I have long been enamored with the concept of One.
How lovely would it be to have One coat you could wear all year? One pair of shoes that worked with every outfit? One bag that filled all your needs? One pen, One pan, One sauce pot, One spatula, One lipstick of the perfect shade.
Ahhh…..for me, that’s minimalist heaven. It’s the culmination of all the decluttering I’ve been doing, and minsumerism I’ve been practicing, for the past decade.
One is restrained. One is elegant. One is beautiful.
I talk a lot about Limits in my book, The Joy of Less: like limiting our shirts or books or towels or plates to a certain number or certain space. Well, One is taking the concept of Limits to the extreme. It’s not for the faint of heart, and requires some willingness to live on the edge—after all, you might be in a bit of a bind if you leave your One coat behind in a restaurant or misplace your One pen.
So if you’re not living out of a backpack, why go to such extremes? Why own just One of an item, when you have plenty of room for two, or three, or ten?
For the same reasons you might train for a marathon or go on a meditation retreat. When we voluntarily undertake a difficult challenge—especially one that pushes the bounds of our abilities or comfort levels—it’s a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and discovery. It’s an opportunity to build our self-discipline and bolster our confidence. Plus, it’s fun! (Why else do it, right?)
The challenge of One rewards us with a new sense of mindfulness with respect to our possessions. It teaches us to evaluate our needs and wants, and makes us keenly aware of the value and versatility of the things we own.
It also brings us joy and satisfaction when we realize how little we really need. No longer are we dependent on variety for happiness, backups for security, or stuff for our sense of worth. We learn to trust in our decision-making and our ability to deal with situations as they arise. We distance ourselves from consumerism and exercise our creativity and ingenuity.
Furthermore, One eliminates decision fatigue and frees up our mental energy for more worthwhile pursuits. Why waste time and attention on choice for the sake of choice—when one variation of an item has no greater benefit than another?
In fact, you may already be practicing One without realizing it. For example: if you have eight pairs of jeans, but always wear your favorite; if you have a jar of wooden spoons, but always reach for the same one; if you carry the same bag every day despite the stash in your closet. Why not stow the extras away for awhile and see if you miss them? If not, you can eventually declutter them, create some space, and streamline your daily routine.
Finally, One is a sigh of relief in a society of excess. I’m tired of being sold the idea of having sweaters in every conceivable color and enough footwear for an army. I don’t want to have saucepans in every size or purses to match every outfit. I worry that fast fashion and rampant consumerism are harming the environment and peoples’ lives for the sake of profit.
One is a way of stepping off the work-and-spend treadmill, reducing our carbon footprint, and minimizing the impact of our consumption. The fewer things you own, the more deliberately you select them and more carefully you treat them. I want to set this example for my daughter, so she doesn’t grow up thinking that more is better or that stuff is the measure of success.
Therefore, I’m going to make this the year of One, and see how I can get by with a single item of certain things (my recent cross-country move gave me a great head start on this).
Now, don’t get nervous—I’m certainly not advocating everyone do this! It’s just something that intrigues me, and I thought I’d share my experience with you. As a writer on minimalist living, it’s my job to push the bounds and report my findings; I hope you’ll find the series thought-provoking, or at the least, a little entertaining.
I look forward to your comments and questions as I tackle such challenges as wearing One pair of shoes and One coat for the next year (posts coming soon…). And I welcome your suggestions for other possessions I can pare down to One!
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
I love the idea of One! I’ve downsized my stuff quite a lot, but as I go through it again this year I will ask myself if I can get by with just one.
I don’t think I could manage with just one pair of shoes though- I don’t have many pairs, but in order to enjoy my current hobbies (such as horse riding and running) I need very different sorts of footwear. I do just have one of each type, though.
I know I could get by with just one cup, one bowl etc…not sure I can persuade my boyfriend though!
I’m excited to read about your adventures in the world of One!
Lovely to hear from you again!
What an intriguing concept. I expect most people would find some categories a lot easier than others. I will think about this one, thank you,
Lovely to see posts from you again. They were missed (though I fully understand the reason you stepped back :).
I’ve considered this concept before in tandem with the idea of making that one item a quality and beautiful one. This means I spend the time and money on an object I appreciate, and no longer have to spend much more time and money on multiple, cheap versions that suffice, but are joyless.
In practice I can only do this in a few areas, but it’s a concept I’m intrigued to see you push the boundaries of!
