Living little is a constant challenge. It is so easy to accumulate stuff, even when you live in a tiny space. A cute little item here, a cool-looking t-shirt there, and it begins to gather. Even if you live in a four-bedroom house with a large outdoor facility on 1.3 acres like I had, there always seems to be too much stuff. Living a minimalist lifestyle is not just for those who live in tiny spaces but for everyone who wants to live an uncluttered life.
Uncluttering can be difficult. Scaling it down to vanlife was painful, but when completed, it is a feeling of accomplishment that I will cherish. Check out my book From Housewife to Vanlife and come along on my downsizing journey.
Once you have completed the area, keeping it that way is still a challenge. Think about that one piece of counter you are constantly cleaning off. You know the one. I used to call it the drop and run counter. You walk in the door, and you put it down, and there it stays. Giving your space structure by forming certain habits is a learned skill. Anybody can do it. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to Unclutter your life and live a minimalist lifestyle, no matter the size of the space you live in.
Clearing out the Clutter
When clearing out your clutter, I recommend starting with a large box and a garbage bag. Sort the items into 4 categories.
- Items to Keep
- Things to donate
- Things to throw away
- Items you do not want to keep but do not want to throw away or donate. Sentimental items perhaps.
Questions to ask yourself as you are clearing items
- When did you last use it?
- When do you think you are going to use it again?
- Where will you put it if you decide to keep it
Where Do You Start
Clearing your clutter whether downsizing or organizing is a daunting task. Where to start is often a hard decision. It can be overwhelming if you are looking at the entire picture. Pick a small area. A tabletop, a piece of counter, or a corner will get you started on your unclutter journey without overwhelming you.
With each item you pick up, ask yourself those three questions.
When did you use it last?
Was it last week, last month, or even last year? If it has been over a year, is it something you really need? If you find an item and you think, “Oh my stars, I have not seen that for years, I forgot I had it,” it’s time to get rid of it.
When do you think you will use it again?
Sometimes, we keep things hoping to use them again. That favorite shirt that will never fit again or maybe an ornate vase you bought to use for a special occasion. Do you really need to keep it if you are in all probability never going to use it again?
Where are you going to put it if you keep it
Once you have decided to keep an item, it needs a home. Where are you going to put it? Does it belong in a drawer or on display within your home somewhere? Decide right then and there where it goes.
The Hard Decisions of Living a Minimalist Lifestyle
Some of the items that you come across may have a sentimental value or a special meaning, but you do not have the room for it. There were many items when I was downsizing to Van size that I did not want to throw away or donate because it was my Mom’s or Dad’s. The sentimental trinkets from my children or trips that I have taken. What to do with all those items?
I invited my children to the house and invited them to take anything from the sentimental pile that they wanted. Both my girls took their box of childhood memories and items from my Mom and Dad. I then invited my friends over and had them choose. Items that had been gathered on trips we had been on together or something cool I owned that my friends would enjoy. I took a few small items like my Mom’s small vase ( I put lilacs in it every spring, a beautiful smell with a wonderful memory) and my Dad’s sweater he used to always wear.
I also found I kept her ice cream scoop and pie server. The chances of me using those items, living the minimalist lifestyle that I do, were pretty much nil. I do not even have a freezer that will hold a bucket of ice cream to scoop from. The ice cream scoop ended up at my daughter’s because she needed one when hers broke (she still has it, it is a good scooper), and the pie server went to a friend for pretty much the same reason.
What to do with the collectables
Everyone at some time collects something. One thing I did not know what to do with was my Archie comic book collection. I had been collecting Archie comics in the digest version since I was a kid. Although some had been wrecked or lost over the years, I still had quite a few (a little over 1000). I did not want to throw them away or give them to Goodwill.
