My farther in law worked for Toyota and my husband explained that they use “5 whys” to problem solve- so if there’s an issue, they ask “why did this happen?” 5 times to get to the root of the issue. I’ve applied this to my house and it usually comes down to having too much stuff. For example: why are my mornings so chaotic? Because breakfast and lunch take forever to make. Why? Because I can’t find the utensils or ingredients. Why? Because they are in a stuffed drawer or a too-full fridge? Why? Because we have too much stuff in them? Why? Because I thought I needed these things and I don’t! It has been so insightful to see how having too much can be the root cause of soooo many problems!
I'm working on a whole house declutter to prepare for the holidays. I got rid of 34 things from my bathroom yesterday and was so proud of myself. I watched this video for a second time today and got rid of three more things. Thank you for all your help!
WOW! I'd never thought about the fact that if I let go of something, I was admitting I was "wrong" in assuming it would add value to my life. Just admitting it would mean I had a real reason to let it go. But I hate being wrong. I hate being told what to do. I hate wasting money. But you're helping me to realize this is where my mindset is getting in my own way! Thank you!!
I love this question of value. I wish more people emphasized that. My multi surface cleaner does not bring me joy or beauty in its cheap plastic spray bottle that I've reused so many times but boy oh boy is it valuable! Wasn't it you that also shared in an earlier video about the messages our items tell us? Because of that video, I finally donated my brand new only ridden once bicycle to underserved kids over the pandemic. I didn't enjoy feeling like a lazy bad person for not riding it every time I saw it. So I changed it's purpose and message. I accepted I'm not a bicycle person and gave it off to have a life with someone who is and maybe can't afford one. No regrets.
I can relate - I hate to part with clothing I purchased that at one time I really liked but I never wore it much. A recent habit I’ve started is to take clothes that are in good shape that I don’t wear anymore to church, and let the girls my size look through it and see if anything will be useful to them.
I totally agree! I'm trying to live minimally in all aspects of our life, Dawn do you have any advice on tackling social events that don't add value to our lives in the way we would like? For example Stag Dos, Hen Dos, colleagues weddings, not only do they take our time away from family but also mean we must reallocate funds from family time too.
I think this is your best video to date. I am struggling with becoming more of a minimalist and this helps a lot. I cringed when U said, “I feel like I failed when the product didn’t meet my needs” as this is something I never realized (or admitted). Thank you!!!
Don’t step down from that soapbox!!! That is your tool and your passion. Thank you, Dawn, you challenge me to go further and be better every day. Energy, resources, stamina, are all finite. You call us to treasure and protect them for what is truly important and possible. ❤God bless! ❤️🙏🏻
I can’t tell you how much you inspire me! I am getting a very small 640 sf house, so I am in the process of paring down everything in my current 2,000 sf house. WHAT A JOB!!!! Thanks to you and the wealth of knowledge you share with us my job is easier. I ask myself the questions and make a very quick decision about items all the time now. I love your videos, and your family is just precious!
I started a new habit of decluttering 5 items every time I watch one of your videos. Keeps me moving forward in the journey. Also, I rarely stop at 5 once I get going, but on busy days it’s still progress. Keep the motivation coming please! ❤
So many lightbulbs went off in my head during this video. Thank you Dawn. Another thought I had was: You know the saying that "people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime" ? So can stuff. And like Marie Kondo said something to the effect of when you let something go and feel guilt because you didn't use it and spent money- that item taught you that it wasn't for you. Thank you Dawn for your videos! Very inspiring stuff :)
here's what helps me with "someday" stuff... it gets ruined in the meantime. I really struggled letting go of baby things from my oldest BUT the things that were stored got water damaged, the things in the closet were ruined by mice. the things I let go of got used by someone who needed them. 💛
Something similar happened to my boyfriend, he wanted to keep a pair of shoes he never used, and then seconds after he said that he found out that the soul was damaged because it hadn't been worn for such a long time. That really opened his eyes, because he said these were good shoes that could have been used by someone else the whole time. He now understands what the reasons are why I have been decluttering every day now. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel :D
I was thinking about this while watching this video. I've been decluttering and finding pieces that I've saved and never used that are now trash because plastic gets brittle, elastic degrades, styles change, etc. etc. and it's sad to know that I've wasted things that could have been used by someone else and they've just taken up space in my home.
