Too much clutter can stifle our creativity, and make our lives chaotic and discordant. Conversely, the more space we have, the more beautifully and harmoniously we can live. Instead of accumulating as many possessions as we can, or taking on as many tasks as our schedules allow, we can exercise some creative restraint. We are curators of our lives, and what we leave out of them is as significant as what we include.
French composer Claude Debussy said, “Music is the space between the notes.”
Create More Free Space:
1. Start with a clean slate. when you’re decluttering your closet, your living room, or your schedule, empty everything out of it first. Then, put back only those possessions (or activities) that you cherish the most.
2. Lose the “filler.” Every item in your home, and task in your day, should contribute something of value to your life. If something does nothing more than take up space, give it the heave-ho.
3. Put everything in its place. Having designated spots for all your things makes your daily life much more harmonious.
4. Keep your surfaces clear. Your desk, your countertops, your tables, and your floor are functional, if they’re covered in clutter, they have no use.
5. Impose limits. A serene home only has so many things, and a serene life so many obligations. Limit the number of things you own (books, clothes, furniture) and things you do (hobbies, committees, meetings) to what’s just enough.
6. Edit. A musician, artist, or writer constantly edits her work, removing the extraneous to reveal the extraordinary. In your own life, always be on the lookout for ways you can simplify. Take inspiration from Diogenes, who said, “I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough.”
7. Be mindful.
“Life is the space between our things.” Recent studies have shown that experiences bring us more lasting happiness than possessions. It’s the stuff we do, not the stuff we have, that makes life worth living. And doing things requires a certain amount of space.
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