Life By Kristen

Clearing Out

Like so many of you, I have been making a real effort in all aspects of my life to cut out the junk. Unsubscribing from emails, cleaning out my blog reader, deleting my work fax from spam lists, and so on. I’ve also been making a conscious effort to buy less, but also buy better. This goes for everything from work pants to spinach.

Part of this urge to purge stems from the Great House Cleanouts of 2014, but it’s not just about physical stuff, but more about mental space, emotional connection, and a desire to just focus on what’s important.

I’m also trying to limit what I interact with and where- I deleted my work email from my at home iPad; I don’t have any apps/games on my iPhone other than email; I’m trying very hard to not multitask with the iPad when watching movies with Q or Little Man.

I’m not quite a minimalist in terms of having only 33 items of clothes in my closet or owning only enough of something to cover the people in the household ( we have a lot of towels because we’re lazy and have a hatred for laundry, for example). I think of it more as being a more conscious consumer and thinking about what I really want and need. In the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time online shopping and placing a bunch of stuff in  my cart, and walking away. Something about the feel of the hunt for a bargain, without actually purchasing, was enough for me. I’m also remembering that by not buying another sweater or pair of work pants, I’m investing in myself by helping to pay down debt.

In 2015, my theme is to cultivate, and I’m finding that by being more aware of what I wear, eat, bring into the house, read, and consume every way– goes towards my cultivating relationships- with my partner, our family, my coworkers, myself. There’s so much noise and banter out there, but by making a conscious effort to pay attention to what I’m doing, buying, seeing, and so on- I’m cultivating my place in the world to be something of a bit more meaning to me.