I think what items would I keep if we had to move to a two bedroom apartment! Or “if you could only keep one banker box of stuff from each room, what would be in it?
Yes yes a thousand times yes!! At 58 I embracing this more and more. The older we get the more conscious we are of our precious gift of time. God bless you! Keep preaching! I still need the motivation!!
I’m a 27 year old mom of soon to be two kids, and although I have been a “minimalist” my whole adult life and don’t need guidance like others might, I love watching your videos to continuously remind me to keep going! I am so grateful to have learned these lessons while I’m still young, but maintaining truly never stops. I recently put the “time will tell” strategy into place which has helped immensely with that last annoying bit of clutter that I struggle to deal with even as someone who aggressively declutters.
It is absolutely mind blowing how keeping extra things in your life eats away at you subconsciously. The guilt for not using them the hopes and dreams that have died and you are reminded of every time you see them. The anxiety it creates feeling like you should be making more time for those things. You are right on in saying that it is sooo freeing to accept the seasons of life as they come and to have a much better focus by saying good-bye to those things that just don't work right now. That has become my new saying is "buy things that work" because cheaper is not always cheaper in the long run or useful. Thanks for your videos they are soo soothing and simplistic as they should be for those of us trying to live a simplistic life-style.
100%. I just decluttered and donated an expensive juicer that was only used a few times. I hated looking at it because it made me feel like a failure for buying and not using! I realize now that someone else can use it where I wasn’t!
Finding your short videos on decluttering and the head trips we take having these ‘things’ consuming our energy has been a huge motivator for me! As a 64 year old, I’m freeing myself from a great deal of self criticism. The boxes of pictures I didn’t craft in a fancy album, the many notebooks of random thoughts I thought would be a book, the shelves of self-help books that I just knew I would reread for that final, better result, the left over curriculum ideas from 40 years of teaching middle school English. It’s a ‘progress in work’ and you have been unknowingly mentoring me! Thank you!
I imagine myself passing something I don’t use along to somebody who might find it at Goodwill for very inexpensive that wanted to try it but couldn’t afford it at the full price. Things are meant to be used! That is a perfect statement. If you bought it to try it but are not using it, move it along to someone who it may bless their lives! ❤
Yes! That is what makes it so easy to donate an expensive or unused item. I like to think that someone in financial straits will be pleased to find something they could not otherwise afford.
@@margscheffee9084 same reason I no longer donate items to Goodwill. I give to Salvation Army or a thrift store that uses its money from selling donated items to help women currently in or about to leave domestic abuse shelters.
Dawn, you always make so much sense. My home is not very cluttered anymore, but I still listen to your videos. You motivate me to keep up with accumulating less, and your videos are always calming.
Dawn, you deserve your 600K subscribers. You honestly care about helping others..and you have. May God bless you and yours and continue to bless your message💛
I like this question so much. It helps me a lot more than "does it spark joy"? To me- joy is a rare but celebrated feeling and doesn't apply much to stuff . Thanks for this, Dawn.
Thank you! I am so overwhelmed with my mess that I just sit here. I'm so grateful for your channel and your positivity! Love you all as if you were my own family!
Marketing is real, the way they have music playing to create a mood. Next thing you know you are happily buying things. You are so right when you say you just stay out of stores unless you really need something. I was in Hobby Lobby today thinking of all the autumn decorating I could do. Then I began imagining all of it gathering dust in the garage, and then getting thrown out, and I was over the moment. Thank goodness.
Thanks again for the very helpful video! I keep playing your videos in front of my husband who has a huge stash of “stuff” both inside the house and in the garage. I think it is finally starting to hit him that it is pointless to keep it. We’re both in our early 60’s! I consider you a life saver!!! You’re awesome! 😊
I had to buy an extra chest of drawers because my husband keeps so much junk inside he had no room for clothes! He thinks he has to have 40 pair of underwear and as many socks. I don’t get it. Honestly, I counted his briefs one day and I think there was over 50! I can’t get him to see he needs less!
