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Clutter, Worry, and Busyness

I’ve never really been an organized person with stuff.  I didn’t see the value in it, often finding myself in a mess and then would quickly cleaning it up. It’s only until I embraced minimalism, did I start to see and feel the effects of simplifying.

Not only will these books help with the clutter, but also worry and staying infinitely busy.  My twenties were marked by staying busy, with anything. Being “busy” meant I was important. Being important meant I was personally successful. What a joke that was?!  Yes, clutter sounds like a fun thing to get rid of on a weekend, but it actually was the catalyst to recognizing my mind clutter, thoughts and feelings that I just listened to on repeat without a 2nd guess, trapped in being perpetually busy and worried.

It’s a Journey

I’m not completely cured, obviously. As I write this our kitchen counters are not clear, and my mind can be easily distracted by an Instagram post,  but I welcome empty space and time in my mind and in the present. I try to disregard the busy worry that kept me trapped. At least now I am a aware that I have the tendency to fill my plate up so full that I can’t get a free weekend for a month. Because of this awareness, I have more time to create,  teach, be a mother, and utilize my talents, instead of overexerting myself.

Like most of my great experiments it started with a book. These are the five best books to read if interested in cutting through the mental and physical clutter, gaining quality, and being present in the moment. In fact, all five of these books personally improved my quality of life. Enjoy!

5 Books to Simplify Your Life

L’art de la Simplicite’: How to Live More with Less by Dominque Loreau

Outlined in the book are a few basic steps. You may find yourself simplifying your relationships, finances, and your diet, only to find you spend less, create stronger friendships, and might even lose weight! An amazingly motivating and simple view at what life could be like with less want and more quality.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

This book is magic! If anyone has struggled with the idea of organizing your home, this book will help and solve it. The biggest takeaway was that organization is usually not the problem and you don’t need to spend any more money on organizational “tools.” Kondo suggests you eliminate the things that no longer bring you joy. This will result in less time cleaning, and more time to spend enjoying the clean and clutter free space. Starting with your stuff is a great way to begin to simplify your life. 

 New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable Intentional Living by Cary Telander Fortin and Louise Quilici

The authors of this book run their own professional decluttering team. They take you through the steps of going through stuff, why you have accumulated so much stuff, and solutions for the future. I particularly liked the “Arcehtypes” section where it goes into detail on what type of pattern behaviors many people have with accumulating and holding onto stuff. Also, the book has beautiful examples of spaces that can be created in your own home.

 The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

A popular book for those who want to be more productive and simplify the tasks you need to accomplish. Ferris does an excellent job at showing the reader how to prioritize tasks, cut out some that can be automated, and generally work less.=,  one of my personal goals for this year. He supports the notion that people should work in smaller bits of focused time, and ultimately live a life of freedom every day. He is a famous guest lecturer, avid traveler, and entrepreneur and it will help you simplify your life.

 

 The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

This book is a must read for anyone seeking to calm the incessant inner dialogue of your mind. Tolle explains the concept of the ego versus soul and teaches the reader to aim to be more in the present moment. The present moment is the simplest way to “be” and it cuts out all the excess worry, guilt, shame etc. that the mind tries to take you to often. A must read for attempting to “declutter” the mind!

Final Words

I’m currently logging all the hours in my day for a month based on Laura Vanderkamp’s book Off the Clock! Next post will delve into the insights of treating time like your most important currency.

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Author

Maria Halcumb is a teacher, writer, reading specialist, and mother. You can find her reading books, being active in nature, minimizing her life, and spending time with family and friends in the great PNW, or Northern Minnesota. If you want to learn more about Maria, check out the About page.