Hour#13-14 : Mail Mail Mail

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler..."
Henry David Thoreau

Can't really do much about the email I receive (apart from keeping my emails off sites so those evil spambots don't get hold of it) but I can control the stuff I save.

My sent items was overflowing with very old correspondence and was brimming at about the four and half thousand mark.

On trains, planes and during some down time that number has been whittled down by over three quarters (it's an ongoing process still).

I've also started using a much better 'filing' system through the use of dated folders and more importantly a kick-ass CRM tool called Highrise (which basically orders and assigns all my email to the individuals and contacts involved in the communication, hosting it all in the cloud and off my machine).

How do you ensure there is clutter in your inbox/email system?

Minimising Takes Time

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.”
Mahatma Gandhi

After a well deserved break for the Christmas and New Year period I've struggled to get back into my decluttering.

Life (well, more truthfully, work) seems to be bleeding all free time at the moment. Which leads me to think I should be adding work as another area to focus my decluttering on (although I am one of those lucky people who loves what they do and it truly doesn't feel like work).

It's a simple case of priorities I guess, creating and dedicating the time to decluttering (as I've a far way to go).

Just thinking out loud here guys and feel free to kick my ass if I'm lagging... normal service will now resume!

Hour #12 : Saving Love Letters

"Through Kurt I saw the beauty of minimalism and the importance of music that's stripped down."
Dave Grohl

Came across two boxes full of letters / cards / poems / photos / notebooks etc from past loves.

There is nothing more personal than a heartfelt passage of words presented as an offer of connection and openness. Made my heart feel a little lighter and my soul was touched by how deep some of the feelings were.

It also brought up the question of whether to keep or recycle.

For me it's a simple answer : keep.

There is nothing more minimal than love expressed. The intent. The need. The beauty. The importance to cherish (even though it could've ended badly) the sweet manifestations of this emotion.

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Decluttering : Exploring A Minimalist Lifestyle

“This was a very typical time. I was single. All you needed was a cup of tea, a light, and your stereo, you know, and that’s what I had.”
Steve Jobs

After spending over ten hours decluttering my life thought it was a perfect opportunity to take stock, reflect a little and share some thoughts on the journey so far.

My personal reasons have not shifted and if anything, a number 8. could be added : it's starting to feel good.

Looking around there's so much more to file / donate / sell / bin / recycle etc but already the load is feeling lighter, the rooms are looking cleaner, the cupboards are looking barer, I am feeling freer.

Even though it seems the 100 hours set aside to complete the task is a tad generous, I still believe even if all the clutter from my life is banished the remaining time will be focussed on sharing / maintaining / honing the skills learnt.

The biggest challenge is ahead, that of decluttering my workload and digital life (even though I've made a start).

A big thanks must go to those voices out there who are providing guidance and insights through their offerings (check out the Inspiration page for a growing list).

I'm still waiting for that 'pang of loss'—the realisation something discarded is important—although it's yet to come and don't think it will arrive at all. Onwards.

Hour #10-11 : Hitting The Books

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential"
Bruce Lee

Above are all the books I own (65 of them).

I'm keeping 19 - below are all the books I'm giving away to free homes (just cover p&p and they are yours) :

