Since the Tidying Up with Marie Kondo Netflix special aired at the beginning of the year, there has been more public coverage of the various forms of tidying, simplification, and minimalism. These aren’t new concepts, and while some would label them as fads, my own exploration of their ideas over the past couple of years suggests they can have a great deal of merit.

I began my journey because my energy and enthusiasm had waned, and I felt that each day was identifiable by a task list that could never be completed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do about it, but one word kept coming to mind: simplify. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I was going to simplify, but I did know too much something was the issue.

I started with Marie’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and it resonated right from the start. Interestingly, it wasn’t the tidying aspect that was most impactful, but rather the idea of surrounding yourself with only the things that “spark joy.” Shortly after, I saw a film on Netflix called Minimalism, and it challenged my concept of the term. When I thought of folks who called themselves “minimalists,” I imagined people sitting in rooms with a single chair, no art or other appointments, and very few possessions. That can be true, of course, but that wasn’t the point of the program. Instead, the film asked the question: “What is most important to you, and how do you focus your time on it?”

Since then, I’ve read several other books on simplification and minimizing. Some offered new bits of information while others reinforced the pillars of the philosophies (and there were a couple that clearly tried to capitalize on the popularity of the movement without actually saying anything). Once you know the basic tenets, it’s really about deciding if any of them speak to you—there is a point when additional reading just results in rehashed ideas—and if you are willing to act on them.

Tenets of Minimalism/Simplification

  1. Only keep the things that make you happy.
  2. Focus your time on what you love (and be organized).
  3. Don’t get caught up in consumerism.
  4. Don’t become obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder.

Each idea will be discussed individually in separate posts, and I hope you will find them interesting.