Minimalism: The Next Big Thing

On the coat tails of the Kondo phenomenon, we have minimalism. It’s not new, per se, but awareness of this lifestyle is growing. There’s a lot said about it via social media, and the trend seems to be that it’s the millennials adopting the minimalist lifestyle. They want experiences, not things. They want mobility, not to be tied down -- especially by their things! 

But there is need to dispel some of the myths about this way of life. Minimalism is not a specific formula. You are not forced to own a specific number of items or live in a space of miniscule dimensions. It’s not about living with nothing.  It’s about personal choices. Joshua Becker, one of the more recognizable names in the world of minimalism, writes, “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. And while this looks different for each person, it always requires its pursuer to further define his/her passions—and discover intentionality because of it”. Makes sense.

Some turn to minimalism out of despair. This is true of Joshua Becker (quoted above) and also of Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn – The Minimalists. Nicodemus and Millburn lived what appeared to be pretty amazing lives, but they weren’t happy.  After some soul-searching, the two decided to quit their jobs, leave behind the security of healthy paycheques, and pursue what really made them happy. That lead them to a book tour in 2014 and they have just finished another tour promoting their new movie Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.  I had the opportunity to see the movie when it was released in Toronto, and to see the minimalists themselves. They are two, regular guys. Authentic. Down to earth. They just travel light.

I also recently participated in a discussion on this topic with a group of organizers. The general consensus is that none of us are minimalists – although, according to the Facebook quiz I’ve taken, I am an extreme minimalist J The thing we do have in common is that we live with intentionality; this is at the crux of minimalism. The goal is to think before you buy. Leave behind the forced consumption that plagues western society. Question the value that will be added to your life if you buy just one more of this, or that.  Just because you can own a different coat or pair of shoes for every day of the month, doesn’t mean you have to have them or that they will bring you eternal happiness.

As a minimalist, you live a life that is filled with the experiences, relationships and things that make your life meaningful.  You don’t read from someone else’s script, you identify what truly matters to you and what you need to be happy and fulfilled.

Grab a Lifeline When Paper Overwhelms

Last week I helped a client to clean out her office, when we came upon a newspaper clipping bearing the same name as this month’s blog post. It was from the Careers section of the Globe and Mail and was dated April 6, 2013. This is noteworthy for a few reasons:

1.     This piece on organizing our paper flow wasn’t in the Life section, or Homes section. It was in a section about being successful in business. So, organization plays a critical role in realizing greater success and peace of mind in our career. Can you imagine the benefits to be realized in your personal life if your living and working spaces at home were organized?

2.     The lovely lady with whom I was working had waited 3 years before grabbing that lifeline (i.e. seeking help). That’s a long time to postpone our personal satisfaction and serenity. Why do we do this to ourselves?  

3.     This topic never gets old or goes away. The Globe covered it three years ago, everyone I work with, entrepreneur or otherwise, complains that paperwork makes them crazy. This is a real challenge for a lot of people.

At the time the article was published, the lawyer who was interviewed said that “having those piles of paper visible and touchable in my office were not helping me be efficient and keeping me calm and ready, but rather increasing my stress levels every time I walked into my office.” Can you relate?

To further prove the point, after getting the piles sorted out, this woman recognized that she spent less time in the office, worked fewer nights and weekends and increased her billings. Have you ever wondered what life would look life for you if the stress created from piles of paperwork were eliminated?

One of the most important tips I can offer, whether in reference to paper or a LEGO collection, is this: Only handle it once (OHIO). Don’t pile paper on your desk, committing to filing it later. File it now. Don’t put an article or research material to the side, promising to make a folder for it later. Make that folder now. The more you pile around you, the more inclined you will be to add to the pile: clutter attracts clutter. You’re the only one who can cut down those paper mountains; and let’s be honest you will feel so much better once you know what’s contained in those papers, than spending time worrying about what’s in there and how you will ever get through the task of dealing with it.

What’s the Plan?

In this world of ever-changing technology, fast-paced living and high demands, each of us wears many different hats. The means to learn about almost anything is at our fingertips. We’re expected to produce results in a nanosecond. The pressure is on to be fast, accurate and better than “the next guy”.