This gave me something to think about. I really like the idea of ONE but I have discovery I have a problem with finding the right ONE. Just take a very simple thing, like lipstick. Lets say I have found a good, versatile shade intended to be the ONE. I use it for a while but then I see another one, maybe BETTER one. Then I buy that too, and then there is no the One. It sounds so very stupid now that I see my thoughts in writing. Thank you miss minimalist for helping me to see things clearer!
Once you use up the first One you can buy a different/better One :) (and because you only have One it will be used up fast!)
I find in areas where I do have just one option, the ease of not having to choose/make decisions each day is starting to outweigh the desire for new things…
Great article. I try and subscribe to this principal as much as I can. For two and half years I’ve been wearing just one pair of shoes. There’s holes in them now though, so they’re due to be replaced.
I’d love to do this with clothes also, although a 2nd pair are needed when the first are in the wash.
Thought-provoking post. Can’t wait to hear of your adventures in this challenge.
Thrilled to know you will be posting more. Of the blogs I read and books I’ve read, yours is by far my favorite. I always find your insight so helpful.
I can see how having one wooden spoon makes sense bUT one single pair of shoes for all your needs. Maybe it can work in certain environments and lifestyles but if you live in a cold area with snow and ice you need boots. Unless you are saying one pair of everyday shoes, one pair of boots, and one pair of specialized shoes. Like if you run or hike.
Also does this mean you are going to actually write more and not just have the One post by other people on Mondays.
I live in New England so your response was also what I was thinking. However, there is still a way to have one of each item: one pair of work shoes, one pair of casual shoes, one pair of sandals, one pair of snow boots. I also have one rain coat, one light coat (for 25-50 degrees), one dressy cape, and one very warm winter coat (for -10 to 25 degrees)
My “one coat” is one winter coat and one summer coat. For shoes it’s more: winter boots, rain boots, work shoes, sneakers, sandals. I have more than one pair of socks, but only one color/style. I didn’t set out to have one of these things, but it’s something that I gravitate toward.
This! I live in Stockholm, Sweden, where it can get down to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, while the summer might be around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (haha not used to Fahrenheit but I assume most readers are more accustomed to it). If you just have one pair of shoes to fit the whole range, you’d definitely get problems with your feet.
What an interesting article!
I find myself intrigued by the ‘power of 1’ and looking forward to your following articles!
And I’m going to try this at home too!
its been a long long time I felt the connection with written words as I have here today,, this hit my very soul,,this is the way I live, this is my way,,it has brought me so much joy and a sense of calm, its a process that shouldn’t be taken lightly or quickly,
thank you so much for sharing this,,
So good to hear from you again.Thought all this was leading up to your telling us you were exceeding your one rule in the child area:)
Will love reading about your success and as always,you will inspire and make us reconsider our “precious stuff/JUNK”
Haha I thought that too about exceeding the one rule in the child area :)
Hmmm. This ist one of my go-to Internet places when I feel I’ve moved a bit away from my attempt at minimalism – as it sometimes happens, say after a major life change (in this case moving to a different city an job), where carefully cured possessions no longer serve the old purposes.
In such times, I feel the need of a cleansing diet – as far as consumerism is concerned. The Joy of One challenge is certainly interesting. As in “all things in moderation” kind of interesting. Can’t really imagine doing with just one pair of underpants. Or just two for that matter. At the same time I am doing just fine with “zero” of some items, such a TV or a coffee machine, or a paper books, which most people would probably call sinking into barbary. At the same time, you’d have to pry my beloved fountain pens (yes, in plural, with different coloured inks, for writing, grading papers etc.) from my death grip.
Yep, probably not going to run the “minimalist marathon” anytime soon, but I’ll take up jogging again. Thanks for the motivation.
Love that about the fountain pens! I’d say it’s good to know what’s important to you…and weeding out what isn’t makes it easy to put your hands on what you want without it getting lost in a bunch of other stuff.
I live with just one thing in certain categories. I have one purse, one coat (I need it only in the winter), one saucepot, one skillet, one of each kind of cooking implement (spoon, spatula, whisk, quality knife, and so on). I’m fine with one pair of high quality shoes, but I also need one pair of sandals for the 90+ degree summer temperatures! I can’t do with one pair of jeans, but I have only two pair (that way I always have something clean). My husband and I have only one car (lots of people think this is strange . . . go figure). This gives me something to think about for other areas, though: I’ve never considered having only one pen (refillable, I presume). I’ve never limited myself to one plate, one bowl, one mug, and one set of eating utensils, though there’s really no reason why that couldn’t work. So glad to see you writing, Francine, and looking forward to your posts on this topic!
