Living large by living small
One of the best ways to live well is to live in less space. Many of us are “overhoused.” That means we live in more house than we really need. Can you afford that guest room that serves as a personal junk depot?
I asked Laura Moore, M.Ed,, owner of Clutter Clarity at Home , what she’d recommend for people who want to live large by living small:
The great thing about living in small number of square feet is that it keeps you honest and creative. Your stuff gets in your way sooner, so you have to deal with it sooner. You are much more likely to put things back where they belong because if you don’t, it literally gets in your way. For example, you know you have too many books when they stop fitting into the bookcase. Yet, if you want to be creative, you can turn those attractive picture books into a stacked side table in the living room or next to your bed. After that it’s time to choose to let go of some. Or you can build a shelf along the top edge of the window and the ceiling for books or display a much loved collection.
When living in a small environment, one way that you can live large is to store things up the walls on shelves. Use the walls from floor to ceiling, but know that you don’t have to stuff those shelves. Arrange a variety of things so that there is some open space around them. This way your storage areas look like designed art rather than a tower of crammed stuff. Cluster like items together for two reasons: one, you know how much of any one thing you have, such as vases, and two, it’s easier to see which ones you really aren’t using. Choosing to let go of it to make a more space becomes much easier.
Typically, only 20% of your stuff is hard to let go of. Instead of feeling stuffed, let go of what you no longer need or love (as your life and interests change) or what no longer fits into your home or lifestyle. Clearing clutter is an ongoing process. If you Putter through your Clutter℠ 15 minutes a day, you can prevent feeling overwhelmed by your clutter. Less space means less stuff, yet when you surround yourself with what you love, you increase your pleasure and peace of mind. And we can all do with more of that.
Now that’s living large.
