The Cure

 

 

Why do we do it to ourselves? All this hassle and fuss just to go away camping. If I for a moment thought that I had made a mistake and that I should call off my journey to simplify our lives, then this weekend cured me forever.

Tripping over boxes to look for camping gear is not my idea of preparing for a getaway.

You can be sure that the next time our annual camping trip comes around everything that is essential will go with us and anything that is not, will not be piled up in our basement "just in case." So much wasted energy goes into storing stuff "just in case" we need it. It makes the thought of packing up to go away seem like a nightmare. There is a fine line between taking too much and not taking enough, and that is where planning comes in. I have found that using bins to put the essentials in really helps and for us they need to be transparent tubs. In one tub goes the food preparation tools which are far less that last year...if I did not use it, it got removed from the tub. In another tub, yes only one tub, goes my daughter's clothes and in the other, my son's clothes. That is it! In Summer they live in swim suits anyhow. One tub for my clothes and another for the beach towels. One tub for groceries and one for dishes, cups, tongs etc. In a small tub goes medications we might need, bug spray and sunscreen.

How about if it rains, what then? Ever been camping with kids in the rain? And no they are not taking electronic games with, we are on a non- electric site and besides, camping is a NO ELECTRONICS ZONE. Besides having my cell phone in case of emergencies, electronics will not infringe on our family time. The essential entertainment tub holds books, board games and a few toys.

See how serene and peaceful this scene is, that is out destination. The goal is to make the journey there just as appealing.

Gone are the days when we took everything including the kitchen sink. That's not camping, that is transferring your house to a campsite. What fun is in that? To be quite honest, the only reason that we make the effort to go camping is because of the children and the wonderful memories they store up. You can't put a price on memories and experiences that they will remember when they have grown up and have their own offspring.

I want them to remember the wonderful times away from it all, not the stress mom and dad went through to get them to the campsite.

5 Ways to Keep the Momentum Going

Here are 5 ways to keep the momentum going in your quest for a simplified and minimalist lifestyle.

So you got all excited about this new thing that seems to be the answer to your predicament and everything seems to be going smoothly, you have tossed out some garbage, you have organized a few drawers and closets, you've even donated a few things. You were off to a good start, and then things got a little hectic. The Summer got hot and life got busy and things just got in the way of your plans. The momentum slows, and so what do you do to keep up the momentum and avoid the frustration that comes with slow progress?

The problem could be that the task seems to overwhelming or you just don't know where to start next. Or we see the results of our work so far and it is so pleasing that we are tempted to set up camp and enjoy the view. Only problem is, we are only half way up the mountain. Settling for less than the best is so tempting when there is a long hike ahead of us. The view from the top of the mountain is way better, so grab those rubber gloves and garbage bag and let us keep moving.

1. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOUR PROGRESS

If you are feeling frustrated because you seem to be slowing down in your progress, take heart. Go back and remember just how many items you have donated, cleaned up or tossed. It is easy to forget. Make a list of all the things that you have improved, donated or tossed. When you feel discouraged, bring out the list to remind yourself of how far you have come.

2. KEEP YOUR PERSPECTIVE POSITIVE

A few days ago I saw a photo of a snail on top of a tortoise, and the snail was yelling "Wheeeeee!"  I chuckled as I got what the photo was trying to say. It was illustrating the idea that perspective is everything. Celebrate whatever small victories that may arise.  What seems to you to be slow progress, is progress nonetheless.

3. TELL OTHERS ABOUT WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO

This is where you put yourself out there and are held accountable for what you said you would do. People will ask you soon enough, "So, did you get rid of that box of faux flowers you said you wanted to donate?" What will your answer be? Using this tactic is almost like blackmailing yourself into getting a task done. If you are someone who values being a person of their word, this works well. It motivated you to do what you said you would do. (It works for workouts too by the way.)

4. TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER SHOTS

Everybody loves those makeover shows where someone gets a new look, or when a team come in and makeover a space. You have the opportunity to have your own little "Show and Tell" and share with others the progress you have made. The contrast between the before and after shots will keep you motivated and excited. In addition to this, photos give a different perspective of the space, so you may look at the "after" photo and suddenly notice where further improvements can be made.

5. BE REALISTIC

Be realistic with your time, energy and goals. As they say Rome wasn't built in a day and so your project will not be completed in a week either. You are in it for the long haul, so pace yourself and enjoy the journey. Resist trying to tackle too much at once, you do not want to exhaust yourself producing counterproductive consequences. If you have time and energy constraints, just do one drawer or one area a day. Pick a project that is manageable in the time you have available, and just keep on doing it. Take this process one step at a time and relish each step and each phase.

You are worth the effort to pursue your desire for a simpler life, and a clearer mind. That means making room for the meaningful things in life. Pick one thing from the list and start there.

Report back in the comments section of this blog, we would love to hear from you. Keep up the momentum and you will see that each little step of progress will amount to a more noticeable change.

Soon you'll be looking around beaming at the progress you have made, the momentum will have kicked up a few notches and you will be on your way.

I'd love to hear how it goes, post in the comments section.

