Changing Your Mindset – Part 2

Changing your expectations and how this relates to your own life and home is an important step in living a more simplified life.

Yesterday in Part 1, I talked about how that relates to relationships.  If you missed it, you can read that here.

Changing our expectations also relates to our homes.  Our homes are filled with material objects – furniture, linens, wall art, appliances, silverware, technology… the list goes on an on.   I’d like you to think about these items and understand they are just that – objects.  Things.

If you’re buried in clutter that’s taking over your home and complicating your life, the first thing you need to do is purge.

Live with less.

I understand that we purchase these items to create comfortable homes that we and our families love to live in.  They help us create memories.  Even today, I still love spending time at my parents’ house.

Please understand that I’m not talking about removing the “feeling” that you create in your home, I’m just talking about removing the clutter so you can enjoy more of your home.

We do not need every kitchen gadget and appliance ever made.   Just because someone invented it, doesn’t mean you have to have it in your home.  Open up that kitchen drawer where you keep your ladles and spatulas.  How many duplicate items are in this drawer?

Here’s an exercise I use when I look around my home and if I’m out at a store and feel like shopping.  Hopefully it will help you too…

Look around your home.  Think about how many homes there are in this world.  If every home on planet earth has as many material objects in their home as you do, that’s an unimaginable amount of THINGS!  What if we all had 10% less?  20% less?   50% less?  They certainly did 100 years ago and were able to live and enjoy life.

We don’t need so many items in order to live!

You may have wanted that throw pillow or candlestick at one point, but haven’t all of these THINGS turned into an overwhelming amount of clutter?

It’s time to CHANGE YOUR MINDSET.

It’s time to SEE YOUR HOME DIFFERENTLY.

It’s time to know YOU CAN LIVE WITH LESS.

It’s time to PURGE.

Do you have a food processor, a Ninja, and a Pampered Chef chopper?  Do really need three different appliances that grind and chop food?  Pick ONE.  Or, keep it SIMPLE and use a knife!

I opened up my own cabinet and found I had ten glass pie plates.  When on earth will I ever make ten pies at once?  Never!  Four of these immediately went into my “gift” pile.  The holidays are coming and I often bake pies to bring to parties.

I’ll get back to clearing clutter in specific areas in our homes in posts later this month.  The point I want to make today is all of these items that are cluttering our homes are just things and if you want to simplify your life and home you need to change your mindset and how you look at your home.