Thinking with a different mindset…
This week for TIOT I want to talk about what I noticed about my things when I started experimenting with minimalism.
I was really suprised to see how my things held what was almost like a place of honor in my life.
If you recall, I came to a decision about my porch. I had a picture of how I wanted it to be, but I thought I coldn’t have it that way because of the things I had on it. That made me think that something isn’t right.
I thought, “I want something, but I can’t have it because of my things?” and that felt wrong.
When I really thought about it, I saw how my things pave the way for the life I’m living, and that they also have the power to create my future.
Now, if you are asking “How can that be?”
I want you to think about it. How we spend our time is how we are living life.
How much time do we spend on our things, buying our things, working to pay for our things, and taking care of our things?
And what about the things that we choose? Don’t they have a big effect on who we spend our time with, and what is important to us?
I don’t think it becomes a problem unless we really haven’t chosen the things that we own.
Here is what I mean…
When I was a young mommy, regardless of the difficult marriage, I loved it and it was easy for me.
So spending time on the life I was living was not unsatisfying.
Even though it may not have been the life I would have chosen at the time, it was a life that I was happy to live in a lot of ways.
For me, it was like a scenario in a card game. I had cards in my hand, and I was going to play them the best I could.
When life throws us a curve, it can either be something we roll with or something that rolls over us.
Now, for me, coming from an Organizationally Challenged person’s perspective, this minimalism concept is a bit skewed.
When you don’t know how to keep house, are always working but getting little done, and most of your days are patch jobs at best. You don’t think about “Do I want this?” or “Is this adding value to my life?” You are thinking “HOW THE HELL CAN I MANAGE! AND WHY CAN’T I DO WHAT MY SISTER DOES?!”
Before any of us can even consider minimalism, we have to conquer the clutter. But you know what? For us Organizationally Challenged people, I’m telling you that just thinking “minimalism” can make that happen in a way that is less of an uphill climb.
Simply because of a mindset shift.
Think “Authentic Living!”
If it is difficult to get rid of things on your journey to learning how to get organized, you will have a long road to travel. Our number one obstacle is too much stuff…
When you begin to think in terms of “authentic living” and “living your purpose,” realizing that your things hold a very large chunk of what kind of life you manifest, our THINGS take on a different aura.
They cease to be items that mean something, and instead become things that shape us and make us live a particular lifestyle.
If you seriously considered the things that you own as a representation of YOU, wouldn’t it be easier to free yourself of much of them?
And with the plan that we have in Tidy Tutor, won’t the process be so much more productive with this kind of realization?
Now let’s say you are living the life you want, but there is clutter everywhere. Your reason for getting rid of things won’t be because they don’t define you, but because having the excess of those things hinders you from living the life you want to live as effectively, as purposely, and as happily as you could be.
Tell me what you are thinking about this. I would love to know.
Much Love to you!
Kathy
The Tidy Tutor
P.S.
For anyone who missed my offer for Tidy Tutor University last week, I am having a live get together online with the students who did sign up on the 15th at 7 pm EST.
Even if you have not yet enrolled, I would love it if you joined us to find out more about what happens on the inside of our Tidy Tutor World, please register for our meeting here. If you can’t make it, don’t worry, you will get the recording, and I will have my special offer available for 24 hours.