Survey #248—Full Response from Melissa
| Pronouns | She/her |
|---|---|
| What useful decluttering or organizing strategies or methods did you take away from the book? | I like the question “if you lost it, would you buy it again?” And of course, the one in, one out rule. (Or two or more out if you are minimizing). I really like his take on the psychological and emotional side of clutter, especially the idea that when you clear the space of unnecessary things, your thoughts become clearer. I even sleep better! |
| What parts or aspects of the book did you find difficult to grasp or challenging to apply to your home or situation? | The idea that you’ll never regret letting go of something. We can all make mistakes. Also, The extreme lengths he goes to. I like the idea of minimizing my stuff but not to the extreme of having one plate and a spork (spoon/fork in one). |
| Please share your favorite quotations or key takeaways from this book. | “You cannot create space for new things (or people or experiences, for that matter) to enter your life if you are clinging onto the old ones.” “When you have fewer things, you can appreciate and take care of them better.” “Decluttering is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process of meaningful consumption.” |
| When you hear the word “minimalism” used to describe a lifestyle, what do you think of? | I think of clean surfaces, neutral colours, and space to breathe and move. A display room. A yoga studio. An instagram photo. Oh lifestyle? Then I think of “use things, love people “ quote by the Minimalists. And the question: “ is this a need or a want?” |
| “The things you own end up owning you.”* To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? How is it relevant to your stuff? | I somewhat agree with this statement. If you spend most of your time looking for items or managing them so that you don’t have time for the people or other experiences in your life, then the stuff is in control. I sometimes obsess about my stuff- about how to manage it! It’s the overwhelming task of deciding what stays and then where it goes ! In the middle of the process, the what-ifs and the buts creep in regarding the stuff that is past its ‘best used by’ date. |
| Here’s your chance to ask Gayle and Ed any question you’re curious about. It need not be related to this survey’s topic(s). If we think that your question—and our answer—might be useful or instructive to The Clutter Fairy Weekly audience, we’ll share them in an upcoming episode. | Do you think extreme minimalism and extreme hoarding are two sides of the same coin? |
| Future topics | I’d love an episode on some of your long time listeners’ journeys through the decluttering, downsizing process. What was their challenge/goal, how far have they gotten with it in how much time, any realizations they had during or in the process, what helped them to keep on track , etc? |
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