By Melony Teague
www.melonyteague.com
To subscribe to my consolidated newsletter, Click here

Amazing Simplicity

 

From Forest To Bonsai

This is the story of my personal journey out of the forest... Towards the simplicity I crave symbolized by bonsai. 

Amazing Simplicity

It took me by surprise. The notion that simplicity in and of itself is something that has had a place in the shadows for quite some time now, and it is time 'she' is called back into the spotlight.  Why do we look down on her as if she were unworthy of a place of honor in the sun?

Instead of saying, "The simpler the better" we have bought into the mentality that says, " The more sophisticated, the better." We are bombarded with the 'newest, best thing' and we buy into the marketing ploys at every turn. How about the "10 ways to do, be or achieve this or that" lists that end up on our bookshelves?

I realized something while I was watching documentary of a Siberian man as he carved out a dugout from a tree trunk using traditional tools and traditional methods. These methods have been tried and tested over centuries and they work. I watched them construct a hunting cabin from logs, moss and mud with little more than a chainsaw, and a few axes. They had no access to fancy equipment, but they possessed the skills they needed to survive in the wilderness. I doubt a local modern carpenter would be able to construct a shelter such as this one without his gadgets and tools. The skill of these simple, rugged and rural carpenters with their limited resources was astounding. Occasionally there may be one who has sufficient, specialized training. It really isn't about "what you have", is it? It is about your skill, your discipline and what you do with what you have.

So should we look down at simplicity and turn up our noses at her? She deserves to be heard, she deserves to be rewarded. Her plea to use only what we need and no more, no longer falls on deaf ears as we each do our part to live simply, give generously and use our resources responsibly.

Simplicity really can be quite an amazing thing in so many ways.

 

You are a work of art, and you get to choose the colors of your palette.

 

One day I tweeted the following:

"When I reach my goal of living in minimalism, I'm buying myself the ultimate symbol of minimalism, a bonsai." 

Julien Smith's reply was: 

"The ultimate irony."

At first I laughed at the irony. And then it hit me....

Here I was stuck in the forest, when I yearned for the simplicity of one lone bonsai. Suddenly I knew where I was going and how I was going to get there.

 It turns out you don't just 'buy a bonsai' otherwise known as a "Mallsai" and this I found out early on in my research.

Brent Walston's Bonsai website was where I started my research on Bonsai and this is what he said:

"Don't 'buy a bonsai'. That is a poor way to begin this fascinating hobby and usually doomed to failure. Bonsai is not about 'owning' bonsai plants, but rather the enjoyment of caring for them and especially creating them."

In a way this came as a rather big relief to me. If the art of Bonsai was going to be the metaphor for my life path, I was most relieved to know that I was not expected to arrive at perfection in an instant. I was destined to follow an authentic journey where there would be pruning and training involved. Sounded good to me. In bonsai the state of the roots are a very important factor in the end result of your bonsai tree and I would say that it is also so in life. If you are firmly grounded, with support and structure to guide you, you will weather the training and pruning that will bring you fulfillment.

Whatever area in life we are tackling, wherever you might find yourself, whether it be in the dormant stage of your "tree" or in the pruning stage, (which is quite painful by the way) let us bear in mind the end product. A beautifully trained bonsai, not just and instant, fix-it-all experience, but a journey of turning your life into something beautiful, into a work of art.

Does that make you feel uncomfortable, talking about yourself as a piece of art? If it does, know this, you are a work of art, and you get to choose the colors of your palette.

My favorite quote from Brent Walston about the art of bonsai is this:

"Nobody said it was going to be fast or easy, but it is fascinating and addictive. If you have the dedication, it can be done."

That applies to the 'art' of life too. Let's enjoy the journey shall we?

STEP TWO - Get moving

 

From Forest To Bonsai

This is the story of my personal journey out of the forest...towards the simplicity I crave symbolized by bonsai. 

 

You can only read up and research for so long before it is time to take the first baby steps towards implementing your strategy toward a more simplified life.

One key was understanding how I had landed myself in the "forest" in the first place. (Forest - meaning mess and clutter)

By Debbie Stanley

 In Debbie Stanley's book, Organize your Home In No Time she identifies some reasons why we find ourselves in the forest. A liberating revelation was that not everyone is naturally organized. Well I should have figured that one out on my own, but what really struck me was when she pointed out that people with natural organizing skills are no better than me. (What a relief.) Furthermore she explained that there was nothing wrong with me for not knowing how to do so.( More relief)

Some things that impact our organizational skills are things like: life experiences (Was your mother OCD?); Childhood Trauma;  Personality Traits, Acquisitiveness; Perfectionism; Poverty Mentality; Health Factors; AD/HD and Learning disabilities, OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Don't we all suffer from that to some degree?); Depression and Fatigue and Pain Causing Diseases. To this list can be added more physical reasons, such as Mobility Limitations and Brain Injury.

Fortunately I could not use the "Brain Injury" reason as an excuse. It did make me have a long hard think about what my particular reasons might be.

Did you know there are two types of Disorganization according to Betty Stanley, who is a professional Organizer, namely Situational and Chronic Disorganization.