I keep doing the same with my partner...You should show them the videos of: "Do it on a Dimes" (or "But, first coffee" )"I tried Swedish death cleaning" It's not as bad as it sounds .. But, it made me think about my things a lot more differently.. I'm glad you're taking steps to help your family.. My father passed away & we were tasked with moving (all his "stuff")out of my now just my mothers home .. Do we sell, donate or trash? I don't think she understands what all her stuff will do to me when she's gone(she has way, too much for a single human), nor do I think she cares 😭 P. S. She made a video on it too lol !
I love this question! Your videos always add value to my life 😊 I recently decluttered my kids wardrobe. I donated it to foster kids. Knowing that it was going to someone who really needs it along with Knowing it is less inventory, less washing, less folding, etc, made it easier to let go.
Stack up another soap box on the one you're using, and shout it to the rafters-- your message is SO needed and VALUABLE. I watch your videos over my lunch hour at work sometimes, and the other day you motivated me to clear and organize my office/work area... to the point where one of my coworkers thought I was leaving 😄😄😄😄
Sometimes an object in my kitchen is not so much a tool, but a reminder and connection to my great-gram, grandmother, and/or aunts. Something they used to prepare meals, especially during holidays. So although an item might not be used much it adds value. Not so much as a utility, but by having it in my kitchen it helps keep them close, reminds me of stories about them, happy times, and my connection to the chain of ancestors.
As a family with medically complex children, there has never been a time where a routine or schedule wasn’t upended at a moments notice. This translates into the inability and lack of time to go through things- and a very cluttered and overwhelming house. Most slogans and “motivational” videos assume it’s a lack of motivation or a personal obstacle- not life and just trying to keep our heads above water. The marketing just makes things worse because “fast” and “easy” was what we needed. I almost passed over this video but this is the first one that MAKES SENSE - with one question that really adds value to our life. Thank you❤ For the first time, I have hope that our lot in life is NOT to just survive, and maybe our home can be more than a crash pad; maybe between surgeries, recoveries, and out of town appointments it can be peaceful and beautiful like I used to dream about. Maybe my dream isn’t dead…. 🥹 Please don’t get off your soap box. It’s the only way we can hear your voice above the crowd.
I feel for you and thought of my grandma as I read your comment. Three of her 4 children had a rare disease, required a lot of care, and died way before their time. I cannot even imagine the stress and grief she experienced in her life, all while continuing to be the sweetest person. I just wanted you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers today. I hope your children get better every day and that the peaceful home you dream of becomes reality very soon!
Dawn, at least once a week, I am quoting your thoughts about " you can't wear All the shoes, all the clothes..you can't have all the identities we once planned out. So helpful! Keeps me in decluttering mode and not just trying to stash every single thing I was ever attracted to. Keep saying these things in different ways. You are helping me so much!
I love your sweater! Also, I never get tired of the decluttering methods that you share with us. The more I hear it the more stuff I decide to get rid of. I’ve still got a ways to go but I’m getting there! Thank you so much for continuing to share with us!
I think of things all the time that I got rid of but could use now (years later). Couldn’t care less! Totally worth the daily peace of mind and the clarity a simplified home brings to EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE.
I remember once telling my 8 year old daughter about marketing, and I didn't even know that's what I was doing. It was just a thought that occurred to me while we were seeing an advertisement for some cool toy -and I said, "you know, the people who are trying to get you to spend money on that don't care if you have enough money for food." My daughter was shocked. I think it was her first time understanding that not all information comes from a loving source that cares about how we are doing. Thank you for putting out such a positive vibe and solid ideas about getting our inventory to a supportive and useful level. I watch you over and over and always seek out a video to watch when it's minimizing time!!
Everytime I watch your videos, I'm itching to go and declutter! So inspiring and I thank you :D Now I know where to go when I need a little kick to go and remove those pieces that no longer bring value to my home
Your gift is the way you explain methods to us. And no shaming. Continued blessings to you Dawn. I really enjoy your message. I’m a work in progress but got you with me. ❤🎃
You have so much wisdom and you are helping so many people!! Don’t ever get down from your soapbox. God has given you a passion for helping people and excelling in helping people in this arena in particular. You are a HUGE BLESSING to everyone that comes across your channel!!!