ALL BOOKS HAVE NOW BEEN DONATED

Native American Wisdom (Running Press Miniature Editions) [Hardcover]
Cut it Out: v.3: Banksy: Vol 3 [Paperback]
The Mini Rough Guide to New York City (Miniguides) [Paperback]
The Big Moo: Stop Trying to be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable [Paperback]
the unbearable lightness of being [Paperback]
The War of the Worlds 1964, New Windmill Series
Last Words [Paperback]
Poetry, 1900 to 1975 (Longman English Series) [Paperback]
Six Thinking Hats [Paperback]
Branded [Paperback]
Funky Business (Financial Times Series) [Paperback]
Dylan Thomas: a new life [Paperback]
By Heart: 101 Poems to Remember (Faber Poetry) [Paperback]
A Spillage of Mercury (Cape Poetry) [Paperback]
Canada: The Rough Guide (Rough Guide Travel Guides) [Paperback]
Poems on the Underground: Ninth Edition: No. 9 [Paperback]
The Penguin Book of Oral Poetry [Paperback]
Bono on Bono: Conversations with Michka Assayas [Paperback]
First Aid Explained: A first aid manual written and explained in an easy-to-understand style. [Spiral-Bound]
Finance on a Beermat [Paperback]
Crush It!: Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion [Hardcover]
The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance [Paperback]
As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir [Paperback]
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Disaster Preparedness (Complete Idiot's Guides (Lifestyle Paperback)) [Paperback]
Disconnected: Why Our Kids are Turning Their Backs on Everything We Thought We Knew [Hardcover]
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything [Hardcover]
The Beermat Entrepreneur: Turn Your Good Idea into a Great Business [Paperback]
Usborne Illustrated Guide to Greek Myths and Legends [Paperback]
Millennial Leaders: Success Stories from Today's Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders [Hardcover]
Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker [Hardcover]
Rolf on Art: A Step-by-Step Guide to Painting [Paperback]
Cartoon Cool: How to Draw TV's Retro Style Characters [Paperback]
How to Draw Comics the "Marvel" Way [Paperback]
Tom Jones [Hardcover]
Visualizing Ideas: From Scribbles to Storyboards [Paperback]
The Painting and Drawing Course [Hardcover]
The Virtuoso: Face to Face with Forty Extraordinary Talents [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

ALL BOOKS HAVE NOW BEEN DONATED

Declutter100 - The Book

Since starting this Declutter100 project I've been devouring and digesting loads of minimal related videos, ebooks, blogs, podcasts... there is a wealth of fantastic guidance, insights, tips and strategies out there for newbies like me.

Thought it was time to contribute to the cause...

As I'm still an amateur was thinking of acting as a curator of knowledge rather than originator - here's my intention:

100 minimalists sharing in a 100 words anything they want (an idea, a story, a practice, a lyric, a quote, anything...) on the subject of minimalism.

All responses will be aggregated into a free ebook. Simple, huh?

If you've completed the form below feel free to publicise this project using #declutter100

Hour #9 : Shedding Your Online Friends And Follow Lists

As someone whose business is social media shedding online friends could be seen as dangerous.

Could I be losing valuable contacts and / or shedding potential fruitful business relationships?

Then again, I'm all too aware of the issue surrounding 'signal vs noise' online and ensuring filtering methods are in place to ensure you get the good stuff only.

Therefore, this decluttering project needs to extend into all aspects of my life and online friends / follow lists are no exceptions.

The main focus for this exercise are Facebook and Twitter.

The approach for unfollowing / unfriending people has been simple :

• those I haven't spoken to (in person / on the phone / skype / email) in over 6 months
• people who offer no discernible value (ie education / inform)
• anyone who is not a client
• inactive accounts

The total on Facebook has gone from 552 friends down to 424—achieved by simply going through my whole friends list.

Twitter total has shrunk from 750+ to 496—achieved over the past couple of months by using the Chump Dump iPhone App and being critical of my decision to follow anyone.

Maybe Dunbars Number is about 450 for me?

How have you decluttered your online spaces / friends list?

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Hour #8 : Tees

A selection of funky tshirts are for sale after halving all the clothes I own the other week—all before either donating them or putting them on eBay / Freecycle.

Here's your chance to drop a few dollar and get your hands on some cool attire which will make your friends gasp in envy... maybe...

Hour #7 : The Minimalist Belt-Buckle-Wearer

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
William Morris

These are my belt buckles.

Three get worn regularly (can you guess which ones?) and the others are liked but not loved/used—the latter are up for sale (which took time to set up—you'll see what I mean).

From the little I know, minimalism is a concentration not a reduction.

Hour #6 : Drawers

Bet everyone has drawers like this in their homes... random junk collected from years of living.

This is one of mine!

Found stuff in this drawer over 5 years old and literally will never be needed. The other items have been binned, relocated and/or donated to others.

Now I'm only using two of the four drawers in my bedside chest—maybe I should get rid of it and move my pants and socks somewhere else?