Do you own a fondue pot? I don’t know exactly when fondue went out of style. With the exception of a truly decadent cheese fondue I shared with friends last winter, I haven’t seen a fondue pot in use since the early 90’s.
Now what I have seen over all of these years are fondue pots hiding away in friends and family’s cupboards. And fondue pots for sale at those shops in the mall that sell kitchen supplies in brightly coloured hues. They’re still for sale, which means people are still buying them. They make a great gift right?.
After moving out on my own, I was gifted not one, but two fondue pots. I never used them, but you better believe I kept them! I moved them across the province in 2006 and into three different apartments I lived in. They stayed, in their boxes, because I never considered the idea of letting them go.
In 2008 when I began to clear away what didn’t serve me anymore, those two boxes finally left my life. It turned out to be one of many small, easy decisions that made more room in my life and paved the way to letting go so I could live happily with less.
Since then I’ve become laser focused on what I keep and don’t keep in my life to live simply and abundantly. I’ve donated clothes, sold sports gear, said goodbye to toxic relationships and more. Six months ago I even moved out of my home to live a nomadic life!
I’m excited to share the following five lessons about simple living I’ve learned over the years. I hope they’ll give you some insight into the journey of living your best life with less.
1. Simple Living Doesn't Mean Going Without
There’s a sweet spot between denying yourself nice things and being extravagant and wasteful where simple living can be just enough.
We’ve been lead to believe that we need more to be happy. More to show the world how successful we are. Like clockwork, we give physical gifts to show love for others on specified days of the year.
It’s a shame because so many of us who’ve been raised with safe drinking water pouring from multiple taps in our homes and a never-ending supply of any kind of food we can imagine, still feel deep inside that it’s never enough.
When your life is cluttered with stuff that you don’t love it just becomes a distraction. You lose sight of what you really love in life until you peel back the layers of excess.
Travel is my biggest priority. It’s what brings me the most joy in life and it’s where I choose to spend the majority of my money. So less stuff means more travel!
Since I removed the extra layer of stuff in my life that weighed me down, I’m content and feel richer and more abundant than ever before.
2. Decluttering Kind of Never Ends (and that's ok)
There’s a common misconception that one day your life will be decluttered and you’ll be “done.” Usually until that point, it’s easy to guilt yourself and think you’ve failed. Because no matter how much you’ve done, you’re still working on it.
What if I were to tell you that since I moved into a 112sq ft tiny home, I’ve donated 3 bags of clothing and housewares. Does that surprise you?
It never ends because my needs are always changing.
I always ensure that what I own fits my life right now. If it doesn’t, it goes. I accept this process as necessary upkeep so that my life stays simple and focused.
There’s no invisible finish line. There is however, a confidence in your decluttering decisions that develops overtime. You’ll learn to guard your life’s simplicity with each decision you make. It’s like a muscle that grows stronger with each repetition.
3. Less Stuff Means More TIME
The amount of time you have to spend on what truly brings you joy is precious.
We rob ourselves of time. We commit to things we don’t really want to do because we think we “should.”
Our houses, garages and storage units get filled with stuff that needs attention and upkeep.
Never forget that the one thing you can never make back is time. Time to yourself, time to learn, time to explore, and time to be with loved ones.
This can’t be emphasized enough. How you spend your time is up to you. It may not always feel like it, but when you get intentional with your decisions and spending you’ll see how much control you actually have in your life.
I choose to have less physical items in my life so I can spend less time taking care of stuff, less time organizing stuff. This intentional simple living gives me more time with my family to travel, explore nature and pursue new exciting projects like my online business.
Think about it, what would you do with more time?
4. All That Stuff You Think You'll Miss? You Probably Won't.
My husband and I spent over a year sorting, selling and donating most of our possessions before we moved into our home on wheels.
There was nowhere to hide, everything faced the same decision- do we keep it or not
It was both a liberating and painful process. But we knew in the end it would lead us to our goal of simple living and being free to travel full-time.
Do you have certain possessions in your life that you can’t imagine living without? Not because you love them, but because you hold on tightly and can’t let go?
When you remove physical items, you essentially acknowledge your impermanence. Nobody gets to live forever and you can’t take your stuff with you.
As for the items that we sorted, donated and sold? I can’t even picture half of them anymore since we hit the road six months ago. In the end, it’s just stuff and it will never define you, no matter how emotionally attached you are to it.
5. Simple Living Looks Different For Everyone
I saved my favourite lesson for last.
Your life is your OWN journey. It doesn’t matter how big or small your house is or if you have kids or not. This is an individual process that is highly personal. It doesn’t benefit from comparison, jealously or longing.
You don’t need to move into a tiny home or a Sprinter van to get the sweet taste of the simple life. You don’t need an impeccably clean home 24/7, a Pinterest worthy kitchen pantry filled with chalkboard labelled mason jars or a capsule wardrobe with an exact amount of clothing articles.
