That quote was
written on the whiteboard of my 11th grade English Composition class, and oh
how it haunted me! If you know me at all, you know my style is more “Why use
three words when fifteen will do?” Little did I know it was my first introduction
into minimalism. Now, about a decade later, minimalism is all over the
trendiest magazines with pictures of a coffee table with a single succulent
juxtaposed against a stark white wall.
I never thought the term would
refer to me. Not until a dear friend was visiting and called me one. There I
was, leaning against the kitchen island while she sat across from me on a
stool. We were probably discussing the challenges of convincing our husbands to
part with their hole-filled, decade old shirts. And there it was. The word.
"Of course donating old things is easy for you, you're a minimalist."
I was shocked! Not at all offended, and strangely proud of this new word she
used to describe me. Could I be a minimalist? Sure, I like to keep a tidy house
but I also have keepsakes and mementos. My walls aren't white, and I'm way more
interested in an overstuffed sofa than in sleek modern furniture.
I don't
consider what I have to be minimal at all... simply adequate.
So here we are: at
the crossroads of extreme minimalism and a lady who doesn't like to wash dishes
more than she has to. The thought of living an uncomplicated life that bridges
sustainability and efficiency has always been appealing to me. As I've thought
about my personal style of adequate minimalism, these are the three
guiding thoughts I keep coming back to.
1.
Find your cause and stand behind it.
Husband and I believe
that every life is priceless from the moment of conception on. We have a great
ministry in Valdosta called Options Now.
While we're currently not in a place to give a lot of money to this
awesome ministry we do have lots of junk we can get rid of! So we've started
donating all our pre-loved excess to their thrift store, Repeat Boutique. This
motivates both Husband and me to just go ahead and donate
things we no longer use.
What about a simple
life entices you? Why do you believe in adequate minimalism? What can get you
excited about donating your excess goods? Maybe saving money and time by living
without all the extras would mean more quality family time. Focus on your
“why” when you’re sorting through your closet trying to find clothes that fit,
when you're so tempted by all the pretties at Hobby Lobby, and when you're
browsing Amazon. Especially in the middle of the night. I'm looking at you, new
mamas!
2.
Get the whole team on board.
Before Husband and I
got married he was a pack rat. He kept everything! Our first adequate
minimalism struggle was when we were preparing to get married and went from
having individual dressers to sharing a dresser. It was a challenge for both of
us but especially for him.
We talked out
the space limitations and together we agreed on a reasonable
number of t-shirts and gym shorts to have. We even instituted a one-in, one-out
policy when we get new clothes. Now instead of the dresser situation being a
source of stress, Husband willingly gets rid of a t-shirt whenever he gets a
new one. (Those of you married to runners probably understand the struggle. Why
don't races give out donation boxes instead of a new t-shirt
every.single.time?) He even reminds me to get rid of a shirt when I get a new
one.
The key word in all
of this is together. Talk over your "why" and your goals
with your spouse and, if they're old enough, even your kids. Come up with
guidelines as a team so maintaining an adequate amount of things is a fun game,
not a struggle.
3.
Know your patterns.
When Baby Boy was
first born I felt like I was doing nothing but laundry. Bottle, nap, laundry,
change diaper, repeat. As a stay at home mom this was just part of my job,
right? After a few weeks I was burned out. Laundry was my favorite chore, how
dare it betray me like this?
For the next week I
paid attention to our patterns. I realized that I was doing laundry so
inefficiently! I was washing one load of hang up clothes at the beginning of
the week because Husband needed clean black work pants, and another load toward
the end of the week because now his blue work pants were dirty. Now instead of
doing laundry multiple times a day every day I do 5 loads a week. (Not counting
cloth diaper laundry, but that's another post for another day.)
As you go about your
routine this week, be mindful of your patterns. Plan your laundry
strategically, and I bet you'll find that you can either cut down on the
laundry you do, cut down on the amount of clothes you have, or both.
This week, as you're
paying attention to your routines and patterns, I hope you find some exciting
ways to make your life more efficient! Don't forget to focus on your cause, and
to get the whole team on board. What's the "why" that gets you excited
for adequate minimalism?
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