Journey towards Minimalism Pt. I

I am a bee. 

If you have no idea what I am talking about, please check out The Clutterbug blog and come back. 

In my own words; one can break down organizational behavior into four categories, or bugs. I am a bee, which means I like abundance with lots of complex organization. Which, as you may be able to quickly tell, is somewhat opposite of minimalism. This is why I am calling this the journey TOWARDS minimalism. 

Keep in mind that the Clutterbug bugs are just guidelines and not an absolute. For example, I am a bee in most areas, but my work environment is much more like that of a cricket. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, my garage is currently like a ladybug. I am complex. Or a bug monster. Or both. A complex bug monster. 

If you feel like your current situation is not ideal and you are living like a different bug, stick with me, and I will share how I was able to turn my paperwork situation from a giant pile to my ultimate bee definition with baby steps. Abundance calls to me. It is written in my bones. But in my natural want for plenty, I find chaos, clutter, and dust. There is just too much. I have spent so many hours of my life cleaning, purging, rearranging, and just moving around. It has to stop without me deciding to live in filth. To do that, I am dipping my toe into the minimalist mindset, with the thought of making it work for a bee. 

For years now, I have seen Pinterest boards, Instagram posts, and blog entries on this topic, and every time, I am drawn to the aesthetic of the natural lines, deep contrast, and altogether the simplicity of minimalism. However, each time I have tried to immediately shoehorn my life into this style, I end up frustrated and discouraged, fast. For example, my home office: Ideally, I think it should have my computer, keyboard, trackpad, a vase with fresh flowers, and my current favorite planner. That's it. What a cleaning dream! Instead, there is a visual argument between the printer and scanner. The power cord is very visibly draped across one corner of the desk, and there is dog hair stuck to the external monitor. Gross.  

Hold on, don't you need that printer and scanner? Yes! But do they need to be out on the desk? Probably not. How about that external monitor? Necessity? I haven't used it since I rearranged the furniture in this room, so it can probably find a new home. 

My eyes are already zipping around the room identifying offenders and things that can go now, but I am getting ahead of myself. 

One of the reasons that I have never been successful is my demand for instant gratification. When I make up my mind about something, I want to change now. Our culture increases this natural position; otherwise, 2-day shipping would not be so popular on Amazon.com. I have rushed through a huge life change in a day or a couple of days and hoped that the rest of my life would magically be better. That works about as well as doing 30 sit-ups today and expecting a six pack tomorrow. Such significant changes take time. Painful as it may be. They say that it takes between 21 and 30 days (depending on who you speak to) to make a habit. It will most likely take as many if not many more times that to change these decades worth of pattern. This needs to be a daily choice instead of a whim.

So let us go slow. I want this time to stick.

This week I am breaking it down into two tasks:

Task one: 
Define goals and my why. At the top of the list is to free up mind space and physical space. I want to stress less, and enjoy everything more. 

Task two: 
Make a list of areas that are important to me. Those areas I will not purge, or if I do, I will not be as stringent. For starters, I have an extensive recipe book collection. I doubt that very many of those will need to go. They all bring me joy! 

I have a lot more pondering to do over the rest of both steps. Knowing me, they will be long lists in no time. 

Stay tuned for more on my progress! 

These are resources that I have consumed on the topic. I have found them useful to define my current path and goals, both what will not work for my lifestyle, and what will. 

Reading list
Blogs ~
Courtney Carver's  bemorewithless.com - especially Project 333
Simply+Fiercely simplyfiercely.com

Books ~ 
Spark Joy
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Cluttered Mess to Organized Success

Watch/Listen List:
Netflix ~ 
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
Youtube ~ 
Pick up Limes " 30 Days to Minimalism>>+printable guide."
Pick Up Limes "Benefits of Minimalism"
Pick Up Limes "Beginner's Guide to Minimalism"
Podcasts~
The Minimalists