Francine, Love what you said about value and versatility in what we own! Having retired a year ago, my husband and I just downsized to a smaller but newer home. In the process of decluttering to sell our old home and moving, we have gotten rid of so much “stuff”! Now I’m taking the time to go through the remaining boxes in the garage to make sure nothing comes into the house unless absolutely necessary. Just starting on this journey of minimizing possessions but am learning so much. In wearing only three colors (black, grey, and off-white), I find it so much easier to just accessorize with a scarf or a pair of earrings. I’m down to owning three to five in most things, but I have just one (quality) winter coat and one pair of mittens (from the Dollar Store)! I love how you want to set an example for your daughter in living a “less is more” life. Looking forward to hearing more from your Year of One :)
I love this idea and have been doing it for years already. I use my ONE things until they die. Pens, lighters, shoes, whatever I can get away with.
Isn’t this oneness the opposite of hoarding? I don’t like extremes — prefer living somewhere comfortable in the middle. However, I do have only one TV, one DVD player, one blender, one fridge, one stove, one bed, one sofa, one rocking chair, one car, one mother, one father, one brother, one sister-in-law, one niece and last but certainly not least, one God.
I loved your response. I agree that for many things, one is enough, but for other things it is extreme.
I agree it’s a great concept that can be adapted nicely by narrowing the categories where necessitated by climate or work requirements so that you have ONE pair of “sports shoes”, one pair of “rain (or snow) boots/shoes”, one pair of “regular” shoes for all other needs.
I have a LONG way to go but the bags and boxes that have left my house lately headed for the donation store or the local Freecycle list are a good start. Happy New Year. You are a great inspiration.
I look forward to reading about your adventures with one thing!! I love the concept of one as well.
I have been successfully using one coat and one pair of earrings for years. I am back to one purse, after being purseless for awhile. Currently, I am working on “one soap.”
Loved the idea of just one! That’s the idea I have, to reduce everything until I have just what I love, use and need. I usually wear the same pair of shoes (though I have boots and flip-flops), which match the same bag I always wear. Lately I´ve been on a quest to use everything I have in the house before buying anything, like: pens, markers, gluesticks, notebooks (you know, those that you’ve used some pages and moved on to the new one), fabrics,… I love everytime we run out of something (it makes me so happy!!), then we can make a conscious decision whether to replace it or get it again, or just live happily without it (most of the times we realize we don´t need it).
Thanks for being always an inspiration to continue on this journey!
I actually DO only own one pen (at a time). But there are two bottles of ink to refill it, alas…
I love the idea of one and as you suggested, i do “one” in many areas…unfortunately i always want a back up so i have one type of flip flop that i wear everyday but i have 5 back ups! i wear a black turtleneck with jeans in the winter but i have 10 black turtlenecks and 3 pairs of jeans. i am not sure i could ever get to one purse as i am a purse-aholic (not sure about the spelling here). Intriguing thought and i look forward to reading about how you will make this happen.
Denise, I love the concept of a “uniform” which works. You seem to have incorporated this into your lifestyle with the black turtleneck and jeans winter outfit. I have often thought about this and notice that I tend to reach for the same styles all the time. I’d love to hear more about this.
So glad to see you back! As others have said, I completely understand the break – but always welcome hearing your “voice.” I look forward to hearing more about your journey with the “one.” Would also love to hear more about how you cope with owning a house and the “stuff” that comes with it. Stuff to clean, stuff to repair, etc. We have been trying to minimize all of that, but it somehow takes over!
Welcome back! What a beautiful idea…so simple and yet not simple to implement! A good goal for 2016. x.
I love the idea of One, but I’m concerned about emergency situations and hope that you might address that sometime. Living in an earthquake zone–especially after the 4:30am 1994 quake–means being prepared with food, blankets, medical supplies and first aid, etc. One bandage isn’t enough, and there’s also water to consider–one gallon per person for three days is ridiculous. Try using a gallon and see how far it goes. Please address this Miss Minimalist. : )
I think you know that a coat/lipstick/purse and emergency supplies are apples and oranges. It’s like suggesting that you throw away your first aid kit because you haven’t used it in a year or because it doesn’t spark joy. Obviously there are things, like emergency supplies in an earthquake-prone area, that are quite sensible and useful to have around, even if they don’t look minimalist. Remember that minimalism isn’t about having nothing; it’s about having enough. Like you said, a gallon of water isn’t enough–it’s up to you to decide what is. :)
This experiment, she acknowledges, is on the extreme side, but she’s trying it out with things that aren’t life-or-death, like shoes. Should there be some emergency, I imagine she’d be willing to use more than one of whatever an object is is.