I see nothing wrong in striving to do your best. But to do that will usually require time. History tells us this time and again. Benjamin Franklin said “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Then good ‘ole Abe Lincoln said “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” I really like this one. It doesn’t role off the tongue as easily as the words of Ben Franklin, but it’s such a great illustration of how important it is to prepare.

To win the battle, you must put a strategic plan in place. To bake a cake, you must have the necessary ingredients. To appoint your space so that it will be functional and aesthetic, you must take the time to both form a vision of that ideal space, and make sure you have what you need to realize that ideal space. Sometimes we’re too quick to get started on our organizing project, only to realize 45 minutes later that we aren’t equipped to complete the task. Often what’s missing is the space required to bring our vision to fruition. Sometimes we haven’t emptied our workspace of all the things that need to be elsewhere. Regardless of the specifics, the one common truth is that we failed to plan out the steps needed to cross the finish line.

Take stock. If you want to make your kitchen more functional, first make sure that everything you want to keep in your kitchen is there.  This is an important step: you can’t determine how much space you need for something, if you haven’t taken stock of it in the planning stages.

Remove. If you’ve got things in your kitchen that aren’t part of your big picture, take them out.  Put them where they belong, or designate a new home. You can’t successfully set up the space if it’s filled with things that don’t belong there.

Re-jig. Re-jig your thinking so that you recognize these first two steps as being necessary to your success, and not merely delays or a waste of time.

Accept. The reality is, all the pieces may not fall into place the first time around. You might test drive your dream space and discover that it’s not quite the haven you envisioned. That’s OK. It’s perfectly normal to make a few modifications before you can be truly satisfied with your accomplishment. 

Remember.  In the words of Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Fail to plan, plan to fail.” And we don’t want that, do we?

It Didn’t Really Spark Joy

Have you read the #1 New York Times best seller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? This little gem by Marie Kondo arrived on the organizing scene about two years ago. The organizing community was abuzz with chatter of the new and somewhat drastic measures proposed by the Japanese organizing guru.

At the start of this year, three different clients asked me about this book in the space of four days. Since I’d had the book on my shelf since last September, I finally cracked it open to see what the hubbub was about. I struggled through the first few chapters. My gut reaction was that many of Kondo’s philosophies were identical to what we see in the North American organizing model. True, her language was different; and reading the message in black and white, it seemed a bit more forceful. My interpretation of the tone made it all very off-putting; in my training there is great emphasis put on the importance of empathizing with the client and recognizing what has happened to bring the client to a point of needing help with their clutter. It’s a touchy-feely approach.

But I did smile while reading the first few pages.  My understanding of the KonMari method was that clients were told to empty out a space completely and only bring back what they wanted in the space.  I had visions of dumpsters being filled and people’s hidden treasures being lost forever.  Not so. When Kondo suggests that people shouldn’t waste time changing habits and doing a little bit of organizing at a time, she is not suggesting that the truck back up and prepare for hauling away a huge load.  What she is suggesting is that you make a concentrated effort and focus on your tidying, (as she calls it), for a period of about six months. Six months. That’s a decent amount of time and I feel it is within the realm of completely achievable and acceptable.  As Kondo explains, six months over the course of a lifetime is not a lot of time – especially when you consider how much you stand to gain from the exercise of tidying up.

There were also two things that I found very impactful. The first, Kondo asks clients if the possessions they are contemplating spark joy. My firth thought was, “What a lot of hooey. This is exactly like me asking a client how they feel about their stuff: Is it useful? Do you still love it? Is it easily replaceable?” But upon further reflection, I had to admit I was wrong. And it wasn’t until I looked at my own clothes that it hit me. That simple turn of phrase has made a huge difference in how I look at my own things. The second impactful idea I took from this book is that we keep a lot of our stuff, just because.  Ridiculous, right? But so true.

Looking at my own stuff with this new perspective, I’ve discovered that I too have things in my life that don’t spark joy and are taking up space just because – and I’m somewhat of a minimalist!!  In the last day, I’ve emptied out 50% of what was in by bathroom cupboards and eliminated a couple pairs of pants that I really hate. And I’m just getting started!!

In conclusion, I didn’t love this book. I don’t agree with everything the author says. But it has resonated with many readers, as Kondo has a three-month waiting list of people who want to get organized using her method. And it did motivate me. In the end, that’s really what it’s about, isn’t it?