Minimalism is the New Black

I used to think minimalism was mainly about being one of those tidy people who would only have one thing on their coffee table. Everything in the house would be white, shiny and space age and guests would never be able to tell where the door handles were.

What I see when I think of minimalism. Looks like they threw out all the books… and kept two balls made of wicker… hmm.

Then I read a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben. The book is about her, a writer, wife and mother in New York, spending a year trying to increase her happiness by embarking on almost every happiness technique and theory going.

In her first month she focussed on increasing her energy levels and I was interested to find that she included decluttering as one of her energy boosting strategies. Incredibly, clearing out her closet of extraneous clothes made her feel like she had MORE clothes, because everything in her wardrobe was things she loved to wear. The stress was gone from her mornings and her closet looks beautifully clutter free and organized.

This is Gretchen talking about decluttering.

As someone who stays in bed way past the point of doom (when I know I will be late for work) in order to avoid the “what am I going to wear” question, I saw the potential for this immediately.

I am anything if clutter free; on my surfaces (every surface) hair products mingle with computer wires which tangle with half done knitting, looping over a pile of (I’m going to put it away!) laundry, plonked next to lint rollers, coffee mugs and (sorry mum) the only copy of my birth certificate.

This seemed like a good strategy, to use not only on clothes but every item I have. So over the next month….

I WILL BE STRIPPING BACK TO THE THINGS:

1) I really need (birth certificates, cats, panties)
2) I really love (my flat-cap, home-made guitar, books and ahem… knitting)

AND I WILL ONLY BUY NEW THINGS THAT:

1) I really need… like, really really not just, “oh but it’s so pretty”
2) Are going to be relevant to me long-term
3) Are ethically sourced and ideally sustainable

In short I will be living my brand! And I will take you along for the ride. Watch this space for more updates.