One of my very favourite films is Fight Club.
Granted, Brad Pitt spends a considerable amount of time bare-chested, which indeed has it’s own appeal. Regardless there is most definitely more depth to the story-line than superstar skin. If eye-candy were purely my motivation for watching, surely it would be more efficient to devour a True Blood box-set?
I was reminded of how much I enjoyed this film whilst cyberspace cruising (aka time-wasting) yesterday afternoon.
(Time wasting is not something Tyler Durden would approve of “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time”)
Looking for reading material I hit the oldies but goodies. Starting off with the new Zen Habits post (which instructed me to write everyday – so here I am – although you’ll be reading this on Monday not the Sunday I wrote it).
Not finding what I was looking for, I entered into the minimal world of Far Beyond The Stars. Time-travelling way back to December 2009. It’s an archived blog now as the author took it down when he moved on – and move on he did!
December 2009 was 10 months into my journey toward a family life simply done. I credit much of the progress I made to reading Everett’s blog at the time.
My aim was to reduce in order to reclaim my life. To reduce stuff, commitments, obligations. But, somehow I lost my way.
I’m spending an inordinate amount of time, once more, decluttering and organising. I’m old enough, and ugly enough, to know there is no finish line with decluttering, but still – it’s turning into a full-time occupation.
Brooke recently wrote about decluttering not being the final answer. I concur, it’s not. It’s where I started, as many of us do, but simplifying or minimizing needs to be so much more.
Even decluttering can benefit from being simplified. Too much time can be spent on how to eliminate the item effectively. Should it be sold, gifted, donated? Ultimately it needs to be gone.
Rather a random post, I admit. But cathartic. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves a bit of a talking to.
Anyhow, time to stop typing. I’ve an episode of True Blood to pop on the DVD whilst I declutter the Kids toys! 😉
How’s it all going with you, are you beating stuff?
Click here to enjoy Placebo (with special guest) covering Where Is My Mind from Fight Club… a little Monday morning treat for those rock chicks and guys among you.
I’m a bit stuck at the moment. As I’m currently lodging away from home I’m living with minimal stuff but still want to do a spring declutter. There really isn’t anything here I could ditch (except possibly a couple of items of clothes) but I know that back at my ‘real’ residence there is still a flat full of stuff. It is most definitely NOT ‘out of sight out of mind’!!
No Claire, it certainly never is outta sight, outta mind – I agree! Heavy weighs the clutter concealed in cupboards and even other residences!
I’m a bit stuck at the moment. As I’m currently lodging away from home I’m living with minimal stuff but still want to do a spring declutter. There really isn’t anything here I could ditch (except possibly a couple of items of clothes) but I know that back at my ‘real’ residence there is still a flat full of stuff. It is most definitely NOT ‘out of sight out of mind’!!
No Claire, it certainly never is outta sight, outta mind – I agree! Heavy weighs the clutter concealed in cupboards and even other residences!
I have spent the last month reading through (and applying) Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Don’t know if you’ve read it before, but it really gave me a kick in the pants to get back on the simple wagon 🙂 I had slipped off and hadn’t really noticed!! (other than the fact that I felt like a wee hamster stuck in a wheel…). I am very much looking forward to our next school term with fewer commitments, and less stuff. In fact, one of my ‘jobs’ this term is to list as much stuff to sell online as I can! I feel like I have motivation to ‘beat stuff’ as you put it 🙂 But my stuff is not just physical, it’s my schedule too. Simplifying does indeed need to be so much more than decluttering, and a continuous process 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation Clare. I’m looking for some reading material. I’ve become slightly addicted (**understatement alert**) to True Blood since being introduced to it a month or so back and am working my way through the box-sets! It’s time to get back on the reading wagon and back to real-life. I put my infatuation with Eric The Viking Vampire all down to my poor health! haha!
Recently I’ve noticed an increase in my own commitments once more. But now I recognise it and consciously back off where I can. This week I went to ground (not in the true blood sense of the term – see! told you I’m addicted!), but in just keeping my head down and focusing on what I need to do rather than what everyone else needs help with. It’s hard to do, as it can seem selfish – but a little selfishness from time to time can do one the world of good, Coincidentally my health is starting to improve -hmmm wonder if there’s a correlation?
