There
aren't enough hours in the day...
I
just ran out of time...
Where
did the time go?
Hmmm...
“You
will never find time for anything.
If
you want time you must make it.”
–
Charles
Buxton
Wise
words. And, how exactly do you make time?
Three,
simple first steps...
One...
Close the entrance.
A
simplified life, full of time to enjoy people and experiences does
not
focus on physical “stuff”. The more physical items you own, the
more time you need to acquire, store and look after everything. You
don't need to get rid of anything you love and use, but you can stem
the tide by reducing the number of new items that come into your
possession.
On
your phone (or in a small notebook), start two lists. List
one is
“Groceries”: food,
toiletries and cleaning products. All consumable items, usually
bought in one store,
this is an ongoing list with items added and then removed when
purchased. List two is “Replacements”. Anything on that list is
needed and will
replace the equivalent item I already own. The
decision to buy something is actually made before
you shop, not while you're in the store.
A new sweater, garden hose, kitchen gadget...apply the “one in, one
out” rule and donate, sell
or recycle the equivalent item you already have.
Time
created? 3-4
hours/week. In
my case, shorter, more efficient grocery store trips and fewer
return trips to pick up something I've
forgotten equals
time saved.
A substantial
chunk of time is
created,
however, by eliminating those weekly
browse
and shop sessions,
looking for “things I might need”. Do I ever
shop for
fun?
Yes, I still sometimes
go
out
for lunch and check out the stores
with a friend – a good time – but I restrict my buying to
consumable
items (handmade soap, a new flavour of balsamic vinegar) or spend my
time searching for an item on my “replacement” list.
Two...
Clear horizontal surfaces.
Not
in one day or even one month, but slowly work first
on clearing as many horizontal surfaces as possible. Start slow,
ignore drawers, cupboards, etc., and work 10 minutes a day on
clearing tables, counters,
shelves,
the top of your dresser. Be prepared. It's
amazing how
much calmer you'll
feel.
The hard part is keeping
those horizontal surfaces clear. Everyone will immediately gravitate
to them. Be patient. As you leave those spaces (the kitchen after
dinner, the living room at the end of the evening, the bedroom after
you wake up), check that those spots are still clear before you leave
the room.
Three...
Prop open the exit door.
Confession...
I have actually sorted, decided and eliminated some items more than
once from my home. Why? Because I've not had a particularly
efficient system for removing (donate, recycle, sell, trash) those
items from the house. I'll identify items to remove on almost a
daily basis (see step two), but three or four small items are not
enough to justify a trip to your local donation centre. Deciding
where to store items that are on their way “out” is crucial. It
needs to be a handy spot, out of high use zones and able to
accommodate items for a length of time if required (example, one box
of things I have will go to the lake three months from now).
