I’ve been wondering lately about what decluttering really means. One of my favorite designers John Maeda, author of The Laws of Simplicity, says in his (ironically rambling) TED talk that the simplest definition of simplicity is that ‘simplicity is about living life with more enjoyment and less pain’.

That rings very true. So how do we get more enjoyment and less pain in our lives? The art of decluttering is obviously about removing all the unnecessary bits of our lives that cause us more pain than we need; the undone task lingering in the back of our minds for two weeks, the stiff doorknob we keep putting off oiling, the pile of old clothes we refuse to throw out.

While streamlining our lives this way, how do we fine-tune it so we get more enjoyment? I think we can do that by decluttering our schedules to do more of what’s important and less of what’s not.

Urgent unimportant tasks are like fast food; quick, tasty and filling but ultimately empty of nutrition – they don’t power your body and improve your health. Important tasks, on the other hand, tend to be more like tending to a garden, when planting and caring for your seedlings results seem to be far and few between. But it’s the planning, doing in advance and constant care that reap you a bountiful harvest in time to come.

What’s one thing that you know, if you did consistently, would make a significant difference in your life – and are you doing it?

Photo by withoutform.

P.S. I’ve recently discovered 2 blogs about living the decluttered life that have quickly become part of my favorites; Zen Habits & Unclutterer. Check them out, I think you’ll love them too.