I used to walk into my house and see a to-do list. Now, I walk into my home and see a life.
I have learned so much about myself in the last year, and one of the big things is that I have less stuff and somehow, I have more. What do I mean by more? I am no longer constantly working full-time and then coming home to more work. Now, let me start by saying it is just me now, so I don’t have all the things to do that come with having children at home. My time is just that—my time.
The Liberation of a Small Space
I no longer want my life to be about chores and keeping up with “stuff.” I get home now to my small space and really feel like I am living. I cook when I want to eat, I go to bed when I need to, and I wake up with very little I have to do to get ready for my day.
When I do decide my place needs a proper cleaning, I can get it done in no time. I can dust, vacuum, mop, and tidy up in less than an hour. This is liberating and wonderful. My small, curated environment removes the friction from daily life.
Choosing Movement Over Maintenance
I have friends who spend so much of their time working on their homes—mowing grass and dealing with all the things that break when you own a larger home. I don’t have any of that, and I have to say, I don’t want it. I no longer have a weekend lost to maintenance; I have a weekend for a movement full of living. > For me, at this stage of my life, time is the only currency that matters.
An Expanded Life
I now have time to do things I haven’t made time for before. I write my blog posts, try new recipes, go for walks, and hit the gym. I call my children, my siblings, and my friends more often. I get to have long conversations on the phone or simply talk to my neighbors while sitting on my front porch.
Because I’m not inside fixing a leaky roof or dusting empty rooms, I’m out on the porch. My square footage might stop at the front door, but my life has expanded to the whole neighborhood. For me, this is a good life.
My joys today are the gym, the recipes, and the phone calls. I feel empowered doing less because it allows me the space to do nothing if I choose.
P.S. Living this way has made my no-buy year so much easier. When you realize your space is already “full” of the life you want, the urge to add more “stuff” just naturally fades away.
If you could reclaim five hours of your weekend from “stuff” and “chores,” what is the first thing you would do with that time? Let’s share some inspiration in the comments.
Peppermint Paper 