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Giving Up to Living It Up

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I’m a minimalist, so giving up to living it up is just another stream in life’s landscape. Minimalism has been a long journey that involved investing in stuff and then devesting stuff.

I used to shop the halls of craft stores in hopes of making my home just a bit better. It took longer than I care to admit that improving home life doesn’t involve more stuff but less stuff.

Just like a buffet, there is a fine line between enough and stuffed.

My journey is unique and occasionally repetitive as I boom and bust on cycles of stuff. My minimalism is a journey, not a destination with a limit of 1,000 things or less. It’s an ebb and flow depending on interest, finances, and time.

Dump Expectations

I was a scrapbooker. I had plenty of sheets for crafting scrapbooks, cards, or any other paper-like confections. With the correct glue, a box of ribbons, and a skill set that would rival a 1st grader on a good day, I was crafty.

Yet, I found little joy in it. It was easy to delay crafting and I had plenty of excuses. When my excuses ran drier than the Sahara, I had to summon fortitude and positive words to start a new project. After years of moving craft stuff and mandated crafting, I finally admitted that I’m not a scrapbooker.

I like the idea of being crafting more than the art of crafting. Once I accepted this truth and the mandatory guilt of misused Michael’s coupons, I donated all the paper, glue, and pretty storage boxes to a place that does crafts daily – a children’s museum.

Since that day, I haven’t thought of crafting or felt guilty for buying a card instead of making one.

I was able to let go of stuff that was guilt inducing and open up more time for hobbies that don’t require a pep talk.

Discard Distractions

On a day like today, I have plenty of free time to accomplish my goal for the morning, but it quickly gets littered with distractions that turn an hour task into a half-day gantlet.

Check Twitter, open email for the fifth time, and ~~check the stock market~~. Small moments that fill up an empty day. I can’t stop every distraction, but I can set myself up for success by discarding distractions.

My phone and computer are game-free
Routinely, I delete/shred digital and physical folders
I avoid paying for TV or subscriptions
Every day the mail is sorted, filed, recycled, or discarded
Notifications are silenced except for phone calls and texts
I cultivate inbox zero

A tiny army of distractions, but I can feel their collective pull. It only takes a moment to be pitched into a cascade of distractions. I can craft success by removing what I can or make it harder to access them.

Minimize to Thrive

Decluttering is a practice that doesn’t have a master level. No black belts of accomplishment, shiny stars of achievement, or a fancy dinner with special words. Instead, it’s a frequent occurrence of removing waste like going to the bathroom but with less paperwork.

I’ve been practicing for years. Initially, I had many things to donate from home decor to clothes to books. I had extras everywhere.

As the years piled up, I ended up with less piles. At one point, it was hard to tell the difference between a want versus a need, but with many more opportunities for practice, it became easier.

The effort is now effortless because I can stand in a store, stare at an enticing shiny object waiting on a shelf and know it’s residence will be short or long. A majority of the time its shorter than a line for bran muffins on a hot day.

Less purchased has decluttered my budget too as an unexpected side effect of giving up to living it up.

I still keep donation bags that manage to get a few entries throughout the year, but it can take many months before I feel confident that the donation attendant won’t look at me expecting more when I drop them off.