I love my sitting room! It has everything I want and need in it. Bob feels close when I am in it. He built the house, some of the furniture, and is reflected in the artwork. It is a comfortable and loving place for me.
This wonderful room also doubles as my work space for writing, at least for the moment. That adds a whole separate level of needs — books, writing implements, books, my calendar, books, a coffee or tea mug, and a few more books. And all of that needs to be within arms reach. I write while sitting long-way on the sofa with the computer in my lap. Getting everything in just the right position for me to be comfortable is a bit of a production. And once I get settled I really do not want to have to get up when the phone rings or I need a book, a tissue, or my calendar.
Between my general living stuff, writing stuff, and a 2 1/2 year old’s stuff, this room can get pretty cluttered. I have this comforting belief that when I find the right (fill in the blank) my problems with (fill in the blank) will all be fixed. That has applied to calendar/planners for the past 3 or 4 decades! I have been confident that when I find the right planner I will have enough time. (Yes, it is nice to live in a magical world! Thank you for asking.) Lately it has applied to the right storage items. When I have the right side table or storage shelves or cute little boxes, I will conquer clutter. I think I might have just done that!
I ordered my newest guaranteed problem fix, a small file cabinet on wheels with two small drawers. It arrived today and I arranged the room with it as the collector of all things that create my clutter. (I am ignoring teddy bears, camels, trains, and trucks.) The process of arranging all of this resulted in getting rid of a small book case and putting two small folding TV tables away. Then I put the pillows on the appropriate chairs, moved the toys out of sight, and sat down to do some writing.
Once again I was impressed with the sense of calm and centeredness that accompanies a lack of clutter. All of the minimalism blogs and books say the same thing. It still surprises me when it happens. The room just feels better.
I don’t have clear tables and surfaces. I have things that I love on them. (Well, the dead flowers in the jar on the table aren’t loved, but they will be gone soon.) And I have the tools that I want easily at hand. The remote for the radio is right there on the new storage unit as are the house phone, my cell phone, my calendar, and my coffee cup. It is within arms reach and when I am finished working the unit will resume its life as a side table. Later today it might have my book or a knitting project on it. All of that feels comfortable.
And I feel content. I don’t feel like I am fighting the room to keep it neat. All of the things that make the room warm and comforting are still around. And, somehow, all of that is related to productivity. Not only the ergonomic part of being able to reach what I need, but somehow the mind is also allowing everything that I need to be within easy access. The ideas are clearer (at least to me, I hope you think so, too!), words come easier, and I am more at ease.
I wonder what I am going to try next on this road to moderate minimalism. I am thinking about simplifying my food plans, or maybe me wardrobe, or maybe….. Seems like I still have lots of areas to practice on. I will keep you posted.
I can so relate! I am a container and book fanatic. I also spend many hours consulting my tea leaves in order to appropriately fill out too many planners. Fortunately simplifying my food plans has never been an issue for me. I can eat the same thing for months. My Ninja is my best friend because it will turn any vegetable into a delicious smoothie in seconds. Sadly having a cozy personal space is not in my leaves right now; its in two storage units. I feel that I’m raging against minimalism right now. My latest tantrum occurred yesterday. I went to the “Goodwill Barn” (the best find in Florida) and found so many super discounted items. I was in a state of shoppers bliss until I got home and discovered I had no place to put it all. Bliss to tragic deflation; all in the span of a few hours. Yes, my life has been tumultuous for several months; broken ankle, cellulitis that bought me a three day hospital stay, and less than adequate to very poor living conditions. Oh how I dream of a sitting room like yours! Things are looking up. One house sold and one with a contract on it. My conditions are very comfortable now. I’m living with the kindest compassionate person. Gosh, I guess I better stop complaining and ruminating and start living again….and writing. I am somewhat jealous of your 21/2 year old grandson. Children that age are such a joy. I am fostering a chihuahua that came from horrible conditions. His new name is Milo and he is very sweet. He satisfies my primal need to help living or dying creatures and plants. Fear not. I will not go into that now. That gets too far into the essence of Cheryl.
Just to let you know, I read every post am enjoying your journey, your writing is smooth and comfortable here. Wish you had a like button.
Thanks for the kind words, Michelle. We don’t have a “like” button, be we do have a way for you to share this on your wall or on other media. Just under the “Share a cup of coffee” bar are the icons for other social media. You are welcome to click away! I would LOVE to have you share a post!