I had some very vague ideas about what I wanted to do with this whole minimalism challenge thing. Round 1 was quite pleasant and I've already been reaping the benefits of having a cleared out and revamped filing cabinet, and I'm absolutely loving how streamlined our bathroom closet is.
I didn't set a timeline for the next round of goals and I think that's ok. I like the idea of this being a fun thing and not a stress-inducing to do list item. I've also added a few things to my original list of goals and got so excited about my tidying challenge that it had to become its own post.
Have I made it confusing enough yet? Ok, let's get to the challenge.
I didn't set a timeline for the next round of goals and I think that's ok. I like the idea of this being a fun thing and not a stress-inducing to do list item. I've also added a few things to my original list of goals and got so excited about my tidying challenge that it had to become its own post.
Have I made it confusing enough yet? Ok, let's get to the challenge.
Minimal(ish) Challenge Round 2
1. Finish Reading My Kindle Downloads
I was supposed to do this before adding new things, which was a fail, BUT I did finally catch up (the graphic design book had been on there for years!) and I think that's more important. I read: #GirlBoss (3 stars), A Tale of Two Cities (4 stars), The Non-Designer's Design Book (2 stars), and Hunchback of Notre Dame (4 stars). (For full reviews, check out Tuesdays' post.) I also finished the 16 book set Ryan had gifted me forever ago, decided I don't have to finish War and Peace (not a bad story but very, very long), and, with my backlog cleared up, can actually say I'm only reading 1 book at a time! (Although I am still guilty of downloading more than 1 at a time - but that'll be a necessity when we're traveling abroad this winter!)2. Say "No" More Often
I decided not to sign up for a race that was inconvenient for me. Oh, and then Ryan and I didn't go to my 2nd half marathon that neither of us was prepared for, because we were no longer excited about it AND it was 2.5 hours away. AND THEN there was an event that I was trying to plan (after the other person suggested it) where no one would give me suggestions or feedback even after I did all the research. So I let it die because that's not a good use of my time. So... I'd call this a success so far but continue to be on the lookout for other situations I really should decline.
3. Create a Bedtime Routine
So bedtime at 9 really means go upstairs at 8 in order to wind down and get ready for bed so I can be asleep at 9. So here's what I'm aiming for:
On the days that I manage this, it's so much easier to also follow through with my morning routine:
- 8:00pm - Get ready for next day. Pack lunch, set out clothes, brush teeth, etc.
- 8:30pm - Wind down. Drink mint tea. Read a book or write in my journal.
- 8:45pm - Stretch, meditate, clear brain out completely.
- 9:00pm - Sleep.
On the days that I manage this, it's so much easier to also follow through with my morning routine:
- 5:00am - Wake up, put on workout gear
- 5:15am - Exercise. Bike, run, yoga, whatever. (It shouldn't take 15 minutes to throw on a t-shirt and go downstairs, but it does. Morning Jenn is rather zombie-like.)
- 5:45am - Make breakfast.
- 6:00am - Shower and get ready for work.
- 6:40am - Out the door.
4. Analyze My Finances and Eliminate Expenses
I'm not sure what I was expecting to find. My monthly expenses are pretty basic (although I did make a point of starting to charge a client for their URL instead of eating the cost every year). The biggest problem is definitely my spur of the moment purchases, so there's not a whole lot I can do right now - I have to be vigilant over time for unnecessary spending. Hopefully doing the massive purge (see #9) will help me to be more mindful about the things entering the house and I'll shop less in general, and stop buying things I end up not liking 2 days later.
The one thing I definitely can do now to cut back on spending is buy fewer books. I set up accounts with Blogging for Books and Netgalley (after seeing how many people were getting free books this past Tuesday, I had to give it a shot!) and we'll see how it goes. I also got a library card for my account, so I can use the Delaware libraries app to request books from other locations and such. Free books, here I come!
The one thing I definitely can do now to cut back on spending is buy fewer books. I set up accounts with Blogging for Books and Netgalley (after seeing how many people were getting free books this past Tuesday, I had to give it a shot!) and we'll see how it goes. I also got a library card for my account, so I can use the Delaware libraries app to request books from other locations and such. Free books, here I come!
5. Learn to Enjoy Solitude
I flew alone and I loved every minute of it! With no one else around, I wasn't bound to anyone else's schedule. I was free to arrive 2 hours early and read by myself until departure time. I was also free to read, nap, or chat to my seat mate on the flight (who ended up being pretty cool). It was the most leisurely airport experience I've ever had, and I do really like it when I end up hitting it off with a total stranger.