Dawn, this is another great chat. I was especially touched by the segment on sentimental items. I am 58 years old, had a great childhood, lots of super memories of just everyday life with my 6 brothers and sisters and family. One of those memories involves regular (I remember it as every Sunday afternoon, but maybe off on that) picnics at a nearby state park. It was a relaxing afternoon, with playing in the stream, walking, swimming in the summer, my dad reading the paper or listening to a baseball game on a transistor radio. Even picnicking in the winter, with cocoa, apples...All of this to say, I have the picnic basket we used. It's missing a handle, is a little worn. I've seen others in pristine condition, but I don't want those--they aren't ours. And our family uses a cooler when we picnic. I have a few photos taken on these everyday picnics, and they mean so much to me. I think I can let the basket go now, and let the photos be the memory-prompter...this came to me during the video. Or use the basket to store picnicware and table cloths.
You share so much wisdom, it is liberating because the mind is the battlefield. If we can change our thinking, we change our lives! Thanks Dawn! You have helped me so much♥️
Thanks for sharing your passion regularly. As much as I am already sold on minimalism, I still benefit motivationally from your periodic pep talks and insights.
Dawn and everyone else that has this same problem at 2:12 of this video, I have a tip. The cutting board slipping and sliding will stabilize and be safer by laying a damp kitchen towel (or a silpat) on the countertop and then place the cutting board on the towel. That cutting board is a "TOOL" that is not doing the job you fully intended it to do. 😉 Give it some help staying in place when you and the family use it.
My kids get an allowance and every time they want to buy something or keep some trinket I say "is that really something you want to manage? Where are you going to put it?" I've not fully emptied my house like I want BUT I have been more mindful of the things we buy and put into it. Now that I've had my dose of encouragement, I'm off to fill a box to get rid of. Thanks Dawn!
Dawn so often when i watch your videos I come away saying "I really needed this today." Just want you to know this "ministry" of yours really helps a lot of people. Thank you!
Preach!🙌 I passed my instant pot on a few years ago and I have had to talk myself out of rebuying it! You make things so common sense clear, don't ever get off that soapbox! Thank you Dawn!
I feel like you're saving my life and I'm just a week in. Thank you for the way you word things that actually makes sense to me... nothing has ever resonated with me before. And I've been looking for help for years. Great work 💕😊
Your house is a piece of heaven Dawn. Because of you my mind has cleared. I'm still working on it, it is hard, I'm over a year now in decluttering. I'm so in peace. Love you all the way from Greece 🇬🇷❤️
You have helped me SO much with decluttering my home. It has been a few years now and like you promised my home is calm and peaceful, filled with everything we love and use and nothing more. You have helped me re-evaluate my choices and critically look at what I allow into my life. Just because something is new or someone else loves it, doesn’t mean I need it. I have enough and am enough! You have armored me against marketing. Keep preaching as we all need the message - it’s just stuff and if it doesn’t serve you right now, let it go.
I just threw away a metal water bottle that I spend money on .... because I haven't used it in over a year AND it was just sitting there screaming "wash me!" ... when I have a gazillion other things I need to do in a day, I just decided to let it go. It's so freeing when the mental bandwidth clears!
Excellent question! That question takes all the emotion out of the decision, and that emotion is where we normally get tripped up. I traveled a lot in my younger years and had an entire curio cabinet full of mementos from places I had visited. I got rid of all it. I decided the memories were important, not the mementos. And if I needed a physical item to "remind" me of the memory, then how important was that memory really....if it faded from my mind without the help of a physical reminder.
This channel just showed up on my feed. Wow! So incredible, helpful, and timeless. Minimal living, for me, has been so enjoyable in the past year. Too much stuff shackles and makes prisoners of us all. There is true freedom in letting go. "We entered the world with nothing, and we'll leave the world with nothing."
A thought I had while watching this is... The house I grew up in was basically a minimalist type home. We had small closets and not much stuff. I didn't have a lot of toys as a kid. It wasn't as easy to buy things as it is now. I do think it was better then. As kids we played outside more and used our imaginations. Life was just simpler.
Have photos ( heaven help me) and one part of my basement to go. Dawn you are a true friend to share your wisdom, nudge us to keep going and tell us gently what we need to hear! Bless you!
You will be surprised how much your content relates to valuable and healthy relationships. We tend to keep trying to make things work when we could just realize that sometimes it's not a match. This apply to friends, people we know in the workspace, church or school, family and so on. Sometimes we spend soooo many time with people we don't really like this much and we have no time to people that really matter.
