544 | What a Mess!

Hi, my name is Wendy.

I'm calling from Walnut Creek, California.

I'd love advice on the practical side of minimalism.

My home is organized, and yet I still feel visually cluttered because everyday items end up living on countertops and other surfaces.

When I see minimalist homes, I always wonder, where does everything actually go? For example, in the kitchen, how do people keep so much counter space open and clear? In the primary bathroom, where do things like lotion, makeup, hair products, contact solution, extra toilet paper, Band-Aids, Neosporin, and sunscreen actually live? And what about charging cords, sentimental items, journals, gift bags, or dog and cat toys? Open shelving especially seems to make things feel busier, not calmer for me.

I'd really love your thoughts on the practical systems behind homes that feel minimal but still function for real life.

Thanks so much for taking the time for my question.

We'll definitely get practical for Wendy, but first I'd like to get a bit philosophical here and understand that th- we were talking about this a moment ago, about everything you bring in has to be organized.

And, and it sounds to me like she's overwhelmed by the, the organization that's going on there.

And so the thing that I would say first, the first thing worth thinking about in my own home, is the easiest way to organize your home is to own less stuff.

Owning less means having fewer things to organize.

It also means having fewer things to stress over, the maintenance costs.

The additional costs aren't there if you have fewer things.

And people often think minimalism is an anti-thing philosophy, but I think of it as a pro-thing philosophy.

Would you agree?

Absolutely.

I, I would say it's about entering into the healthiest possible relationship with the things that we have by getting rid of the things that are a distraction to that.

In every area of life, we have core values and core interests that really define our why, and then we have things on the periphery, some of which supports our efforts, some of which distracts from those efforts.

Minimalism is about getting rid of or minimizing the distractions so that all of the things that we have either reflect our core values or they support our efforts to be committed to them.

I think about my own home, and everything in my home has its own home.

Like, I have a home.

Hmm.

I live there, and whether it's a Studio apartment or it is if someone has a five-bedroom or 10-bedroom mansion, right? I, I think about everything in that home still has a home, and often the things that feel cluttered in the home are just contextually cluttered.

Obviously, if I put my couch in my bathroom, I'm gonna know right away that this is getting in the way.

This is not the right home for that thing.

Hi, my name is Wendy.

I'm calling from Walnut Creek, California.

I'd love advice on the practical side of minimalism.

My home is organized, and yet I still feel visually cluttered because everyday items end up living on countertops and other surfaces.

When I see minimalist homes, I always wonder, where does everything actually go? For example, in the kitchen, how do people keep so much counter space open and clear? In the primary bathroom, where do things like lotion, makeup, hair products, contact solution, extra toilet paper, Band-Aids, Neosporin, and sunscreen actually live? And what about charging cords, sentimental items, journals, gift bags, or dog and cat toys? Open shelving especially seems to make things feel busier, not calmer for me.

I'd really love your thoughts on the practical systems behind homes that feel minimal but still function for real life.

Thanks so much for taking the time for my question.

We'll definitely get practical for Wendy, but first I'd like to get a bit philosophical here and understand that th- we were talking about this a moment ago, about everything you bring in has to be organized.

And, and it sounds to me like she's overwhelmed by the, the organization that's going on there.

And so the thing that I would say first, the first thing worth thinking about in my own home, is the easiest way to organize your home is to own less stuff.

Owning less means having fewer things to organize.

It also means having fewer things to stress over, the maintenance costs.

The additional costs aren't there if you have fewer things.

And people often think minimalism is an anti-thing philosophy, but I think of it as a pro-thing philosophy.

Would you agree?

Absolutely.

I, I would say it's about entering into the healthiest possible relationship with the things that we have by getting rid of the things that are a distraction to that.

In every area of life, we have core values and core interests that really define our why, and then we have things on the periphery, some of which supports our efforts, some of which distracts from those efforts.

Minimalism is about getting rid of or minimizing the distractions so that all of the things that we have either reflect our core values or they support our efforts to be committed to them.

I think about my own home, and everything in my home has its own home.

Like, I have a home.

Hmm.

I live there, and whether it's a Studio apartment or it is if someone has a five-bedroom or 10-bedroom mansion, right? I, I think about everything in that home still has a home, and often the things that feel cluttered in the home are just contextually cluttered.

Obviously, if I put my couch in my bathroom, I'm gonna know right away that this is getting in the way.

This is not the right home for that thing.