6. No Complaint Day
I tried this and failed almost immediately during the morning rush hour. But I continued to monitor my thoughts and statements over the next couple days and I realized I don't really "complain" that much. I think Sister3 trained me out of it when I was in high school. I'll admit, I was super whiny as a teenager. So every time I'd complain she'd say, "Oh, life is so hard." I hated it, as you can probably imagine. So now the actual complaints that come out of my mouth are few and far between.
HOWEVER I do think a ton of negative things in other ways, even if they're not technically "complaints." And I'd like to fix that, particularly while driving. Because it's just a little ridiculous to get upset every single day about something that everyone else is enduring right along with you. I've been continuing to work on correcting myself when my thoughts get overly negative and, more importantly, not actually letting any of it slip out of my mouth. A continuing battle!
Note: I also finally went to see a therapist, which I've been wanting to do for ages! She's super nice and I'm hoping our conversations will give me some more tips and tools with dealing with my own inner negativity. She heartily approved of using my road rage as a starting point, and said that teaching my brain to redirect that anger while driving will translate over into other areas.
HOWEVER I do think a ton of negative things in other ways, even if they're not technically "complaints." And I'd like to fix that, particularly while driving. Because it's just a little ridiculous to get upset every single day about something that everyone else is enduring right along with you. I've been continuing to work on correcting myself when my thoughts get overly negative and, more importantly, not actually letting any of it slip out of my mouth. A continuing battle!
Note: I also finally went to see a therapist, which I've been wanting to do for ages! She's super nice and I'm hoping our conversations will give me some more tips and tools with dealing with my own inner negativity. She heartily approved of using my road rage as a starting point, and said that teaching my brain to redirect that anger while driving will translate over into other areas.
7. Internet Free Day - INCOMPLETE
I'll be honest - I don't even want to do this right now. I've got client projects, personal organization projects that I'm using my blog to track, and I use the Internet at work every day. I think flexibility is important, so I'm letting this one go.
8. Leave a Day Unscheduled
Several days of our elopement/beach vacation were completely unscheduled. And you know? They still went by too quickly. How do I slow down time? Anyone??? I'm also trying to give myself one free night each week to relax and de-stress (aka read). I say trying, because scheduling it is easy, but following through is more difficult.
And, most importantly, an item I added later...
Since then, I've followed even more of Kondo's advice and quit stacking my clothes! (She actually has you fold them a very specific way, but rolling worked better for me and I didn't have the problem of things toppling over.) So far I like it! It's easier to get things out (I'm lazy, so normally pulling a shirt from the bottom means the stack turns into an unfolded heap) and the drawers went from being overly full to having lots of extra space. Who would have thought?!
Anyway, back to the "applying this philosophy to my life in general," here's what's on my plate for the next round of the challenge.
Aaand, that might be the last round, because I'm running low on ideas for more to purge. Although if you've got any suggestions, let me know!
And, most importantly, an item I added later...
9. Try Out the Tidy Once Philosophy from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up!!!
This has been utterly fantastic and makes up well over half of the minimalism progress documented in this post. I gave myself permission to let go of all the things that weren't either useful or loved (though I was a little more flexible than Kondo suggests). I talked more in detail about this last month, but I got rid of tons of stuff, the process was very empowering, and I'm trying to move forward with this philosophy not only for possessions, but for life in general.Since then, I've followed even more of Kondo's advice and quit stacking my clothes! (She actually has you fold them a very specific way, but rolling worked better for me and I didn't have the problem of things toppling over.) So far I like it! It's easier to get things out (I'm lazy, so normally pulling a shirt from the bottom means the stack turns into an unfolded heap) and the drawers went from being overly full to having lots of extra space. Who would have thought?!
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| Why yes, those are my undies. You're welcome! |
Anyway, back to the "applying this philosophy to my life in general," here's what's on my plate for the next round of the challenge.
Minimalism and Organization Challenge Round 3
- Assess Hobbies. Cut out any that aren't providing equivalent value for time invested.
- Phone Notes. Figure out what they all mean, do something with it and delete them.
- Blog Posts. Take an entire day to sit down with all my drafts and post ideas. Either write them or delete them.
- A Place for Everything. So one major factor in keeping things clutter free is having a place where everything belongs. We're pretty good about this, but I want to find homes for a couple of transitory items (like my purse!).
- Swap Out Things I Don't Love. Now, I'm not going to go crazy with redecorating, and I actually really like our decor and style anyway. But there are a few tiny, little things that I'm less fond of that I'd like to swap out for a version that I do like (ex. utensil holder - it just doesn't match our other kitchen stuff).
Aaand, that might be the last round, because I'm running low on ideas for more to purge. Although if you've got any suggestions, let me know!
Any ideas for other ways to tackle minimalism, organization, or decluttering? What have you simplified in your life?
