Housework. It seems that no one actually likes it. However, since it is as unavoidable as a nasty Trump tweet, something must be done to make it manageable.
While it is possible to enjoy cleaning house, how many people would rather do housework than other possibly more enjoyable activities?
I have tried saying to myself, "I get to clean today" instead of "I have to clean today" to make it feel more like a choice, but I would still rather be in the woods, or be playing guitar and singing with Linda.
Having said that, I do believe I have found the secret to housework.
Have less stuff.
That is my personal solution to the challenges of home maintenance. The way I see it, less stuff means less work overall. Life is more than buying and cleaning and storing and upgrading an endless number of things.
Less stuff maintenance means more time to spend on more enjoyable things. For me that is just about anything.
Less stuff, less housework, more life.
So true!
ReplyDeleteLinda
This is my goal too. I'm aiming for simplicity in all aspects of my life. X
ReplyDeleteYour aim is good. Hopefully the NBA community can help you achieve your goal. Welcome.
DeleteOh Gregg, I am trying but I have a weakness for things. All of my potted plants, all in second hand containers, and started from cuttings. My African violets that I start from a simple leaf and nurture and then give away.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider plants to be "stuff", although they do require constant love and care. I used to have many houseplants, mostly rescued, gifts, and findings. Also in second hand containers!
DeleteHaving said that, plants are hard to move, and now we are down to one African violet.
Couldn't be more true, the more stuff you have the more time it takes to manage all aspects of it. I like what NBA's long time friend, Marla shared with me, "just enough" meaning have just enough of items needed. I think the concept comes from Japanese culture.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a guideline of no more than 5 items that I would need a second person to help me move. The list includes: my bed mattress and box spring (1 item), my couch, my armoire, and my washer and dryer (2 items). I just walked through my home and see I now have six items I would need help with if I relocated. I have a large table that I use for a desk. Other than that, I could lift and load anything else in here.
I used to work for a compulsive shopper (or someone who felt powerful and entitled when spending money) who was just as compulsive about changing her home decor as she was about shopping. Countless dollars she paid me to manage her stuff. I did all kinds of tasks. I went shopping with her to buy the stuff. I cleaned the stuff, painted the stuff, went with her to buy more stuff to re-do the stuff she already bought, like special saws, hand tools, and various other machines and cleaners, re-built the stuff to customize it, organize the stuff and then help her sort the excess and hauled the stuff away for her routinely. I was like a hamster in a wheel for five years cycling through obtaining stuff, managing it, and getting rid of it. I managed a massive amount of stuff for her during those years. It staggers me today to think of it.
Scaling down my belongings has been a long process. I get rid of a lot and stall out on the project. I recently had an unclutter burst of energy and scaled down some more. I'm delighted that I'm feeling another burst coming on! "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."
Terri- It's a Swedish term Lagom: Meaning having just the right amount.
DeleteOne of my favorite quotes is "If you have to buy stuff to store your stuff, you have too much stuff"
DeleteI know there is too much stuff in my house right now and I am in the process of clearing it all out. Some people think I'm moving to fast, I think I need to move forward unencumbered.
Terri,
DeleteThat is so funny! We also think about moving in the same way. It is one way to inventory the BIG STUFF that is so big it needs more than one person to move. I suspect that you are also an independent sort of person.
Your job with the compulsive shopper sounds incredibly interesting. It would give you a pretty intense insight into the situation. Sometimes other people show us the way we would like to be, and sometimes they show us ways we do not want to be.
I have never felt as free as I have since our last move. We really purged a lot of stuff then, and that was after repeated purges beforehand. It seems like there is always more to purge, and that finding the point of "enough" can be a long lesson to learn.
Marla,
I love your favourite quote, which has quickly become one of my favourite quotes. Like I say, "Organized crappy stuff is still crappy stuff". Why organize it? Just get rid of it. I am all for moving fast in this regard. In all my clearing out over the years I have NEVER looked back and thought that I shouldn't have done that, or that I miss something I got rid of.
I say, "Go for it." Good luck. I have full confidence that you will make the right decisions.
Thanks Marla for clarifying where the idea about have just the right amount came from.
ReplyDeleteGregg, yes my former side job was interesting, very illuminating. My current job house sitting is the same. Some people will march in the streets for the environment, post all kinds of pro environment things on FB yet live an excessive lifestyle that destroys it. Things are not always what they seem. You nailed it, I am an independent person striving to be more independent. Struggling in some areas. I've learned a lot here over the years.
ReplyDeleteA relocation would help me tremendously in the scaling down department! I keep trying to figure out how to leave here. I imagine relocating when I'm in the mood to work on losing crap which helps me get rid of more. It's nice I don't bring in very much that isn't edible.
Excellent conversation here! i am reminded of George Carlin's bit on "stuff" - hilarious, and sad that it is the way so many live. Glad to know there is always a CHOICE! Peace, y'all. -Erin
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLoge6QzcGY
Less stuff, less house needed! I have downsized a lot and I haven't missed it yet. I think of it as a gift to my children, so they won't have to deal with so much stuff when I'm gone.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a needed and timely reminder for me! My husband's two siblings have both recently moved into homes that are basically mansions. We can technically afford to do the same and started to wonder if we would be happier in something bigger and newer. Thankfully we're slow movers and after months of thinking about this and going through open houses, we're back to being very content in our completely fine-sized house. I love the simplicity of a smallish home and I love not spending our weekends maintaining or cleaning it!
ReplyDeleteI have coworkers that moved into those giant McMansions. One told me she keeps more than half of the house closed up (doors closed, rooms unused). Another said she spends all her time cleaning and cleaning. One of the houses has two living rooms! It sounds miserable.
Delete-A
Yes, absolutely. Less stuff is key. I am working on keeping the necessary items or the items that bring me joy (my piano, for example), but beyond that...no thanks. I am not bringing anything else into the house that needs washed, mended, dusted, tended. Blech!
ReplyDeleteI was looking at my shoes the other day and decided that I am not replacing any of them once they wear out to the point where mending cannot save them. All I need to have is 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of sandals, and 1 pair of hiking boots. That's it. That's all I need.
And, boy, do I get giddy when I accidentally break something - a dish slips and shatters perhaps or anything else, really. Instead of feeling sad, I feel relief. One less thing to worry about! Ha!
-A