I have one 72 hour emergency supply kit.
Perfect. :)
I’m beyond thrilled that this will be a series. This subject has always intrigued me and recently my husband and I have been talking a lot about items that we really only need One of. It’s exciting to think about and I look forward to future posts on the subject.
This is where I get into trouble — buying ever more pairs of shoes or purses, trying to find the one that’s perfect! Reading this post, where does my mind go? To: what if you get a big spill on your one coat? Or: isn’t it bad for shoes to wear them daily? (Because they need to dry out or something?) I have two lipsticks (one in the bathroom, one in my purse), but in ONE shade — does that count? I will follow your Adventures With One with interest!
I love this – it really appeals to me. At the same time, I know I wouldn’t do it to this extent. Partly for practical reasons – my house is on 3 floors and has steep stairs: to realise that The Pen was two floors away would quickly become a major irritation. And I get so much joy from having a choice of handbag or lipstick or earrings. Not excessive numbers, but more than one.And I don’t see the point of getting rid of stuff that will eventually be used, eg my stock of pens or cleaning products (acquired thanks to emptying my Mum’s house after she died). But there’s an underlying principle, which is what I think I’m responding to: not having unnecessary numbers of things and choosing quality over quantity. I might have 3 pens, one on each floor,but they’d all be really GOOD pens. I’m applying this idea in as far as that I feel happy every time I throw away another dry pen or empty cleaning product, and won’t replace them until I have insufficent or none left. Love it. Thankyou.
It was a treat to find this in my blog-feed!
I bought an IKEA kitchen starter kit thing 13 years ago when I moved out to go to university. Having survived many moves, meals and messes, my partner and I have ended up with just two plates. One apiece. Things break and gracefully slip from our lives but we are not concerned with replenishing their numbers to the 6 plates originally contained in the box. We might have to reconsider that if we have friends over for dinner, but until we commit to such a thing, two is enough.
I’m so glad that I don’t have to pare down my closet or shoes – I can’t imagine what people must be going through, emotionally, trying to do that. My husband and I don’t like shopping for clothes, so when we do, we make sure to get good-quality items and only ones that we’re sure we’ll wear. Dishes, however, have been harder to deal with, as we’ve inherited several sets. I’m trying to give away one set, right now. I only need ONE good set that we use every day, with stored away extras for entertaining. One is a magical number that makes daily life easier to handle!
I’m so looking forward for your discoveries on this.
I have been an avid fan and minimalist since i read your book back in spring of 2011. Life has been so much more interesting since then :)
Here are some examples of my One. My one coat is a wind and rain resistant shell; I have one polar fleece jacket I wear under that shell in the wintertime. I wear one pair of earrings–they are textured silver and gold so they go with anything and are understated enough to wear with dress up or dress down. I have one black bag I use as a purse–it converts from a two-handled bag to a backpack and, if not overstuffed, can fold down into a clutch. Once you get started looking for these items it becomes a fun game to play.
Oh, please tell me more about that bag!
I would love to have one set of dishes per person. One plate, one bowl, one saucer, and one glass. Dishes for five is getting ridiculous.
It’s a great concept and works for a lot. I think though, for me, part of issue is calibrating to lifestyle.
In my case, I don’t own a car, and would like to maintain that unless I end up moving somewhere remote or in the country. I walk a lot and mostly use public transit when I can’t walk. Part of the trade-off is that investing in shoes that are good to walk in for long distances is key and having more than one pair of walking shoes means you can rotate and allow the shoes to “breathe”. The cost of not having proper shoes for heavy duty walking is sore feet, ankles, legs and perhaps more — it’s not worth it. On the other hand, I own more shoes than I need now and am paring them down — but I know that I function optimally with more than one pair.
There are lots of areas where reducing to one is definitely feasible – it’s a question of use and what’s practical to live your lifestyle optimally.
As ever, so wonderful to hear from you. The best result of your post is that you are making us all THINK and that is priceless. Thank you!
I love this idea! I am looking forward to reading about your experience and maybe even looking a little more closely at my multiples.