Yes to all of this! This mindset has really helped me declutter my house over the course of many years. And now my friend wants help organizing her home - I often explain decluttering has to go hand in hand. I’m going to share this video with her to help us be on the same page! Thank you for your great content - I always learn something I can apply to my home and life.
Dawn, I'm not a minimalist so instead I did a test. I took everything off my bathroom counter I wanted to prove that I would or might miss the items that lived there. And months later I dont miss a thing! It's so easy to clean and looks clean all the time!!! It effects the whole bathroom and makes it look clean 100% of the time even though it sometimes isnt as clean as it should be. Now I want to declutter other areas one of them is my bedroom where I have a desk for crafting and it's just a dump pile of things that dont have a home. I have also had 3 more kids in the last 6 years so my storage size has decreased to accommodate a family of 6 from a family of 3. Please keep encouraging I'm watching and motivated. Thank you God bless
I believe this is one of your very best videos. Your message is simple, compelling and actionable by anyone, wherever they are on their journey. Embracing the concept of possessions serving you and letting go of those things that don’t, is to acknowledge what is truly important in your life. You learn a lot and you surprise yourself! Congratulations on passing the Subscriber milestone!
Your point about marketing is so true. SO many things I've purchased due to social media - it is sad. Clothes, makeup, handbags, shoes, KITCHEN appliances. When I think back to print media advertising, it was a problem, but nothing like today. Funny how my Grandmother was a wonderful cook with a few pots and pans, and how she was loved and admired with home sewn dresses and only a few pair of shoes, all lasting years. Meanwhile, my latest appliance is a Ninja Foodi - I rue the day I made that purchase because I've not found it an improvement to cooking, yet it is still in holding because of the cost...
One of my most favorite videos yet! Preach on Dawn!! ❤ Watching & listening to you become so passionate about this is what makes you so motivating!! Thank you!!!
This is a small thing, but I had a garlic press and I hated cleaning it. It was convenient but it caused stress to clean. Got rid of it then looked up ways to mince garlic without one. I can use my mortar and pestle or a cheese grater and those things I use way more and for multiple things! And easier to clean. My goal is find effective ways of making cleaning and such easy. It is so wonderful to breathe. My husband recently said “I know I can be a pack rat, but I really like not having a lot of stuff and have the breathing room.” It was his way of appreciating what I’ve done to make cleaning up easier and not our main focus of our weekends.
I gradually got rid of almost all of my kitchen stuff. I only prepare simple and healthy meals and I do not need anything more than the very basic things (I do not have a cheese grater, I buy it already grated, I do not use garlic at all because of the smell (sometimes I use the garlic powder) . I feel soo good and my kitchen looks wonderful. I do not cook sweets because they are not healthy so in the rare ocasions ( christmas) I buy something and that's all. It's true I don't have a passion for cooking, but I really enjoy cooking some simple meals and I do cook our dinner almost every day.
Hi I have been following you for about 2 and bit years. Got rid of 50% or more. The decisions that I made to get rid of stuff that was not adding value has also helped me/us make decision to buy things that add value to the season we are in now. The process of simple and hard decisions on whether or not to keep our stuff also allows us to bring things in (without guilt or judgement) because we know we can let it go out the door too. That's freedom. Thank you for all that you are doing.
Dawn I went through my craft supplies and am donating about 300 craft items to a teacher's aid, It was hard after I boxed it up thinking all the money I spent, But remember your videos and it has changed the way I declutter, I get so much inspiration from your channel. Just found out my neice watches your channel too.
This resonated with me in so many ways. You helped me to think about “things” in a way that sticks. Value, marketing, this is a tool, sentimental stuff, and then all the emotional baggage that goes along with every item. What an AHA moment about fantasy selves and the silent messages that things send. BRILLIANT! I went through every single thing I own and freed up so much physical and emotional space and have freedom from things that made me feel guilt, shame, anxiety, people pleasing, etc. I didn’t realize how my home was a heavy burden and is now a sanctuary where I can breathe easy.
