.





10 of my personal favorite 2023 posts


1.  You Can Be Happier If You Don't Miss This One Thing  

We think that having more of everything can make us happy.  But we're never satisfied for long, and we aren't as happy as we wish.  How can we find true joy?


2.  10 Important Ways to Stay Minimalist

Have you noticed clutter and busyness creeping back into your life?  Don't despair – here are practical strategies to get you back on track today.


3.  Why Quitting Today Might Be the Right Thing to Do

Let's change how we talk about quitting.  Instead of calling it failure, let's embrace a chance to change, adapt, grow, and make room for new pursuits.


4.  How to Own Less: Choose Your Ultimate Classics

Want to simplify your life and get rid of clutter?  Here's how to choose your favorite, useful, necessary, and just-right items – and leave the rest.


a lighted path
5.  One Revealing Question: Is It Worth the Candle?

Use this one question to help you remove clutter more effectively and clarify the decision about whether you should purchase that new thing you've been eyeing.


6.  Show Up Every Day: 12 Valuable Steps to Real Change

We all make plans for "someday," but someday never arrives.  We only have today.  Here are small steps you can take right now to create positive change.


7.  How to Be a Genuine Minimalist Even If You Love Your Stuff

You're interested in decluttering, but you own some things you love and don't want to get rid of.  Can you be a "real minimalist" yet keep your stuff?


8.  7 Signs You Have Too Much Stuff

We're alive, so things keep changing.  They don't stay orderly for long.  But is the mess a result of an active life, or an indication of too much stuff?


9.  Precious Memories: How to Declutter the Stuff That's Hard to Let Go

Some belongings are harder to declutter than others.  Here's how to reduce what you own while keeping the memories and honoring the love.


10.  Today I'm Thankful for Human Kindness, and I Want to Pass It On

It's easy to get depressed by constant bad news, so we need to remember that kindness and goodwill are common too.  Boost your own health and happiness by being kind today.


And for some decluttering fun, check out The 12 Days After Christmas: A Scavenger Hunt!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

How to Edit Everything

By
Image
Here's a simple truth:  The more items we own, the less we value them.   For example, digital photos are abundant, and it's easy to take more.  As a result, we rarely look at them.  But the single black-and-white snapshot of your grandparents' wedding might be framed and displayed proudly. How about overstuffed closets filled with "nothing to wear"?  We often choose the same five or six outfits over and over. And the more scented candles or fancy moisturizers we collect, the more likely we are to shove them into a cupboard, never to be used again.  The more nail files or flashlights we own, the less likely we are to be able to find one when we need it. The opposite of more Our cupboards and closets burst with items we need to clean, organize, maintain, upgrade, store, and retrieve.  It's exhausting.  But here's another simple truth that fixes everything:  The less we own, the more we use and enjoy what we have.   Think of: your leather jacket that tops alm
Read more

The Challenge to Stop Saying "I Can't" About Minimalism

By
Image
When I talk about simplifying to non-minimalists, their first reaction is usually positive.  Everyone would like a bit more peace and focus in their schedules.  Everyone would like simpler home care, with less frustration when it comes to the tasks we need to do every day, such as getting dressed, preparing meals, and corralling toys. As the conversation continues, however, they often become less enthusiastic.  Of course, minimalism is a challenge in our consumerist culture.  Yes, it requires a period of adaptation.  But plenty of people come to the conclusion they could never make such a lifestyle change. I thought less was impossible. When I mention giving up unnecessary shopping, people may agree.  But once we get to specifics of wearing fewer clothes and shoes, buying fewer restaurant meals, traveling less often and closer to home, perhaps considering a smaller house or fewer vehicles, those same people get uncomfortable.  The thought of buying fewer fancy coffee drinks, fewer sal
Read more

How to Stop Making the Same Money Mistakes This Year

By
Image
When we come to the end of a calendar or fiscal year, or start gathering the paperwork we need to file tax returns, we may think back on our financial decisions of the past 12 months.  Or we may have this internal heart-to-heart as each bank statement or credit card bill arrives in the mail. For many of us, these thoughts bring regret.  Maybe we're unhappy about overspending, missed savings opportunities, or major expenditures that now seem unwise.  Maybe our level of debt causes anxiety or shame.  In spite of our intentions and resolutions, we may wonder how we let ourselves make these terrible choices yet again. Don't follow this trend. If you're in this situation, you're not alone.  The average American family added 14% more credit card debt in 2022 , and even more in 2023.  Auto and personal loan balances are up, and Experian reports that mortgage debt has seen record growth.  Millions of Americans spend more than they earn every month , the exact opposite of financ
Read more