Ask:
I have been on this site for a little while now and have been just haunting this section of it. I am really interested in trying to make my life simplier and was wondering how you all got started on this. Is there a book or article you can recommend to someone who is just beginning this process? I feel overwhelmed by all the who-ha in my house and want to clean it out. Any suggestions would be appreciated. TIA
Answer:
Hi, I am realtivly new to this, but what I did first was purge! Get rid of anything that you haven't used in the last year or so. It may take awhile, but it feels so good to have more space! If I think of more I will let you know. Its too early to think! !
Alana
Answer:
I started in the living room which is where we 'live' most of the time and am radiating towards the rest of the house.. lol! So I purged my computer desk, threw out all our old college books, magazines, computer programs, etc.. was insane! You don't even wanna know how many garbage bags I threw out! Then I hit our main closet, and donated 5 garbage bags full of boots, shoes, coats, etc.. to charity, and so on. I just keep picking new 'hot spots' every day or two... i'm due in May, so my goal is to be completely uncluttered by then... I think i'm well on my way!!
Good Luck!!
Answer:
Go through each room of your house and find what you are tired of looking at, or tired of shuffling from one place to another. Some people find out that they don't need all the things that make noise (the big stereo, 2 or 3 games systems, a TV in every room). Make a list of goals. That's what helped me. You just have to get back to what's truly important in your life. This site is a wonderful place to start. You will learn a lot here!
Answer:
Yes, there are places to start.
My recommendation is to start with designing - specifically - the life you would like to live. How do you imagine spending your day? Compare that with how you are spending your day now then WRITE DOWN specific changes you must make to get to your ideal.
It makes no sense to just toss out a bunch of stuff unless we change the habits that got us to this place. If we're too busy to deal with the stuff that comes into our life, then we're too busy to deal with it in the future, too. As one of my girlfriends said, "You can move to a rural area or a quieter town but you can take your busy-ness with you." Likewise, we can remove the clutter but we're one or two shopping trips away from bringing it all back in again.
There are tons of books in the library for inspiration. If you find any specific recommendations, let us know.
Answer:
I was initially inspired to live the simple life when I read Affluenza and Your Money or Your Life, back to back, over a period of a few months. You will find a good short reading list under the title Recommended Reading List under the Simple Living Thread. The books listed there are among the very best I've read on the topic. Those were the books that changed my thinking. The behavior changes came naturally after the thinking changed.