More boxes, more purging, more organizing and more packing! In the days since my last post, I have been busy with all the details related to moving. While it may seem boring, rote, or mundane to some, the process of purging (and in turn, simplifying) has actually been a fun and worthwhile experience. And though it sounds strange to say it, I have been enjoying this process.
Last week, we decided each of us would have 5 outfits to wear between now and the move. As with most new things I try, at first I thought it would be difficult to have so few choices of things to wear; but I persisted and did it anyway because I wanted to get the bulk of our clothes packed and out of the way for an easier time these last couple weeks before the big trip. C has referred the the giant pile of garments awaiting washing or folding on our bedroom floor as "Mount Clothesmore," and he reminded me that getting most of our clothes out of the way would give me less laundry to do in these crazy weeks, thus reducing or eliminating the frequent appearance of Mount Clothesmore in our home. And you know what... he was right!
The 5 outfits really became 7 or 8 each (due to what was already lurking in the washing machine after I put all the clothes away), but even that number has made a huge difference to how much time I spend washing, drying, folding, and putting away our clothes. What is in our drawers now actually gets worn. Of course, I am doing laundry more frequently, but even that has been better. It feels less like an enormous chore to tackle, and more like a normal task that requires little effort or planning like it once did. (Does anyone else see their mountains of laundry as an "experience" or is that just me?! Or perhaps you've figured out how to NOT have mountains of laundry in the first place. If that is you, please call me immediately with all your tips on simplicity!)
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| Organized closet, no longer bursting with clothes |
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| One side of my closet completely empty! |
On a seemingly unrelated (but very much connected) note, I splurged this week and bought Gretchen Rubin's new book called Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. It was just released this week, and I bought it on Amazon pre-order. I absolutely loved her book The Happiness Project, and was really psyched to dive into a new book of hers.
Just a few pages into this new book, Rubin talks about how knowing ourselves can help us form good habits and break bad ones. Among other qualities, she talked specifically about abundance vs. simplicity. She says, in a nutshell, that those who love abundance do well forming habits that relate to their appreciation for having more, while those who love simplicity do best with simple environments and solutions. She references the idea of a spectrum, as well, and that we may find ourselves more on one end than the other.
This idea of hers makes total sense to me, but my a-ha! moment came along when I realized that my place on that abundance-simplicity spectrum is likely shifting. I have lived in abundance for so long, and it seemed to be my default. I collected lots of things over the years, but they were not enhancing my life; in fact I have come to realize through this experience of organizing for a trans-Atlantic move, my inclination towards abundance has been detrimental. I have had more than I needed and wanted, and became a servant of my things. Cleaning them, organizing them, finding space, moving them, hiding them when guests would come. All this time living that way, and I was oblivious to the reality of my situation.
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| My copy of Better Than Before - it's good, like really, really good! |
I will sign off now because the calendar says 11 days, and the much-neglected kitchen needs my attention.
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