Recent Reads

I’m constantly trying to learn more about myself, better myself (I know…I’m completely alone in this) and often find myself gravitating towards articles and blog posts that fit into one of two categories.

The first category being self helpish types with tips, lists, best practices, challenges, lessons, etc.  Yes that seems like a number of categories I grouped into one, but if any of you follow HuffPost Blog, The Muse, or any of the many sites that dole out seemingly endless advice, you know the type I’m talking about.

The second category is more self-reflective…learning about myself, my generation, our motivations, influences, why we make the decisions we do.

Anyway, I wanted to share a couple articles I’ve read lately that either coincide and support things I’ve already thought, or are helping me improve myself and achieve some goals.

 

My Quest to Banish Multitasking—and What Anyone Can Learn From It

I used to strive to perfect multitasking.  I thought it was one of the most important tools to productivity.  However, my scattered ADD brain (currently undiagnosed, but ugh…) is not organized enough to be very good at this.  I’m pretty sure that upon reading this article I audibly exhaled.  Now, I actively practice finishing one task before moving on to the next.  Sometimes it’s not possible, and today was not the best example of that, but I try.  I’m SO much more efficient in this way.

 

Let’s Play a Minimalism Game Together

As part of my goal to live a more minimalist life, this here is a quick and easy description of a challenging game that I will start on 1/1/15.

 

Rent, Stream, Experience

This article, written by Leslie Bradshaw, really hits home what I’ve observed personally and have been reading elsewhere about the desire for many people of my generation (I’ll call them ‘Millennials’ for the  sake of consistency, as much as I shudder at that term) to own less, to value experiences over possessions, and to redefine what the American Dream is all about. (i.e. I currently have no real goal to own a home, what was once a quintessential part of the American Dream)

So it turns out I’m bad at this

I don’t mean blogging…although that could be argued as well.  Consistency has never been my strong suit.

My whole minimalist living, decluttering deal has not exactly been a success thus far.  It might be faring better if I actually put time and effort into it, but, eh.  That would take time and effort.

Okay, but to be serious, my closet still looks like this:

I will not use the fact that I have a suuupertiny closet as an excuse for why it’s bustin out

I would like to say that I lack time, but the real answer is that I lack self discipline.  I need to force myself to make time for this project.  I need to schedule it on my calendar just like my runs and happy hours (yes…we’re not kidding ourselves, I would definitely put a good happy hour above this in the importance hierarchy).

Tomorrow progress WILL be made.  Probably not much, but some.  I have a plan…or I’m planning to have a plan.

Sorry, I know this is somewhat of a non-update update.  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming–which for me involves vodka and James Spader tonight.

 

Sorry Clothes, You Need to Goes

Why are clothes the easiest and hardest things to get rid of?  Whenever I decide to start purging possessions, I begin with my closet.  On the surface it seems the most obvious, straightforward place to start.  Does it fit? Is it stretched out?  Is it faded? Did I buy it online while drunk at 2am with no intentions of actually wearing it?  All simple yes or no questions.  You’d think.

However, every time I embark on this task, I find there are So.Many.What.Ifs.  Okay, it doesn’t fit now, but it did at one time, and it was expensive, and what if I suddenly gain ten pounds in a week, I’m going to need something to wear.  Oh, how about that shirt that looks me square in the eyes and says “if you just lose five more pounds, I will fit you better than anything has ever fit you in your life.” (okay…those items are almost always keepers…I like a challenge).  And let’s not forget the clothes with sentimental value.  Because in my world, EVERYTHING has sentimental value.  What about that dress that I wore that one time, at that thing, and I had fun, in that dress. If I get rid of this dress I may forget all about that one time, at that thing, when I had fun.  Oh, but it’s way too big now. So ’round we go back to the first what if.

The other night I managed to part with approximately fifteen items of clothing to send off to thredUp (it would have been more but there are lots of brands they don’t accept…mostly cheap brands like what I usually buy).  They may take a few, they may take most, or they may take none.  If they take one third of what I give them, I am looking at a payout of about $20.  If they take nothing, they are out of my closet and thredUp will donate them to one of their charitable partners, such as Teach For America. There are no losers here.

Next step, which I could have also done the same night, but laziness and Doctor Who took over, is to get rid of all my clothes that are unsellable, but that I will never wear again…which could easily be said about 45% of what I own.

thredUp instructions

Stuffed, sealed, and ready to send to thredUp

Embracing Minimalism

Okay, “embracing” might be a bit of a strong word, because I’m just starting out, learning, eventually hoping to embrace some form of minimalism and a simpler lifestyle.  I don’t even remember where and when the lightbulb went off, but within the last few weeks I’ve started following several minimalist blogs, watched a few Tedx talks on the topic, and began thinking about how I can mold a new lifestyle for myself that involves less stuff, less spending, and ultimately less stress.

This plan to become a minimalist (there’s no one definition of minimalism…it’s okay to tailor the definition to fit your wants, needs, and priorities) coincides quite perfectly with other goals that I have to spend less, save more, quit stressing over the little stuff, and live a freer, more meaningful life.

To be perfectly honest, financial freedom is a strong motivating factor for starting this process.  I’m beginning to take a long, hard look at where my money goes (do I REALLY need that monthly wine club subscription…EVEN if it works out to under $10 per bottle??) and how it seems to go to so many places so fast.  I’m sick of putting money in my savings, only to have to transfer it back to my checking account five days later because a payment is about to bounce.  I do have a budgeting/spending diet plan in place, but that’s another post for another day.  Let’s stick with minimizing here…FOCUS.

So here are the first two steps I’m going to take in minimizing and simplifying my stuffs:

1. I signed up for a 10 Day Decluttering Challenge*.  I thought I purged a lot when I moved four months ago, but I still have so many material possessions that I never use or look at.  I hope to follow this plan as closely as possible and do some serious donating, and selling, hopefully mostly selling…because money.  I already got the email for Day 1….and it seems plenty easy enough so far.

2. I discovered this amazing clothing consignment site called thredUp.  Besides selling a huge variety of clothes (used or new) at steep discounts, you can order a bag from them to fill up with clothes and send back, shipping included!  Upon receiving your bag they will go through it and determine what they want to keep to resell.  You can choose cash upfront or on consignment.  This could be a potentially decent closet emptier and money maker.

So that’s what I’m up to for now.  Baby steps…baby steps.

I’m considering a few other “challenges” like Project 333, but I’m allowing myself to only focus on one or two project at a time.  My brain can’t handle much more at the moment.

Updates, good or bad, to follow.  Oh, and pictures…because people like pictures.  Reading is hard.

*For the 10 Day Decluttering Challenge, you actually have to sign up to receive the emails.  She’s being all secretive about that.  Whatever…it makes it feel exclusive.  Or it will just be another daily email subscription that will get ignored.