Great to see you’re back and can’t wait to hear more on this topic. I liked your article about one bowl eating so maybe you could give that a try? I have a notion that things always taste better when eaten from a bowl.
I like this idea, but how do you get around making a million trips to the store every time the single item is used up/broken/etc? Thanks!
A great idea. However, I would offer that it takes time, experience, self-awareness to get to THE ONE (or a workable variant thereof). In other words, it is a process of change to get to THE ONE.
I read a delightful blog where, a few years ago, the writer always seemed to be getting the newest fashions. Then life changes occurred and the acquisitive attitude seems to have changed.
Even after you get to THE ONE…things change. As others have noted, things break down, life changes, needs change. Hopefully THE ONE thing you can take with you are the lessons you have learned about the role material goods play in creating a good, happy, comfortable life.
I too love the idea of One. Actually, I do have one lipstick (Twig from MAC), one purse (black with a long strap) and one pair of earrings (pearls. Fake). It is great not having to chose.
I mean, having to choose!
I try to apply this “ONE” strategy often. In many cases it has helped me to overcome the excuses/reasons I give myself for keeping duplicates of items. One place where I get a bit frustrated is my clothing. I would very much like to only own one coat or one pair of shoes. But my lifestyle and the activities I engage in require a bit more variety in terms of some of my clothing. For instance I need a nicer coat to wear when we go out or there’s a need for “dressing up”. But I can’t very well use the same nice coat when I’m cutting firewood or helping to deliver baby goats in a cold and muddy stable. :) So minimalism is adjusted for the activities and lifestyle a person leads. Where I can get away with one I do. I love items that are multi-purpose…one thing that serves many functions- wonderful! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this experiment.
For those sorts of cases, as I’m thinking about working toward this goal this year, I divide up into somewhat smaller categories to get to “one”. Obviously you could overdo this and use it to cheat, ruining the point, but I think having One dress coat and One work coat, as necessitated by your lifestyle, counts. My husband has one pair each of casual shoes, dress shoes, work boots, and snow boots, and I don’t think he could reduce that further without compromising the usefulness of each item. I, on the other hand, have one pair of black converse, one pair of brown converse, one pair of brown sandals, one pair of champagne dress sandals, etc… this obviously does NOT count and I am excited to work on it this year!
I’ve been working on the kitchen using the idea of one for about the last year. I’m down to one spatula, one mixing spoon, one large knife, one tea pot, one baking pan, etc. I’m also working on sort of 1 = 2 things in that I donated several mixing bowls and kept just one large serving bowl that I can also mix in. Donated a few baking pans and kept just the one large roasting pan that can do both. I also donated our crock pot, rice cooker and pressure cooker to be replaced eventually by a machine that does all of these things. I still have a ways to go in the kitchen, we have way too many glasses and dishes but our next move should be much easier without many of the larger kitchen items. Also, just one car, one lipstick and one nail file!
I am approaching 69 years of age. I became a dedicated de-clutter person and minimalist about six years ago. I rent an apartment, I do not own a TV or a car or a cooker! Aiming for the one and de-cluttering never stops, like the cycle of life, it goes round and you keep releasing things that no longer have a place in your life. I would dearly, oh so dearly, love to have only one coat! I notice that you have lived in England and you will know that our weather makes the one coat idea really challenging! I currently have 4 but aim to get that down to two. One Winter one Summer. I live in a one roomed studio apartment, keeping it tidy and looking good is a work of art in itself. Please keep posting great ideas. I have a sofa bed. Have had to leave it fully dressed with bedding since my spinal difficulties and nowhere to put the bedding out of site during the day. Do not like the room to look so much like a bedroom. If you have any great ideas on how I could minimize my sleeping arrangements, well, I would love to hear them.
From the time my mother was in her early 70s until she died she slept in a single bed that was in a very simple daybed frame. The length of it was against the wall, rather than the end of the daybed/headboard.
The coverlet on it was in a pattern that matched the room and she had a couple of large pillows and smaller pillows she put on it during the day to give it the feeling of a daybed/sofa. The coverlet was also the top covering she used to sleep on with sheets underneath.
I ended up donating the daybed to charity that re-sold things for very modest prices. They had quite a bit of furniture that was really nice. It might be worth looking in such places for something similar to minimize the strain on your back of having to make and unmake the sofa-bed.
This was really intriguing! I have done this with my purse collection; although it wasn’t huge (5) it’s now only one and I really enjoy it. I think I will try this concept in other areas of my life and see how I like it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Francine again!