These will be the results of some people’s intentional living efforts. They may even be yours, but they don’t have to be.
Learn to recognize the beauty in your own imperfect life and enjoy the process of designing it exactly how you want.
The wonder of it all lives in the smallest of decisions each and every day.
Anyone can benefit from simple living and there’s no perfect way to do it!
Now I’m curious, did one of these lessons strike a cord with you? Let me know in the comments below!
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I love the part about it never ending – that’s actually incredibly freeing!
I agree with Em. About it never ending becoming incredibly freeing.
I have been letting go of stuff since January. At first I kept a count of everything I let go of. Then my count list became a thing I was holding onto. LOL
Some days letting go of stuff is actually Fun,! What can I let go of today?
Great article! Thanks for sharing.
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I like that you said it is different for everyone. I could easily live in a tiny home. However, I am married to a hang on to it all person and we love to entertain.
I personally only hang on to what I love and use and find a place for my husband’s many things!
I also loved hearing that it’s a continual process! We have 5 kids so I’m setting very small goals and trying to find joy in accomplishing them, knowing it’s going to take time and deciding to persevere for simplicity!
Agreed! The one about it be an ongoing process. I needed to hear that. I have come so far but I catch myself thinking how much further I need to go.
The less stuff = more time and that it’s going to look different for everyone. My clutter keeps me from wanting to have anyone in our home. All that time that could be spent with family and friends and I am too embarrassed about the condition of my home. The looking different for everyone is so freeing!
LOVE, and so agree with, your final point that we each have to find what simple means to us. As the owner of the Self-Reliance & Simple Life Experience, we say the exact same and hope to encourage folks to simply get away from the noise and start their own conversation about what self-reliance means to them. It looks differently for everyone. That conversation though is the first step to a more intentional life. Thank you Jen…I hope our paths may cross one day.
I like your lesson that it looks different for everyone. Living with less doesn’t mean living without anything.
It is a rare thing for me to find a person who actually has their finger on the pulse of LIFE. When we are not surrounded by stuff we can actually see the sunrise. When I was a young man there was a quip that was very popular, ” Whoever dies with the most toys wins!” I have found instead that whoever dies with the most toys just dies. You have found and expressed what this gift we call life is all about. Keep on living?
I never thought of it that way. You gave me a new perspective on life. Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed day.
Love the part of it never ending what we need changes.
I like the concept, that we’re never done bc we are always changing and that’s ok.
I used to beat myself up over the fact that I couldn’t get it done in one day or one week. I have learned that chipping away at it when I have the energy and time is “enough.” I also find that over time it does get easier and I see my progress
I could really connect with each of the lessons you outlined, but less stuff equals more time stands out for me. The older I get the more precious time feels. Thanks for the inspiration Jen!
Fondue pot is symbolic of useless items manufactured and purchased often for gifts – items that circulate around in different homes, thrift stores and eventually add to landfill mass. If the focus is simple living, soul-enriching travel experiences, relationships, what a different and less resource-wasting society we’d have. I admire that nomadic life. Pleasant journey to you!
Lovely article and very uplifting! I work a little bit daily on the decluttering and feel so happy to be doing it. I am also glad that you emphasize that simple is different for everyone.
I love that the process is different for everyone, and that I don’t need to live in a tiny house to live a simple life. I am baby stepping my way to a much simpler life.
A friend takes a picture of a item she is donating that is sentimental to her. That way she can look at it anytime she wants. Her daughter died suddenly at age 21 four years ago and this method of taking a picture has helped her clean out her daughter’s room recently. I like this idea. I have my Mom’s things in a Rubbermaid container in my basement that has been setting in my basement since she died 14 years ago. This will be my decluttering project this Winter. I will take a picture of any item that will be hard to let go of, but I must let go.
I love the statement that we are never done and that is ok. I do think that for those of us
who are serious about living a simple life, we need to have some sort of a time bound goal.
However that being said, living a simple life no matter what that looks like for each individual,
will always require some amount of maintenance. I found your article to be very reassuring
and supportive. Thank you. Enjoy your travels.
So much of what you wrote struck a chord with me. We went thru a purge over two years ago–got rid of a car, an rv, a boat, motorcycle, sporting equipment, tools, clothing, kitchen gadgets, furniture, then the 2700 sq ft house and moved into a small, 800 sq ft cottage by the sea–and I only miss two things: a mint green sweatshirt and a hand mixer that was a shower gift back in 1968 and still worked like new. In fact, “Simplify your Life” became the first chapter in a book I just published on finding happiness. Getting rid of all your stuff and reorganizing your finances, real estate and schedules is absolutely cathartic. It frees up time, money and space for new experiences, ideas, relationships and a fresh perspective on life. Great article!