Dawn, you are my hero. I have learned so much from you and you share in such a down to earth manner that there is no judgement - just a desire to share what you know with others. Please come to my home in TN. I so need guidance and support to get my house decluttered and organized. I’m not on Facebook so that’s not an option but I’m at a point where I no longer want to or can manage my ‘stuff’. Both my parents were hoarders in different ways. One kept everything and the other couldn’t make decisions or stick to a project. They are gone now but I think my worst fear that I would become like them has come true. I tried hiring an organizer but she just helped me move things around and now it’s worse than before. If you can’t come, can you put me in touch with someone in the Nashville area? Please keep doing these videos, your passion and caring is inspirational. ❤
Thank you! I recently downsized (unexpectedly) and am left with extra stuff I didn’t have time to sort through before I moved. This helps me think about how to approach sorting.
Such good advice. I would just say that I was given an air fryer which I never learnt to use and which was taking up room in the kitchen. I was going to give it away, but then electricity prices skyrocketed in the UK. Using a conventional oven has become very expensive, so necessity has meant that I've learnt to use the air fryer (and a slow cooker). Much more economical.
Thank you for great advice and support! You have inspired me to start on my family minimalism journey! As a mom of 4 that range from ages 4 - 8, I feel like I can really relate to you. You have given me so much motivation, and I am so excited about this journey that I have started and what it is going to do for me and my family. Thank you again so much!
The question about 'does it add value' (and all the associated thoughts) is what lead me to declutter/give away my dehydrator. I know some folks would rather give up their hubby than their dehydrator. But it just wasn't working for me. And it took me a long time to realize that. And making that decision was the right one for me. Every box/bag of stuff I take out of my home lets me feel a little bit lighter.
To tell the truth, I had never thought about how marketing impacted my buying choices before watching your videos. It it SO HELPFUL! No joke. Having just that knowledge has helped me. I'm so thankful for you and your family. It's amazing how many people you are reaching! Keep it up girly!! ❤️
It's truly disgusting how much marketing we are bombarded with from the time we are born until the day we die, isn't it? Such a massive effort that companies put into getting our money. Too many people get caught up in it, not even realizing what is happening, because they suck us in from the time we are little children, often because our parents let it happen or just don't teach us about it. I hope more people will come to this realization and teach their children to be wise to these marketing tactics, as Dawn and Tom have with their children. I think our mental health and society in general would be so much better off, and resources put to much better use. I always think of the Kardashian empire and all the wealth they've acquired as an example. Why are they doing so well? It's all marketing and image-making of course. Meanwhile, they negatively affect girl's and young women's self esteem as they feel pressured to buy their products, trying to live up to their ridiculously fake images. All of this is just SO supremely wasteful and horrible for our environment too... as our landfills grow with more and more useless junk and low quality, fast-fashion clothes made of plastic (polyester). Corporations rake in billions of dollars and use that money we've given them to lobby our lawmakers... you know, that are supposed to be working for us... to make laws and give tax breaks in their favor instead of ours. It's insidious.
Asking "does this add value" rather than "does this spark joy" makes it easier to view items in their proper light. A hammer may not spark joy but it definitely adds value to one's life. It's a more realistic question that takes more of the emotion out of decluttering. Your sweater complements your coloring very well. You look great. ~ Lisa
Definitely hitting home on this one! Need to reprogram my thinking and re-assess the true value of everything in my house and life. Now if only you could help declutter my mind😁
Oh my goodness!!! My life is changed for eternity’s sake 🤗 Praise the Lord! I’ve had the best day being released by the “things, encumbrances “ that were weighing me down and the sun is shining ☀️🌻💝😄 Thank you so much for sharing your passion and gifts 🎁
Thank you so much for this! I'm literally tearing up at how much this struck my heart. I've recently started watching your videos and you're helping me look at my "inventory " differently. The overwhelm, the struggle, the guilt and anxiety. The word minimalist scared me for a long time. But I finally opened up to a mom friend of mine about my struggles. She recommended you. And I am so grateful. Thank you again. I'm going slowly but it's helping me. And that means some much. ❤️
Since I stated following you… this one phrase actually works best for me “Do I want to manage this?” But the “Is this serving me NOW?” That’s a definite second best for me. When I get stumped sometimes I also think “how does this make me feel?”
