According to Karen Trefzer in her new book The Minimalist Tool Kit, “Clutter is sticky.”
Here’s my version of how that works.
You are the first one home. You drop your purse, keys and the mail on the hall table, kick off your shoes and leave them on the floor.
Your husband comes home, add his keys and sunglasses to the pile on the table, kicks off his shoes and leaves them on the floor.
Your kid come home from his after school activity and adds his shoes and backpack to the pile on the floor.
The door bell rings. You try not to trip over any shoes on your way to answer it and are embarrassed to have your neighbor see the mess in your entryway.
OK. Here’s a different scenario.
You come home drop your keys into your purse and hang it on its designated peg on the wall. You kick off your shoes and tuck them into a cubby under a bench. You take the mail with you to the desk where you drop all the junk mail into a recycling bin there. You realize you got a letter so you get a letter opener from the desk drawer to open it and decide you might was well open the rest of the mail while you have the opener handy. You drop all the now unneeded envelopes in the recycling bin, place the bills in a to do folder, and sit down to enjoy reading your letter.
Your husband comes home, sees the clear table, and opens the drawer to put his keys and sunglasses where they belong. He kicks off his shoes, sees your in a cubby and put his in another one.
You kid comes home from his after school activity, kicks off his shoes, and puts them in a cubby. He takes his backpack into the kitchen where he puts his lunch containers into the dishwasher and his homework on the table where he will work on it while eating a snack.
The doorbell rigs. You can easily get to the door and are comfortable inviting your neighbor in to chat.
That second scenario took only moments longer than the first one but I sure find it a more pleasant one.
TTYL,
Linda
ps. the Kindle and paperback versions of the book are now on Amazon. I follow Karen’s blog so I know she not only talks the talk she walks the walk and has helped me to do so as well. I get nothing from recommending this book to you except pleasure if it helps you in your own journey to minimalism.
I’m too busy doing jigsaw puzzles to read a book. lol
My clutter waxes and wanes. When I’m in the midst of a project I tune out the clutter…then when the mood strikes I straighten things up. That’s either the advantage or disadvantage of a strong focus. It works for us.
I never much see that I have “clutter” – it probably looks like it to the average non-art related person or to someone who is totally house proud, even down to sweeping the porch daily. But that’s not me, the porch cleaner!
When I’m constructing something, like my books – lots of extra stuff appeared, usually bags or boxes of supplies, some of which might get to be used. When a book is finally done, I sort out the chaff. And attempt to start with a freshly cleared worktable.
What I hate about this rental property is the Pantry – it’s dark and forbidding – it’s deep and things disappear at the back of all the shelves…it not only houses food but all the crockery! and some gadgets!