Comments on: Is Decluttering the Same as Simplifying?

By: onebagnation

onebagnation — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:25:32 +0000

Hi Gidget: thanks for reading and commenting!

I’m super-sensitive to the way my clutter affects me, but it’s still really hard for me to deal with it effectively. I didn’t realize until I started blogging, how widespread the simplicity movement is, but it does all tie in together, doesn’t it?

By: gidgetgoeshome

gidgetgoeshome — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:12:26 +0000

This is a really interesting question! I’ve always been a self-proclaimed “pack rat,” and recently I’ve been on a major simplifying kick. I’m finally getting fed up with the clutter on a physical level, and on an emotional level, I find that de-cluttering relieves stress that I didn’t even know I had. I’m also trying to become less of a consumer (like some of the commenters mentioned) and make simplification more of an inner change than just a clutter thing. But for sure, de-cluttering and getting more organized get me amped up on this whole simple living thing… I think those methods are actually what’s spurring on my inner journey towards simplicity.

By: onebagnation

onebagnation — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:01:07 +0000

Hi Tori,
It certainly seems that too much stuff leads to too much time tending to the stuff, in one way or another – even if it’s just experiencing anxiety about it all.

By: Tori

Tori — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:05:23 +0000

Simplicity is an overall value important to self-fulfillment. To achieve simplicity, decluttering is an action step applied to various areas of life.

By: onebagnation

onebagnation — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:23:32 +0000

@Laura: I like your ideas. It seems to me that now “simple” is getting paired up with “green”, and I suppose they go hand-in-hand in a way, as far as less consuming is concerned. You sound like you’re very busy!

Thanks for visiting and commenting.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:20:35 +0000

This is a question I’ve been asking myself lately.
I work full time and have a part-time organising business, and I’m quite organised and clutter free at home, and yet my life is far from simple.
So far I’m thinking
-a simple life is a life with few demands and the ability to use your time as you see fit
- a clutter free life is a life not surrounded by material possessions
To me simplifying is the next step on from de cluttering.

By: onebagnation

onebagnation — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:16:58 +0000

Marelisa: you’re right about hanging on to the past through our possessions, and not always in a healthy way. Some mementos and keepsakes are in the “absolutely love” category for me, but there’s a fair amount of stuff around here that’s in the “I feel guilty getting rid of this” category.

By: Marelisa

Marelisa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:36:00 +0000

I think we outgrow stuff but then don’t get rid of it. So our homes are sometimes relics to our past. I like the two questions that Urban Panther asked herself as she was decluttering. I think that finding a way to declutter our minds is also very important. And I agree with Bex that sometimes decluttering to an extreme is as bad as not decluttering at all, maybe worse. I think it was Einstein that said, make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.

By: onebagnation

onebagnation — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:59:50 +0000

@Barbara: no doubt, there is emotional clutter attached to some of my physical clutter. That’s what I’ll be facing when I work through the baby clothes and outgrown toys.

Welcome Marian!
I like the idea that there are many types of “simplifiers”. I have a friend who keeps it all together by paring down her life to a degree I’m not comfortable with. But I’m slowly finding my own style and some balance – at last!

By: Marian Van Eyk McCain

Marian Van Eyk McCain — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:32:25 +0000

The way I see it, de-cluttering is a subset of simplifying.
For many people, the urge to de-clutter is the first step in their journey towards a simpler life because, as so many of your commenters agree, there is a strong connection between physical clutter and emotional clutter. The yearning to feel more relaxed and serene leads to an urge to get rid of unnecessary ’stuff’. And once you act on that urge, you find yourself looking more closely at your life, your habits, your needs, your values … etc.
But as I point out in my book “The Lilypad List: 7 steps to the simple life”, there are many types of ’simplifiers’ and many doorways into the process, and one size definitely doesn’t fit all.