The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life
by Francine Jay
updated 3d ago
by Francine Jay
updated 3d ago
Let’s take a breather, and reminisce about how carefree and happy we were in college. Not coincidentally, that period was likely when we had the least amount of stuff. Life was so much simpler then: no mortgage, no car payments, no motorboat to insure. Learning, living, and having fun were far more important than the things we owned. The world was
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
Now, imagine your ideal day. Which activities would you include, and which would you omit? Of course, you’ll probably still need to go to work and cook dinner; but would you visit the park instead of the coffee shop, or do yoga instead of surfing the Internet? How closely does your ideal schedule match your real one?
Philip Powis added 1mo ago
On the other hand, perhaps you get manicures because your friends do, watch television to keep up with water cooler chat, or read certain magazines out of habit. Here’s your opportunity to do some purging! When we ask ourselves why we do certain activities, we may be surprised at the answers; we probably never stopped to think about it before. Such
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
Although I don’t condone such a formulaic approach to writing, I think it’s perfect for the repetitive tasks we face on a daily basis. After all, there’s no sense in reinventing the wheel for every item on our to-do lists. By making templates, we can complete them more quickly, more efficiently, and with a minimum amount of effort—leaving us time a
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
Standardization can also be useful when answering emails. If you find you’re often fielding similar questions, make a database of common answers—then simply cut and paste the appropriate block of text when replying to them. The technique is convenient for a variety of communication: from requesting information, to providing updates on projects, to
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
A common example of such standardization is document templates. If you often need to produce paperwork with a specific format—such as an invoice, memo, or letter—save a blank version of it as a template. Then, you can dispense with all the setup each time you start a new one. Simply open the template, save it as your new file, and get right to work
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
Embrace “good enough” Have you ever spent too much time writing the perfect email, cooking the perfect dinner, preparing the perfect presentation, or finding the perfect gift? (I know I have!) The quest for perfection can throw our to-do lists in a tailspin; what we should have been able to complete in short order takes us two, three, or four times
... See morePhilip Powis added 1mo ago
Cross out those two hours of television each night, and you’ll gain over half a day each week. That’s quite a windfall!
Philip Powis added 1mo ago
In pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, we need to resist the temptation to recreate the outside world within our abodes.
Philip Powis added 1mo ago