Minimalism: What wouldn't you buy again?
Minimalism is one of my declared goals - and I'm still a long way from achieving it. I only want to have things around me that I use or love and that I hope will make it easier for me to find and tidy up and also to manage my finances.
In my book The good life I wrote a whole chapter about it: Only what I love is allowed to be around me.
So far I have taken to heart these two aspects from the guidelines of the artist and philosopher William Morris:
„If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” //If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful!“
The related questions: Do I use it? Do I love it? have already helped me a lot on my path to minimalism. Yesterday in the podcast Pioneering Today heard two more powerful questions from Melissa Norris. She in turn heard them from Kathi Lipp copied. There is little new under the sun.
Minimalism - question no. 1
- Can I replace this item with something else?
I find this question particularly useful for kitchen utensils and other tools. I actually used to own special holders for holding corn on the cob. Apart from the fact that I hardly ever eat corn on the cob, you can also skewer it on a fork if in doubt.
I have reduced my vase collection by 50% - if necessary, you can also put flowers in a glass of water. Sure, you can buy a special quiver to fish items out of the water. Or simply lower a bucket on a string.
I also love it when I find clothes that can be worn on two sides. And I look for multiple uses for things. For example, I use the nets from lemons or oranges for scrubbing the barbecue or pots and pans. They are extremely good at getting dirt off and save you having to use scouring pads.
I recently bought a pair of barefoot shoes that go well with jeans, but I can also go jogging in them. Two birds, one stone. I use coconut oil for frying, but also for skin and body care. It even has a slight sun protection factor. That's handy when you live on a ship.
Minimalism - question no. 2
- Would I replace this item if it broke?
This question is powerful. The answer shows whether you really use or love something. Yes, some things you use, some clothes you wear occasionally. But if they wore out or broke, would you replace them? The mugs with the adverts or „funny“ slogans? Would you buy them again? Absolutely not. Why not get rid of them or give them away to someone who likes them?
Would I buy this book again if I lost it? If it broke - would I buy this item of clothing again? If it were lost or broken, would I buy a new bucket of this type? Or another one of these flower pots?
If the answer is no, you can consider whether you don't want to part with the good piece right away.
Even more minimalism tips
For all of you who want to keep your home tidy once it has been minimised (or even before), I have put together my best tidying tips in a free ebook compiled.
If you really want to know about minimalism and tidiness, then I recommend my Quadro Tidy up. Giving structure to tasks and things The Quadros are divided into 28 chapters, so you can read a short chapter on one aspect every day. There's also a good question from me every day - yes, I love that. And a tip on how you can put what you've read into practice straight away.
Because an ounce of practice weighs more than a kilo of theory.
What are your thoughts on minimalism?
Please let me know in the comments if you found the questions helpful and if you have any favourite questions that might help you.