Thank you for these videos. Freeing myself of the material baggage from ex family members has changed my life. I know longer feel chained to a past of bad memories. Becoming a minimalist and removing the commercial materialism from my life has given me a true sense of contentment.
My farther in law worked for Toyota and my husband explained that they use “5 whys” to problem solve- so if there’s an issue, they ask “why did this happen?” 5 times to get to the root of the issue. I’ve applied this to my house and it usually comes down to having too much stuff. For example: why are my mornings so chaotic? Because breakfast and lunch take forever to make. Why? Because I can’t find the utensils or ingredients. Why? Because they are in a stuffed drawer or a too-full fridge? Why? Because we have too much stuff in them? Why? Because I thought I needed these things and I don’t! It has been so insightful to see how having too much can be the root cause of soooo many problems!
Very insightful-thanks for sharing!
True.. thanks for taking time and texting in detail…❣️
Thanks 😊
I love this!
Thank you, this is a great concept!
Your sweater with that sofa could not could more perfect together.
I'm working on a whole house declutter to prepare for the holidays. I got rid of 34 things from my bathroom yesterday and was so proud of myself. I watched this video for a second time today and got rid of three more things. Thank you for all your help!
WOW! I'd never thought about the fact that if I let go of something, I was admitting I was "wrong" in assuming it would add value to my life. Just admitting it would mean I had a real reason to let it go. But I hate being wrong. I hate being told what to do. I hate wasting money. But you're helping me to realize this is where my mindset is getting in my own way! Thank you!!
I love this question of value. I wish more people emphasized that. My multi surface cleaner does not bring me joy or beauty in its cheap plastic spray bottle that I've reused so many times but boy oh boy is it valuable! Wasn't it you that also shared in an earlier video about the messages our items tell us? Because of that video, I finally donated my brand new only ridden once bicycle to underserved kids over the pandemic. I didn't enjoy feeling like a lazy bad person for not riding it every time I saw it. So I changed it's purpose and message. I accepted I'm not a bicycle person and gave it off to have a life with someone who is and maybe can't afford one. No regrets.
I can relate - I hate to part with clothing I purchased that at one time I really liked but I never wore it much. A recent habit I’ve started is to take clothes that are in good shape that I don’t wear anymore to church, and let the girls my size look through it and see if anything will be useful to them.
You always have a way of breaking down the complexities of minimalism in such a simple way. Just ONE question!
I totally agree! I'm trying to live minimally in all aspects of our life, Dawn do you have any advice on tackling social events that don't add value to our lives in the way we would like? For example Stag Dos, Hen Dos, colleagues weddings, not only do they take our time away from family but also mean we must reallocate funds from family time too.
Oops sorry bachelorette parties* 😉
I love your soapbox! Thank you for your thoughts & passion!
@@stephsnow2643 ppp
I think this is your best video to date. I am struggling with becoming more of a minimalist and this helps a lot. I cringed when U said, “I feel like I failed when the product didn’t meet my needs” as this is something I never realized (or admitted).
Thank you!!!
Thank you Linda, I really appreciate this, and I’m excited for you, it gets easier and easier and better and better! ❤️
Don’t step down from that soapbox!!! That is your tool and your passion. Thank you, Dawn, you challenge me to go further and be better every day. Energy, resources, stamina, are all finite. You call us to treasure and protect them for what is truly important and possible. ❤God bless! ❤️🙏🏻
I, for one, need to hear this more than once. it is encouraging and takes me to deeper levels each time I listen.
Absolutely! I'm happy with the progress that I've made, still working on it a little at a time. Thank you so much for the encouragement Dawn!
I need this❤
Thank you April! This means more than you know 🥰
I can’t tell you how much you inspire me! I am getting a very small 640 sf house, so I am in the process of paring down everything in my current 2,000 sf house. WHAT A JOB!!!! Thanks to you and the wealth of knowledge you share with us my job is easier. I ask myself the questions and make a very quick decision about items all the time now. I love your videos, and your family is just precious!
I love how you brought in the marketing side of this and the stories we tell ourselves. That's so helpful!
