Optimalism Goal

 The optimal amount of possessions.   That is what I am after.  Not too many, not too few, just right.  This is a moving target!  

I love some of the tenets of minimalism, but it doesn't fit my family or even me for that matter.

Gorgeous...where are the hobbies?? Does anyone actually live here?

I am a creator, a maker.  I am resourceful and frugal.  I have long admired the streamlined Minimalist homes and homemakers online.  Here is the truth: I do NOT personally know a single, not 1, minimalist.  I am not doubting that there are true, real minimalists out there, they just do not reside in my circle. I have long desired to be a minimalist, at least while browsing the internet, knowing that I need to get up and clean up.

Maybe there is a happy medium?    Optimalism!!!!

In order to be a creator on a budget, I do not fit the minimalist ideals that abound, and realistically do not want to.  Wanting to do something is very necessary to succeed at a difficult task.  If I had a LOT more money I would be minimalist in a heartbeat! I would have a studio, separate from my home. Also, I would only keep supplies needed for the current project.  When I start a project I could go and buy exactly what I want regardless of cost, and when done I would donate leftovers to a local school and start the next. Unfortunately I do not have those finances, and so i squirrel away supplies as i can.  And yes, it is EASY to let that get out of control.  Constant energy is spent aquiring, storing and organizing supplies.  I will be working to find ways to implement some basic strategies and boundaries that will make keeping our homes functional, cozy and inspiring.  Expending fewer resources on this balancing act will free up time, money and energy to do the things we love!!

If rich, I would not have a kitchen full of appliances so that I could create yummy healthy meals with my physical limitations. NOPE. I would have a fully able chef come in and chop and cook and I would just enjoy.  I would not have vacuums on both floors taking up precious space, my cleaner would bring her own! along with all of the other necessary cleaning supplies.  And that garage half-filled with tools?  You guessed it!  My husband would not be on the way to the parts store right now to fix our almost 10-year-old Prius, we would have a new car that did not need so much work, and when it needed repair or maintenance it would go to the dealership.  the lawn tractor, the rakes, the blower, the leaf mulcher, etc. all out of my life if I could afford landscapers to come and do these things. and the snow thrower, yes that would go too!!!  Oh, just listing a few of these items that we would not need if....if we were rich, if we had no yard (yes, an apartment/condo could be an option but not for everyone. yes we could move to Arizona-oh wait we cannot....etc), just listing it makes me pine for the space.

Be kind to yourself!  You have likely acquired things for a reason!!!  And if those reasons no longer exist, or if the item has been replaced, it is easy to let go.  If the item is still useable, rather than dwell on funds spent, look at it as being a steward of resources.  The best stewards know that when their time is up, it is time to pass it forward.  If you have just one item you can take your time with finding a new owner; if there are many, do not get bogged down with this part of the task, find a group to donate to or an online group to post for a community member to claim.

The idea of not keeping and wasting your space and energyclearly falls in line with minimalism. Here is an idea that goes against the minimalist theory, but works with my idea of optimalism: If there is a great sale on shampoo I am going to buy more than I need today. However, I have limited space to allot to shampoo as well as funds.   I will ask myself- How much can I use in the next 3-6 Months, How much do I normally pay?  Often if I find a ridiculous deal on an item, I will not spend more than what I would spend on that item in the next 1-2 months if the budget will allow, and then I consider, is that too much for the space I have to store them?  

I have definitely been guilty of buying too much. Sometimes overbuying happens.  If I am careful not to spend more than I would have if I had not bought on sale. So financially I break even, space-wise, well there needs to be reconciliation and I can feel good that someone else will benefit from my mistake, for instance, buying 2 bottles of shampoo half-price and then deciding i don't like it. I can donate the second to the local pantry!  I just unpacked a box with lots of art supplies.  When the kids were younger an art store went out of business and they clearanced at 90% off!!  I went a little crazy!  I knew that this was a 1-time opportunity and "stocked up". Overall, I more than got my money's worth out of the purchase, even with the leftover, unused supplies.  Now the children really don't use crayons and I have so many new unused boxes LOL!  I have just sort of kept them...in case we have company? Honestly, my oldest could realistically have children, as that is not the plan for at least 4-5 years, it seems that my sanity and space is worth more than that- and we can get another box of crayons if I donate these. So it is easy to make this decision - though these missed opportunities are harder to release than say the broken/chipped mug you always hated lol! Not gonna lie, I think I still have them mostly because I open the box and think, why did I not take the time to color more with my children!  So these brand new items that represent missed opportunities can also carry some guilt- and no one needs any more of that in our lives!!!

So I have set for myself The Optimalism Goal. I aspire to the optimal amount of belonging. this will be different for everyone's individual needs. I would have enough supplies to be creative, they will fit in an organized and inspiring way in my home. I will have supplies for my children to keep their pets (fish and a cat), these supplies will have a limited amount of space, and need to be put away.  Cooking, car care, home, lawn, pool maintenance, sports, photography,  holiday decor, keepsakes, and self-care are other big takers of space.  I do not wish to completely get rid of any of these categories, I do need to look at my resources and balance the quantity against the space, but also the time it takes to keep it organized. An elaborate system may allow me to keep it all tidy...but once things are used in these systems they tend not to get put away, and then it is always a cluttered mess.  Perhaps my Optimalism Goal needs a stiff dose of Essentialism LOL.  My stewardships are constantly evolving!  

I have everything I need

 I have everything I need.  As long as I need nothing, I will always have what I need.  Therefor, I need nothing and have everything I need.  

As  Michelangelo said,  “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”

We have everything we need, we just have to chisel away the superfluous material to see this clearly.

Where to Start? deClutter

Looking for a way to get started today? Start with looking for bags and boxes that you should be tossing anyways and then start filling them :) 

I had a LOT of paper grocery bags, still do and i just feel so good filling them, much better than spending money on more plastic. If your grocery gives you plastic those are great too, I don't get many of these and use them for trash. Plus the bags are smaller, so they fill quickly, and i can move it out and feel accomplished, and i am getting rid of all the paper bags too. Also works with those reusable bags, you know the ones that are too worn for you to want to use any more. The boxes you have been saving from various appliances, the warranty is long expired, and for me at least, i had passed many of the items on but still had the box in the attic, so fill it up and move it out 

This post was written in October of 2018 and never published. Today I am reducing the number of unpublisheddrafts I have on blogger.  I have no idea why I did not publish immediately, perhaps I was worried about relevance, or lacked the time to polish it. 3.5 years later, I can see that this post is still relevant, and even having written it myself enjoyed re-reading it. So here it is for the world, unpolished and honest.