I help run a van show called Vanfest. A wonderful team of people have hosted this awesome event for 26 years. Over 400 vans and pick-ups come and enjoy each other’s company for the weekend and show off their pretty rides. Each entrant through the gate gets a goody bag. I put my comic book collection into the goody bags. Every morning, I would walk around saying good morning and see people drinking coffee and reading Archie comics. It made my heart glow, knowing my friends were enjoying a little piece of me with their coffee.
Disposing of the unwanted clutter
Just like uncluttering, this should be done a piece at a time. Each time you fill a bag, it gets taken to the garbage can. Each time you fill a donation box, put it in your car so that the next time you go out, you can easily drop it off. Waiting until you have a pile gets in the way of you moving to other areas. It is also a bigger job to haul it away. If you take it piece by piece, it is less work and gives you a chance to get see your results more clearly.
Have you ever noticed that when you unclutter the space around you, it helps to unclutter the space within you? Even living in my RV as you look around, there is not something everywhere. I find my mind is not so cluttered if I am living in a clear space. If I have to step over something in my hallway, I am annoyed. Lol. Winter brings more stuff with blankets, boots, and a large coat. It is a necessary annoyance that will only last a few months. I tell myself over and over again.
How to keep your space clear of clutter
Keeping the spaces you have cleared is a daunting task. It is so easy to just put that there for a moment, then that moment turns into days, which turns into weeks, and you know how it goes. Take those few moments to put it away. Traveling on my RV, everything needs to be put away and secured before I start to drive.
Did you know habits are a learned skill? Anybody can form a habit, and you decide what those habits will be. You can form the habit of draping your coat over a chair or putting it away in the closet. Dropping your keys on the drop table or hanging them on a key holder. Practice makes perfect. Tell yourself that you are going to do that, follow through with the action enough times, and it becomes a habit.
They say it takes 3 weeks to make or break a habit. Pock one habit you would like to have and give it a try. See how long it takes before you just do it automatically. You will be amazed at how little time it takes.
Making the time to unclutter and maintain your minimalist lifestyle
We are all busy people, and sometimes there seems to be not enough minutes in a day to get things done. This small kitchen instrument will help you realize how little time it takes and keep you focused on the task. An egg timer. Set the egg timer for 5 minutes. Start clearing an area you have chosen. When the timer rings, notice how much has been cleared just in that 5 minutes. Next time, set it for ten minutes. I believe you will find that as you make progress in the uncluttering process, you will add minutes to the egg timer. The progress you will see becomes your motivation to continue.
Maintaining the area involves a lot of decision-making.
Do I need it?
When am I going to use it?
Where am I going to put it?
When I first began this RV life, my friends and family would give me small trinkets for my RV. The thought was wonderful, but I had no room for these things. I began requesting hugs instead. I asked them what I was going to throw out if I accepted their gift of that cute t-shirt or the cute knick-knack. They began to understand that while I appreciated the gesture, I only had room for hugs. Lol
As you begin to transform your habits of putting away instead of drop and run, not buying those unnecessary items that you do not have a use or a place for there is less and less time needed for maintaince. It took you 10 minutes to clean off the counter before wiping it down. It now it only takes you 3 minutes because you just have to wipe it down.
Life is all about the little things. Try not to get overwhelmed, and if you are, reach out. There is always help not far away.
Not sure you can do it alone?
Are you just too overwhelmed to even start and wish you could have somebody beside you to help and guide your unclutter project? There are many services out there that do that. I offer an Unclutter Your Life Service where I come to your home, your garage, and even your warehouse and with you, Unclutter Your Life. I will offer strategies and tips as we go along to maintain the work we have done as well as help you organize and clean the areas. Everything is private and personal, just like your clutter.
Send me a personal message through Facebook or Twitter or send an email to findingthepowerwithing@gmail.com, and let’s talk about Uncluttering your life!
Do you have a successful unclutter story? I would love to hear about it the comments. Got a question? I would be pleased to help.
Thanks for coming along, and I hope some of these tips will help you live a minimalistic lifestyle.
🐿
Love this blog! My tip jar is coffee!
Chipmunk's RV Life 