Helen you are living my dream!
Your article was inspiring! I am on the live simply journey. I continue to make progress then lose momentum but I am focused on letting go of all the stuff. Thank you for sharing, lots of wonderful nuggets.
So very helpful! My favorite is, “What I own fits my life right now. If it doesn’t, it goes.” After my retirement so many things changed, the least of which was my wardrobe. Now it’s leggings and running shoes or flats and jeans.
Your comment about never getting back time, and thinking about the time we spend taking care of stuff, fixing stuff, and more, really gets to the point of it all. Thank you.
“Never forget that the one thing you can never make back is time. Time to yourself, time to learn, time to explore, and time to be with loved ones“. This quote resonated with me so much that I added it to my email signature (with your name)! It is good to remember this when making decisions about commitments, and how we use our free time.
“Learn to recognize the beauty in your own imperfect life and enjoy the process of designing it exactly how you want.” – I’m guilty of wanting to get to the finish line and peace, serenity will be waiting there. If I just….keep pushing. But that’s what we are lead to believe. Next, next, next. Instead of what’s here now. Thank you for this great article and sharing your journey.
I liked what you said about cupboards – they do not need to look like a photo shoot. I look at the pictures of beautiful minimalist houses and then get discouarged because even if I get rid of stuff my house won’t look like the picture.
That last one, simple living looks different for everyone, struck me the most. I’m definitely a gypsy soul who would be perfectly happy living wherever feels like home at the moment. My husband and five kids however, like roots lol. While I may want to rid myself of almost every piece of furniture in the house (a house which in my opinion, is way bigger than we actually need), my family loves decorating and having nice things.
I’ve learned that I can live simply with my own things, and allow them to define and revel in what it is that brings them joy. Maybe once the kids are all in college, I can convince my husband to hit the road with me! LOL.
2, 4, and 5 were kind of easy for me. Over decades of changing my life, decluttering and recluttering and decluttering; there are only 2 things I actually wish I’d kept: a beautifully hand-dyed tuxedo jacket (more subtle and beautiful than you are probably imagining) and my husband’s love letters the year we lived apart. I figured I had him; I didn’t need his letters – and we were moving across the country (with cats, a dog and a snake, oh my) in a pickup and a Nissan Sentra, so every item really counted. #1 means constant decisions and value judgements between wants and needs – where I struggle. #3 is tough because since becoming a (happy) empty nester and, moving again, I’m not sure how I want to spend my time. I’ve tried a few volunteer gigs, even got appointed to a board, enjoy my work and feed my creative passions now and then, but a meaningful pursuit of some kind has eluded me for a few years. Keeping my ears and eyes open and trying new things sequentially so I don’t over clutter my schedule by doing so much simultaneously.
Oh what a wonderful article!!! The right words at the right time! Thank you so much!
Number 4-can’t agree with more! It is scary to take things out of your life. What if I need it in the future or for a super specific situation? I can’t recall much of what we have intentionally taken out of our lives and don’t miss the work it took to maintain
Thank you for writing this article. It was very encouraging! I love this – “I always ensure that what I own fits my life right now.” I tend to keep things that I might need or that are special occasion items. They add clutter and stress I don’t need. I still have a number of “work clothes” saved even though now I’m a stay at home mom. By the time I head back to work, I’ll probably be excited to pick out a few new outfits that fit my taste then. No need to store them for years.
‘Learn to recognize the beauty in your own imperfect life and enjoy the process of designing it exactly how you want.‘
Wise words throughout the article but this bit is gold!
This really resonated with me. Every statement is perfectly written and provokes thought. I think this article will help to clear the mental clutter because even though we want a simpler life, you still have those thoughts of “Is my simple good enough?”
This reminds me that we are not just replacing the ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ mentality from a physical perspective to a simple perspective, but more who cares what the Joneses are doing because they are on their journey and I’m on my own and there doesn’t need to be a comparison. Thanks!
Love point #2. I’ve been wondering about that. I thought as I decluttered I would stop spending. I’m still spending, but doing it differently. More on things that I love, and that are truly “me”. Overall still fewer items in my house and closet.
And point #5 is TOTALLY freeing!!!!!
I left home at 21 and took a along our family fondue set. It moved to 13 different houses and even spent 3 years in storage
when I travelled….finally at age 52 I got rid of it…never used it once. Felt great !!
Keep the encouragement coming. Simplifying is an ongoing process for sure, and a changing process as we change.
We full-timed in a motorhome for 5 years starting in 2004. In preparing to do this, we sold/donated 80-90% of what we owned. To help with this, we used an estate sale service, selling our things almost as though we had died. It was effective, but we were disappointed at how little money many things brought that were like new. Oh well. Moving into an RV with no house left behind is definitely one way to minimize!