Good luck with you sale!
I have spent the last month reading through (and applying) Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Don’t know if you’ve read it before, but it really gave me a kick in the pants to get back on the simple wagon 🙂 I had slipped off and hadn’t really noticed!! (other than the fact that I felt like a wee hamster stuck in a wheel…). I am very much looking forward to our next school term with fewer commitments, and less stuff. In fact, one of my ‘jobs’ this term is to list as much stuff to sell online as I can! I feel like I have motivation to ‘beat stuff’ as you put it 🙂 But my stuff is not just physical, it’s my schedule too. Simplifying does indeed need to be so much more than decluttering, and a continuous process 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation Clare. I’m looking for some reading material. I’ve become slightly addicted (**understatement alert**) to True Blood since being introduced to it a month or so back and am working my way through the box-sets! It’s time to get back on the reading wagon and back to real-life. I put my infatuation with Eric The Viking Vampire all down to my poor health! haha!
Recently I’ve noticed an increase in my own commitments once more. But now I recognise it and consciously back off where I can. This week I went to ground (not in the true blood sense of the term – see! told you I’m addicted!), but in just keeping my head down and focusing on what I need to do rather than what everyone else needs help with. It’s hard to do, as it can seem selfish – but a little selfishness from time to time can do one the world of good, Coincidentally my health is starting to improve -hmmm wonder if there’s a correlation?
Good luck with you sale!
All, I say, whatever works for you and makes you happy. 🙂 And if something does not work (any more), so what, you move on ans try a different way.
Organizing used to be the bees knees for me. 🙂 Spending time sorting stuff in neat boxes and then storing them is a wardrobe used to give me satisfaction I needed at the time, I moved on, and instead of organizing I went through a phase of spending my time selling, giving away and throwing out unwanted items. Then, I went though a phase of organizing my meals down to the last joghurt, and limiting the amount of money I spent on food. At this stage I feel it all took too much time. What makes me happy these days is a few firm(ish) rules and then the bliss of freedom.
– Thursday: veg shopping & butchers, Friday: LIDL, pizza night
– 2 poultry, 1 beef, 1fish, 1 pasta, 1 veggie, 1leftover days/week
– weekdays-no TV/DVD/Wii/DS etc.
– Absolutely no toys for kids unless birthday or Christmas. If they want anything, they have to work for it by doing extra chores.
– Clothes shopping twice a year unless something needs to be replaced urgently.
– Playdates (normally) only on Thursday or Friday
Laura – every time you comment I feel so inspired! I think of you every Saturday night when we have pizza night. Hope all good with you Guys?
All, I say, whatever works for you and makes you happy. 🙂 And if something does not work (any more), so what, you move on ans try a different way.
Organizing used to be the bees knees for me. 🙂 Spending time sorting stuff in neat boxes and then storing them is a wardrobe used to give me satisfaction I needed at the time, I moved on, and instead of organizing I went through a phase of spending my time selling, giving away and throwing out unwanted items. Then, I went though a phase of organizing my meals down to the last joghurt, and limiting the amount of money I spent on food. At this stage I feel it all took too much time. What makes me happy these days is a few firm(ish) rules and then the bliss of freedom.
– Thursday: veg shopping & butchers, Friday: LIDL, pizza night
– 2 poultry, 1 beef, 1fish, 1 pasta, 1 veggie, 1leftover days/week
– weekdays-no TV/DVD/Wii/DS etc.
– Absolutely no toys for kids unless birthday or Christmas. If they want anything, they have to work for it by doing extra chores.
– Clothes shopping twice a year unless something needs to be replaced urgently.
– Playdates (normally) only on Thursday or Friday
Laura – every time you comment I feel so inspired! I think of you every Saturday night when we have pizza night. Hope all good with you Guys?
Thank you, Jo. All pretty good here. Please do think of us on your pizza nights, my DH is doing his last exams before (hopefully) he is getting his wig in the summer. 🙂
ps. Did I miss anything; did you set up a cake-baking business? If so, congratulations!
Thank you, Jo. All pretty good here. Please do think of us on your pizza nights, my DH is doing his last exams before (hopefully) he is getting his wig in the summer. 🙂
ps. Did I miss anything; did you set up a cake-baking business? If so, congratulations!