I've been going through a thing.....something probably short-lived, but it has definitely made our house and our lives so much simpler. I'm addicted to "Simplifying" blogs. I've gone through our cabinets, closets, and any horizontal surface that tends to collect stuff and cleared them as much as I feel comfortable; I've also gone through our schedules and cut way back. Seriously, how much does a person need? Shelter, food, clothing, (indoor plumbing because I mean really, it's necessary!!). It's so freeing. One of the blogs that I read posted the following 52 reasons to simplify (okay, so 52 reasons really isn't very simple and is overkill, but oh well).
1. Less physical clutter in your home.
2. Less stress from constantly battling clutter and the emotions it brings.
3. You will be less likely to overcommit yourself in daily life.
4. Less time spent cleaning.
5. More time for people you love – your kids, your partner, your parents, your friends.
6. More good conversations as you will spend less time thinking and talking about stuff.
7. Less impact on the environment.
8. Learning that gifts and love are not the same thing.
9. You will spend less money.
10. You will eat healthier, less processed foods.
11. Less dusting because you will have less knick-knacks decorating your home.
12. Less time organizing your belongings.
13. Less waste – you will collect less packaging, less disposable fashion, less excess food.
14. Less likely to inadvertently support child slavery and unfair work conditions through buying cheap, disposable items.
15. You can stop being a slave to fashion trends.
16. More honesty – you will get to understand what’s truly important in life, and honesty follows swiftly.
17. You will focus less on the negative aspects of others – and yourself.
18. Improve your mindfulness as you strip away all the things that distract you.
19. Naturally focus on your health more as your self-awareness improves.
20. Eat less takeaway.
21. Feel pride in your efforts.
22. Feel lighter in yourself – emotionally and physically.
23. Accept that its OK to move forward, to change, to evolve.
24. You will have more energy.
25. You will think more clearly.
26. Feeling more content with what you have.
27. You will feel happier – or give yourself the opportunity to experience more happiness.
28. More time to pursue passions and hobbies.
29. More time for relaxation or to do nothing at all.
30. Tidier wardrobes.
31. You will be able to help those less fortunate with donations of both physical items and money.
32. Spend less time getting dressed in the mornings.
33. You will only own clothes that you like, fit well and suit your lifestyle.
34. Spend less time organizing your stuff.
35. Everything you own will have it’s place – meaning it’s much easier to keep tidy.
36. You will learn to embrace quality over quantity.
37. Learning to look after what you do have.
38. Discover that the value of people and the value of their stuff is not related.
39. Watch less TV – you will cut out the mindless channel surfing.
40. You will be more likely to consider travelling.
41. You will have less luggage when you do.
42. You will be more inclined to look for adventure or the road less travelled.
43. Less time (and money) wasted shopping for things you don’t need.
44. You will pay your bills on time.
45. Your house will look more appealing because it will be less cluttered.
46. Your cleaning routine will be simpler and easier.
47. You will be less likely to find housework overwhelming.
48. You need less furniture, which gives you more space.
49. Your home and its style will reflect you, not IKEA.
50. No more dreading drop-in visitors.
51. You are giving yourself the opportunity to get out of debt.
52. You can start saving for that long-awaited holiday/house deposit/college fund.