Brooks
Had to laugh – we have fondue at least a dozen times each winter, a truly simple and minimal meal… so yes, I have and use a fondue pot (caquelon is the term).
Such an individual thing, minimalism, and many forget it. I can‘t be bothered to have someone else‘s „essentials“ – toaster, coffee pot, huge refrigerator, but evaluate my own needs!
Hi Jen! Thank you for such a resonating message – especially on de-cluttering being a journey. I have been downsizing my life for approximately two years now and I’m still (!!!) downsizing (career, home, relationships, space)… It’s reassuring to note that my particular minimalism journey need not be perfect. It just needs to reflect ME.
I had a bit of a run in with what could have been a fatal disease and it changed my outlook completely. Material goods suddenly meant nothing and I started to give away like crazy. Very freeing and I am still a year later filling charity boxes and giving things to friends and just loving the process.
My friend just inroduced me to this blog and I am grateful and hopeful. I have so many Things that I am overwhelmed. One day at a time, with help I can do this too. Thank you for the inspiration!
I loved this post, Jen! 26 years ago, my husband-to-be and I were filling out our wedding registry list and he insisted on putting a pressure cooker on our list, despite my protests. He does not cook; I do. But growing up, his mother used a pressure cooker often so he thought we “needed” it. My mom, on the other hand, never owned a pressure cooker so I was clueless as to exactly what it was and why-on-earth I needed this kitchen appliance. 9 years ago, we had a house fire and lost most of our possessions. Guess what was still sitting untouched in its box since our wedding? Yep – that blessed pressure cooker. Totally unused in 17 years of marriage (I admit when I read the instructions, I was terrified of it! Lol). And even more humorous was when my husband asked me if I wanted to replace it! WHY??? Going through what was left after the fire was a huge eye-opener for my family. We realized what was really important in life and that did not include material possessions. We did rebuild a rather large-ish home, but it is not filled with all the unnecessary items we had in our former home. While we still donate boxes of excess items from time to time, I’ve tried to keep our possessions down to a manageable level. Personally, I could live a much more minimalistic lifestyle but my husband could not, so we try to agree on a happy-medium that both of us can live with. I don’t recommend a house fire to purge your belongings, but it certainly was a wake-up call to me as to how much we owned that was not needed – aka: the pressure cooker!
I loved the whole 5 steps Jen… It makes so much sense..
I am currently in the process of moving house and decided to get rid of everything I have not used or do not need. I have had boxes of books, clothes and art work that has been sitting in the garage doing nothing… So, see you later stuff!!! I really love the process of moving because it makes me evaluate what I need and more to the point how much I don’t need in life. One of the hardest things I decided to part with was a bunch of books that belonged to my Mums when she was alive, but I figured that I’m not reading them so I would love for someone to get as much pleasure out of them as she did.
Thank you so much for your beautifully put words and how inspiring you are to live an authentic life..
Loads of Love gorgeous.
I started my minimalist journey 6 months ago. Letting go of the obvious clutter was easy. Now I have learned to hone my declutter efforts to really keeping what I use and what I love. I do not miss what I have donated or sold. I still enjoy the earthy feel I get by looking at a vintage rummage store advertisement. I just know I can enjoy looking without making my home a haven for dust collectors. I can enjoy the French cottage look of a chippy piece of furniture and not have to own it. Just because I like the look of 7 different colored candle holder, I do not need to own them. I look now and store lovely thought in my mind and go home with nothing but the joy of having looked. I now have more time to read and play in my flower garden. Simple is better.
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The one that struck cord with me was “The decluttering never ends.” We moved about 3 month ago. I got rid of a garage full of things before we moved and as I unpacked, I have almost refilled another garage full of things we are getting rid of! I have decided it’s really about the season of your life. A lot of the stiff I am getting rid of are building supplies. We will never build another house again, so why do I need 2 tubs full of PVC fittings? Do I really need to keep my deceased mom’s 1960’s clothes that smell like moth balls? Life changes and so does the way I choose what to purge. Great article- keep it up!
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Great writing style in this. Easy to understand.
Since joining this group I have made several conscience choices when leaving the house. One: take my shopping bags with me and don’t buy any more plastic ones. Two: look in the trolley before paying, what was the impulse buys, put them back and think about what I really feel like eating for the next couple of days. Three: If there is a big discount on something I would buy for someone for Xmas/birthday, buy it then and either gift it in advance or keep it in a special box for that time of year when required, it is the thought that counts. The quote I resonate with is the ‘never ends’, it is cyclic, and I do have gratitude for having too much now. Thank you Jen for your Blogs, please keep them coming so I can change more everyday. Can you please do one on ‘Tiny House Living’, daily routines like washing items etc because I want to be a ‘Gypsy Queen’, after most of my clutter has vanished over the coming months.
These are great reads Jen. Thanks so much for your insight.
Thanks,
Becki Nagel