Less is More

Survival mode with four young children always involves physical chaos. There are always toys strewn around the living room. Much of my time was spent trying to clean up after the mess and even more of my emotional and mental energy was left overwhelmed with what I couldn’t get to that day. My focus was to finish the basics – laundry, dishes and food on the floor- and anything else that got done was a bonus.

Part of moving toward a richer, more colorful life requires time. If we have no free time, we can’t have adventures or create art. One way I have freed up more time is to get less stuff. In her discussion of minimalist living, Allie Casazza says that moms need to be ruthless editors of the things in our home. I haven’t made it to minimalism yet, but having less stuff does make home maintenance easier.

Recently, I have been working my way through Joshua Becker’s online course Uncluttered. I have found that by reducing stuff, it’s easier to ask my family to help out around the home. They don’t get as overwhelmed when they need to pick up their toys. My husband knows where things are supposed to go so he can ask the kids to clean up too. They can help with vacuuming and set the table because they can see the floor and the table is clear.

Having my family help out frees up my time and energy. My mental energy isn’t tied up on my endless to do list. I used to feel the burden of so many things left undone. Less things to take care of frees up space in my mind for fun stuff.

As we simplify our home, we start to realize that the things we value aren’t things. We value playing outside and being creative and neither of those activities need a ton of toys. It also makes me think before I bring something new into the house. I have started putting non-essential things things on a 30 day wish list before I decide if I really want to buy them. Buying less stuff means more money to spend on family adventures which is something we really value.

What kinds of material things can you clear out to make more space in your life? What stuff can you pare down to make room for life experiences? Is there something you can remove from your life that will make it better?