Minimalism Bear

It has to be said, I am not a minimalist in the kitchen. I don’t go in for too many unneeded gadgets, or single-purpose gizmos, but I have acquired a sizable collection of variously spatulas, scoops, ladles, spoons, and whisks that I cannot make myself part with. Of course there are the necessary pots, pans, bowls, molds, and brushes, in addition to plates, silverware, and table sundries. It all adds up to a hefty pile of stuff.

Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah, get rid of your extra crap if you want to be happier, more productive, and have more life. I know, I know, that sounds harsh and dictatorial, but it’s also the truth. I promise you, once the deed is done, you will feel nothing but unburdened, and buoyant. The evidence is clear in my own life, and the lives of many others. If you want further proof, google minimalism, and enjoy several hours of YouTube videos by people all over the globe who have gotten rid of their belongs in order to have more time to live.

The good news is, you don’t have to live in a mini-house, or shower straddling your combination sink-toilet, to benefit from the minimalist movement. Over the past few years – decade really – I have been working to reduce the amount of things I have in my life. Budget and space restraints, along with the economic downturn, have lead me to purchase only clothing, and other items, that serve multiple purposes. We’ve gone from a two-bedroom townhouse, to an apartment, to living in my in-law’s basement as we get them set up for the next phase of their lives, and begin second careers of our own. Some of the cuts were more painful than others, like The Great Book Meltdown of ’09, however; I can honestly say I don’t miss any of the things I thought I would, including about ninety percent of my former library.  What having less stuff has opened up, is a whole bunch of time that I don’t have to spend taking care of belongings. For example: I don’t own a piece of clothing that cannot be washed, dried in the drier, and hung up again. My weekly laundry is done and back in its place – ready to be worn again – in one short afternoon. Our duvet needs a trip to the laundromat every now and then, but that’s it. I am not constantly fitting laundry in around other tasks - A.K.A. my life - or more correctly forgetting that I was doing laundry and occasionally rewashing a load two and three times, like I did when we had both more clothing and more space. I’m not rushing though evening traffic to get to the dry-cleaners before they close at 6:00pm, only to get there too late, and have to do the dance again the next day.

Not all, but most of us, have more stuff than we require cluttering up our lives and minds, blinding us to the things we truly need. I’m not talking esoteric things like love, kindness, or perspective – though the statement would be categorically true - I’m literally talking about the crap that’s in front of, and crowded around, the household items we actually need to pursue our lives. Disorganization, and clutter only ever create stress. If you’re still reading this with a cynical eye, I get it. I’m a creative, a mess-maker, I’ve never known a life in which I don’t have several irons in several fires, and everything I do requires at least some specialty equipment and tools. But; I have learned that the only way through every creative plateau, and to hit every deadline – exterior or self-imposed - is to clear your space which in turn clears your mind, even if you’re only going to clutter it up again as you work.

Just as most of us have things in our homes we don’t actually need, most of us find it difficult to edit what we have. The only antidote to that discomfort is to just start somewhere: a bathroom cupboard, the medicine cabinet, the kitchen pantry, somewhere that the lines between toss and keep are clear. Start small by parting with anything that is past it best by/use by date. That anti-biotic you were supposed to finish, the tub of Vik’s from 1987, the hair products you got yourself talked into at the salon, that never really worked, but you can’t part with, because they cost you $19.95 each… Get rid of it! 

If you’re like me, once the bandage has been removed and you’re engaged in the task, you’ll find the rest of the room goes quickly. If you’ve got the cash to lay out on three 20 gallon bins, I recommend the opaque type for this task so that you’re unable to see the items in your toss and donate bins once the choice has been made. Cardboard boxes are available at most home improvement stores for a dollar or two each and they work just as well. Place a garbage bag inside the toss bin, and when it’s full, tie it up and take it to the curb. If you are a person who truly struggles to part with things, you can allow yourself a maybe box. The hard and fast rule of the maybe bin is, if it fills up, you MUST re-sort it into the other three bins before you continue. I also recommend that you take your donations to the donation center promptly at the end of the day or the following morning. Do everything possible to avoid wasting your time second guessing your instincts. There are stores filled with every kind of object, and thing you never even imagined you might need, if it turns out to be something you need, go buy it: I promise you’ll have the time and the money. The keep bin, you put back onto the self, in the cupboard, or closet. If everything doesn’t fit, and fit neatly with a little room to spare, get rid of more!

At the store, don’t be fooled by the false economy of larger or bulk items. Yes, that gallon jug of lotion does cost less on an ounce to ounce basis, however, you only really recoup the cash you lay out if you use all of the lotion. We often fool ourselves into thinking we are economic geniuses at large volume discount stores, when really, we are only performing the exact behavior we are being directed to perform: buying more than we could possibly need, and coming back for more next week. All products have a use by, or best by date. Many things do not technically go bad like food, however any item that contains water – lotion for example - can become contaminated with bacteria and cause illness. In the lotion example it may be skin irritation, infection or rash. No matter how many preservative manufactures have added, oils oxidize, scents diffuse, and things break down. Most lotions, make-up, moisturizers, have a one-year shelf life after opening, even products that are not prone to bacterial breakdown, like over the counter medications, lose their efficacy. So, unless you’re so ill that you need 800 Tylenol – that’s more than two a day, every single day, for a year - that giant bottle probably isn’t much of a deal. If you need that much pain relief, you probably should be discussing it with your doctor.

For me, pairing my life down is an ongoing process, some of which was, admittedly, out of necessity rather than self-determination. The only downside I have noticed is that we are more tech-dependent, but then, our lives were already highly dependent on technology anyway, and all of our lives are heading that way whether we like it or not. By fully embracing it, making all of our books, music, and video digital, we have a huge amount of flexibility. So long as there is decent WiFi available, we can manage our lives, and finances, anywhere we want to go. When we moved from our apartment in Ann Arbor, MI we had twenty-five boxes of books alone, that didn’t include the CD’s and DVD’s. Now I carry most of what I need with me in a single device that fits in a small messenger bag, or backpack. There are also these great places called libraries whose sole purpose is to store and maintain books and media for future generations. That obscure cult novel that you just can’t buy anymore? Donate it! Need a book on the practice of Ikebana?  Borrow one! The biggest libraries in the country are, right now, making more and more of their catalogue accessible on-line, every day, for free. 

So, roll up your sleeves, get in there, and start tossing. We all have those projects we know we aren’t going to finish, tools we aren’t going to use, and exercise equipment we’re never going use again. Get rid of them! There are now groups for woodworkers, sewers, scrap-bookers, and potters to share tools, space and large equipment. Large and small tools can be rented by the hour if you’re not Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it. Or, go out and make some friends who happen to own power tools: chances are, they’ll come over and hang that curtain rod for you, and all it will cost is pizza and a couple of beers: a heck of a lot less than a $149.00 drill. 

Consumer culture wants us to be independent only because they can sell us more shit. We are supposed to be interdependent, our brains are built for it, and our base psychology requires it. Stuff is cheap, it’s our lives that have value. There are many spiritual, psychological, and ethical reasons to live with less but I’m talking about your time, and your ability to get mundane and necessary things done efficiently, so that you can put together the time required to pursue your life, your passions, and your leisure time without the weight of your possessions hanging over your head like some apparition of a life you never really had time to live.