the tiddy bear

i suppose that when we decided to become minimalist, it meant that we’ll never own of these.

related posts:

• the spaceship
• panasonic’s new 150in plasma display

note to self – the atlas

it’s best to leave at least one atlas in the car. the next time you get lost in new york city, your wife will have one less thing to be upset about.

related posts:

• another step towards minimalism – our cars
• note to self – jello molds

note to self – jello molds

next time you decide to minimalize your wife’s football shaped jello molds that she was planning to use for your son’s birthday party… don’t!

related posts: note to self – scratch paper

my minimalist failure – condiments

cliff’s comment yesterday got me thinking, “what is a minimalist failure in my life that must be overcome?” counting salad dressings, we have 51 bottles of condiments in our fridge. does that count as a failure?

related posts: poll- pairs of jeans; i could survive for 56 days

spaceship

does my decision to become minimalist mean that i can’t get one of these: spaceship for sale.

related posts: 150in plasma screen, my junk drawer for sale on ebay

when the task appears difficult…

i would be lying if i said becoming minimalist has been easy for me… but maybe the road to minimalism isn’t quite as difficult as i think it is.

panasonic’s new 150inch plasma display

does our decision to become minimalist disqualify me from ever owning this?

my choice for minimalist wallpaper

when i minimalized my office three weeks ago (read about it here), i made the decision to remove the desktop icons from my pc.  ever since, i have been looking for just the right desktop wallpaper to accent my new clutter-free desktop and office.  i like what i just found…

 visit becoming minimalist’s new site.

lowest common denominator

i have heard minimalism referred to as “reducing life down to the lowest common denominator.”  it’s about reducing life to the essentials – to the minimum.  one practical way to accomplish this is to “cut things in half” and see if they still allow you to function properly.  if they do, cut them in half again.  as soon as you reach a level that prevents you from living a desirable life, go back to the previous level - that is your lowest common denominator.

take shampoo for example.  the next time you wash your hair, cut your shampoo usage in half.  does your hair still get clean?  if so, cut it in half again…  you get the picture:

here are some places to start:

• shampoo/shaving cream/toothpaste/make-up/perfume
• laundry detergent/dishwasher soap
• food serving size
• clothes in your closet
• checking your email/surfing the internet
• soda intake
• number of glasses in your cupboard/figurines on your shelf

here are some places not to try this experiment:

• the number of times you kiss your spouse/child – actually, double that.
• the number of bills that you pay – better stick to 100%.
• the amount of clothes that you wear – you’ll still need top and bottom.
• the amount of homework that you do – getting a D is not “desirable.”
• holes of golf that you play - 4.5 holes doesn’t sound much fun.
• the number of times in a week that you check this blog.

 

i could survive for 56 days

                    

as a minimalist, should i be trying to reduce the number of days i could survive trapped in my home?  that just doesn’t seem right…