Once I understood the reasons for where I was in my disorganized home, and was honest enough to identify my problem areas and their sources I was ready to tackle the problem. After I changed my outlook, wrestled with my weaknesses and admitted my failings, I was ready to start again. This time equipped with the motivation to start the process of eliminating excess possessions. It was time to get started on that journey out of the so called forest.

What did I do first?

I started with my closet.

• 2 very large black garbage bags of clothes dropped off at the donation bin.

• 3 very large bags passed on to my sister in law.

• 1 microwave donated.

• 1 box of Children's books donated to the School library.

• One large tea set removed from my kitchen in a box ready to go. 

•  3 Very large bags of garbage to the curb on garbage day. 

 Then I tackled the mess at my back door. I wish I had have taken "before " pictures.

I cleaned underneath my sink, and sorted out my kitchen centre island drawers which had become a "catch all" for so many different items. The quest to "find things a home" had begun.

You know I always heard that saying, but never really understood it until now.

I still have a way to go, but I love PROGRESS! I even learned what a "Meta Decision" is, do you know?

Start Here

As you may know, the catalyst to my journey to a simplified life was born out of frustration and discontent. Negative emotions they might be, but in this case with a positive effect. It is hard to believe that I could be discontent even though I had so much, but there you have it, I was discontent.

I knew that I was spending way too much time on things that did not matter. I am easily distracted, particularly if the thing that is distracting me is more fun and exciting that the thing I should be doing.

To be honest I had never really come across minimalism as a lifestyle. I had stumbled upon minimalism as an art form, but not really as a way of life. Now I wonder if I had been on another planet for the last 10 years? Oh no, wait, I was too busy trying to collect stuff.

I am not sure how I started reading "The Minimalists" blogs, ( perhaps through reading The Flinch by Julien Smith?) but I did and I loved their message. It struck a resonating chord with me that I just could not shake.

Once I realized I wanted to pursue a more minimalist lifestyle, how was I going to go about it?

I started reading.

I read:

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

Organize Your Home In No Time by Debbie Stanley

Simplify by Joshua Becker

The Winter Road by Andy Frecka

Each of these books urged me on to take the first steps toward what I craved, a life without distraction.

Is my blog just going to be another minimalist blog? Not entirely...

This simplicity is a means to an end, to something greater. It is a pathway I must tread in order to  fulfill my role in making a difference and being relevant in my world.

Why? So that I can live the life I was created to live without compromise, without distraction.

Joshua and Ryan talk about "adding value" to other people's lives and that is what I want.

I believe Everyone has a story to tell....

I usually tell other people's stories, but this time, here and now, it is time to tell my own. Perhaps you are traveling the same journey and need to know that you are not alone?

From Forest To Bonsai

FROM FOREST TO BONSAI

It all started when I came to realise that "trying harder" wasn't the solution.

I was lost in the forest and all I could see was trees...but no way out.

I was spending too much time cleaning, washing and maintaining my stuff which was frustrating me no end. I would often hesitate to invite friends over at the spur of the moment because It would mean a few hours of tidying up.

"I have to try harder," I would say to myself. If I am just a little more organised I can beat this. It did not work. After a cleaning spree the house would survive one or two days before the downward spiral into chaos once again overwhelmed me.

The ironic thing is that I am a writer and I can't work when the house is a mess. As a result if the house was untidy I would feel as creative or as motivated as a rock on the beach. This had to end. I wanted to continue to pursue my passion for writing, travelling and living life and my stuff was getting in the way of it all. My creative juices were being sucked up by the sponge of consumerism and abundance.

Primarily I wanted to prune down my life and simplify it so that I could pour my life and energies into that which was more worthwhile. To do that, there had to be a change and I knew it had to be a change at the very core of my being.

And so the journey began. Some would call what I seek idealistic, others have already achieved their goal of living a minimalistic life. To those who thrive on material gain, what I am doing will seem pointless and confusing. This is my personal struggle with letting go of the things that weigh me down.

There have been those who have guided me on this path and as I go forward I will share with you what I learn from them. Everyone's journey is different.

One day I tweeted a few of these mentors. 

"When I reach my goal of living in minimalism, I'm buying myself the ultimate symbol of minimalism, a bonsai." 

Julien Smith's reply was: 

"The ultimate irony."

At first I laughed at the irony. And then it hit me....

Here I was stuck in the forest, when I yearned for the simplicity of one lone bonsai. Suddenly I knew where I was going and how I was going to get there.

Joshua Becker, who has been a tremendous inspiration welcomed me into the minimalist fold by saying: 

"Melony. You'll love intentionally living with less. Let me know how we can help in your journey."

With support like that, how could I fail?

Another person I greatly admire is Joshua Fields Millburn and when I gave him a mini progress report on my beginnings of this journey, his reply was: "That's outstanding. Congrats."

So it is with the support I will need that I venture into my quest to go from overwhelming forest to simple bonsai. 

From Forest To Bonsai

A Journey from Forest to Bonsai

 

A Journey

From Forest To Bonsai

This is the story of my personal journey out of the forest...towards the simplicity I crave symbolized by bonsai.