I enjoyed this TED Talk, especially the how Sarah Knight explains why you shouldn’t feel guilty about saying “no”. Good stuff!
Category: Well-being
Simplifying Multiple Items
“Sunset” Leander, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Today’s photo was taken by my son. As you can see, we were driving along during a beautiful Texas sunset and I had him use the camera I keep in the glove compartment to capture the image.
We’ve long since moved on from using the Sony NEX-6 camera for everyday use (I use my Fujifilm X100T and Mariko uses her Olympus E-PL9), but it is such a nice camera that I didn’t sell it. So, I put it in the car where it serves as a backup camera. It’s actually a perfect car camera because it can be operated quickly with just one hand. Flip the power button on and it’s ready to shoot at its widest angle. Plus the grip is beefy and easy to hold. And it has come in handy many times!
It got me thinking about how I am trying to simplify and get rid of items that we have multiples of, but it doesn’t mean being totally minimalistic or getting rid of all but one item. There’s a balance for everything. For instance, we have accumulated laptops over the years, many of them are still perfectly functional. But I really only need one, so I donated/recycled the rest of them.
On the other hand, I have multiple Kindle devices and although I only need one, the others are very convenient to have. For instance, I keep one by the bedside, one in my messenger bag, one in the car, etc. I use all of them.
So, the usefulness of the item, and more specifically if it is being used or not, is the determining factor of what to keep and what to get rid of. And it’s not difficult to figure out what is being used and what is not.
One example is my fountain pen collection. I did a quick inventory (looking at my Amazon.com and Ebay.com purchase histories), and it turns out I have 12 fountain pens! But I use seven of them (two at work, and five at home). I guess I’ll remove the ink from the five I forgot about and put them in the Goodwill box. Those five unused pens were out of sight, but I honestly believe they weren’t completely out of mind. After they go to Goodwill, they truly will be! The knowledge that my collection has been narrowed down to what is essential is what will be freeing to my mind.
I hope you had a nice day!
またね
A Soft Murmur
Do you listen to ambient sounds when you work? My favorite is A Soft Murmur. The website audio is nice, and I also bought the app, so sometimes waves and wind emanate from my phone. 😄 It’s great for reading too!
Mix ambient sounds together to wash away distraction and help you focus or relax
Source: A Soft Murmur
One or the Other
“Stuff” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Minimalists say to only keep things that are useful or bring joy. I guess the small shelf I have on my home office desk is 90% there. You can’t see them in the photo, but the only things I have which don’t fit those criteria are some old audio CDs that I don’t listen to. They were gifts which I could probably toss now that the music has been ripped and added to my digital collection. The other thing that is useful, but doesn’t get used, is a Sansa MP3 player. I should probably donate that one, right?
But other than those two things, I think I am doing good with the decluttering in that small section of the house. 😄
I hope you had a nice Tuesday!
またね～
Cleaning and Decluttering
“Tidy” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。Today I woke up pretty early (for a Sunday) and watched a few TED videos about decluttering. As usual, I got inspired to throw out a lot of things that I don’t use or need. Consequently, my desk at home is getting really tidy! It’s a much nicer environment to work, blog, play games, or just hang out. 😀 And while cleaning up, I found a string of lights so I decided to string them up to celebrate. I think it makes the room even more fun.
“Mood Lighting” Cedar Park, 2018
Besides the office, I went to my closet to see what clothes I can get rid of, but when I looked at my stuff, I realized I got rid of most everything already. Or so I thought… I have a hanging drawer set where I keep my shorts, pajamas, and workout clothes, and I haven’t gone through those yet. That drawer set had 10 sections, which were all occupied, but after declutering, there are only 5 slots with items in it. I basically got rid of old swimming trunks, workout shirts, and pajamas whose elastic bands had worn out. It’s amazing that I found so many running shirts! Even after throwing out so many, I still kept 4. Anyways, now my closet seems more airy and clean. I love it!
Simplifying my life is such a worthwhile thing to do. Now I am ready to tackle my books again. 😀
またね～