Still enjoy your blog immensely! As an ongoing (struggling at times) minimalist (in constant progress), I wanted to share with you some alternative (and perhaps sneaky!) ways of getting rid of stuff, especially the stuff that no one wants to actually buy on an auction site or would want in a thrift shop. I believe like many folks out there, the idea of simply tossing viable, useful things in the trash is a bit heart wrenching -Think of the waste! The money down the drain!
Here are some out-of-the-box(?) ideas that has helped me part with many items with a lot of ease:
For miscellaneous pens, I give them to my office receptionist–folks are always walking away w/her pens!
Old magazines I leave in the laundromat or every time I go to the doctor’s office (we all know their magazines are ancient!)
For misc ceramic cups, I “donate” them to my office kitchen (sometimes they stay in the kitchen and get reused over and over and other times people take them home! Ha! Who cares, right?!)
For old blankets and sheets I plan on donating them to my local animal shelter. I haven’t done that yet-but it’s on my to-do list for 2016.
Misc paint, crayons, arts and craft supplies, etc. go to my local public school. The art and after school teachers are always in need of supplies. The school even made an arts and crafts and a garden raffle gift basket for their fall faire with many of the items I gave them! Talk about a win-win!
For vases, I simply wash them and give them to my local florist.
For children’s books and toys–they go to my pediatric nurse friend. Her waiting room always needs new books and toys.
Lastly, for all the cute but useless knick knacks that my kids pick up (usually from birthday party goody bags), I keep them in a giant Ziploc bag and on Halloween I give trick or treaters erasers, keychains, stuffies, etc. Much more creative than boring candy–and trust me, I am a HIT with the kids!!!
Melanie, I love your idea about keeping knick knacks and handing them out at Halloween. That is something I will definitely incorporate into my minimalistic lifestyle.
I’ve been practising this concept in my kitchen for years (one pot, one wok, one pan, one knife, one set of eating utensils for each member of the family) and I do cook daily. It doesn’t really bother me because they can mostly be wash and use straight away.
I’ve gently introduced this to other areas such as clothing, shoes, bags, makeup/skincare, gadgets, stationary. With skincare, I used to have this 5 products regimen that I used every morning and nite. Now I’ve cut down to only two, a face soap and a moisturiser and surprisingly, my skin actually feels and looks better than before.
I do find it difficult if i can only have one towel and one bedlinen. We don’t use dryer, air dry all our laundry so there is the problem. We had so far cut down to 2 each for bedlinen and towels, so we have a spare when laundry day comes. This actually means we have to have a storage space for those spares, which I’m not really fond of. Ideally, I would love everything to be a straight wash and use.
An intriguing idea, surely, but too extreme for me. To me this whole mindfulness business is just that – for the mind. I live in a body and have needs and feelings, and I don’t like extremes in any sense. To me, having too much seems as unbalanced as having too little. But hey, that’s just me. And as a question for the mind, an exercise in thinking if you will, I like to do that sometimes, too.
Also, we’ve had -24C for the past week and I like to wear somewhat warmer clothes for this than at other times of year. So one wouldn’t do for me in any case. ;)
Sara, I do see your point. I live in a climate that can go to -40C with the wind chill and +17 on a rainy day. My winter coat would be too warm for the rainy day and my raincoat too cold for a wintery day. But I do like the idea of downsizing to what each individual is comfortable with. I come from a family where the women had 3-4 winter coats (with the boots and purses to match) and 3-4 spring/raincoats (again with the boots and purses to match). I currently have just 3 coats for the year, one pair of snow boots (although I should buy rubber boots for the rain instead of ruining shoes), 5 pairs of shoes and 4 purses but will be selling two of them shortly.
I feel that i could do this challenge. We have too much choice. Too much stuff.
Mark
Ht
http://minimalistlifestyle.wordpress.com
Your post really resonated with me! Over the last 5 years I have chipped away at my stuff. I had 2 closets and two full size dressers full of clothing. Through small goals (“I’m going to empty 1-2 drawers this week!”) over time I’ve gotten rid of the two dressers and now only make use of one closet. I’m at the point where I am fairly comfortable, but there is still a part of me that wonders if I could challenge myself to go further. The beginnings of decluttering unused excess was easy but as the journey goes on I find it has become a little more challenging since I am now truly starting to reassess the importance I place on the material things I own (and want to own).
Thank you for this! I think I’m going to try and see how I can apply the concept of one in my life. Looking forward to your updates on your experience!