I started a new habit of decluttering 5 items every time I watch one of your videos. Keeps me moving forward in the journey. Also, I rarely stop at 5 once I get going, but on busy days it’s still progress. Keep the motivation coming please! ❤
So many lightbulbs went off in my head during this video. Thank you Dawn. Another thought I had was: You know the saying that "people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime" ? So can stuff. And like Marie Kondo said something to the effect of when you let something go and feel guilt because you didn't use it and spent money- that item taught you that it wasn't for you. Thank you Dawn for your videos! Very inspiring stuff :)
here's what helps me with "someday" stuff... it gets ruined in the meantime. I really struggled letting go of baby things from my oldest BUT the things that were stored got water damaged, the things in the closet were ruined by mice. the things I let go of got used by someone who needed them. 💛
Ohhh yes! I love this so much!!!
Something similar happened to my boyfriend, he wanted to keep a pair of shoes he never used, and then seconds after he said that he found out that the soul was damaged because it hadn't been worn for such a long time. That really opened his eyes, because he said these were good shoes that could have been used by someone else the whole time. He now understands what the reasons are why I have been decluttering every day now. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel :D
I was thinking about this while watching this video. I've been decluttering and finding pieces that I've saved and never used that are now trash because plastic gets brittle, elastic degrades, styles change, etc. etc. and it's sad to know that I've wasted things that could have been used by someone else and they've just taken up space in my home.
My question is 'If I moved (to a different house), would I take it with me?
Yes- Keep it
No- Say good bye to it☺️
I recently got my husband on board with this argument. Pretend we have to move in a couple of weeks, what would you really keep?
I think what items would I keep if we had to move to a two bedroom apartment! Or “if you could only keep one banker box of stuff from each room, what would be in it?
That's genius Brenda 😀 . Going to adopt this 😘
Yes! I think "Do I want to pack this?"
Would I run in a burning house to save this item? If not-it gets donated!
Yes yes a thousand times yes!! At 58 I embracing this more and more. The older we get the more conscious we are of our precious gift of time. God bless you! Keep preaching! I still need the motivation!!
I’m a 27 year old mom of soon to be two kids, and although I have been a “minimalist” my whole adult life and don’t need guidance like others might, I love watching your videos to continuously remind me to keep going! I am so grateful to have learned these lessons while I’m still young, but maintaining truly never stops.
I recently put the “time will tell” strategy into place which has helped immensely with that last annoying bit of clutter that I struggle to deal with even as someone who aggressively declutters.
It is absolutely mind blowing how keeping extra things in your life eats away at you subconsciously. The guilt for not using them the hopes and dreams that have died and you are reminded of every time you see them. The anxiety it creates feeling like you should be making more time for those things. You are right on in saying that it is sooo freeing to accept the seasons of life as they come and to have a much better focus by saying good-bye to those things that just don't work right now. That has become my new saying is "buy things that work" because cheaper is not always cheaper in the long run or useful. Thanks for your videos they are soo soothing and simplistic as they should be for those of us trying to live a simplistic life-style.
100%. I just decluttered and donated an expensive juicer that was only used a few times. I hated looking at it because it made me feel like a failure for buying and not using! I realize now that someone else can use it where I wasn’t!
If it makes you feel any better humans aren't created to drink juices. & If it's not free of pesticides it is toxic anyway. Eat organically. xo
And I bet you don’t even miss it!
Finding your short videos on decluttering and the head trips we take having these ‘things’ consuming our energy has been a huge motivator for me! As a 64 year old, I’m freeing myself from a great deal of self criticism. The boxes of pictures I didn’t craft in a fancy album, the many notebooks of random thoughts I thought would be a book, the shelves of self-help books that I just knew I would reread for that final, better result, the left over curriculum ideas from 40 years of teaching middle school English. It’s a ‘progress in work’ and you have been unknowingly mentoring me! Thank you!
I imagine myself passing something I don’t use along to somebody who might find it at Goodwill for very inexpensive that wanted to try it but couldn’t afford it at the full price. Things are meant to be used! That is a perfect statement. If you bought it to try it but are not using it, move it along to someone who it may bless their lives! ❤
I do this all the time too! And Giodwill need money to operate!
Yes! That is what makes it so easy to donate an expensive or unused item. I like to think that someone in financial straits will be pleased to find something they could not otherwise afford.
I give my stuff to the Salvation Army thrift store. Goodwill has a ceo that makes millions in wages whereas SA uses the money for doing good.
I definitely relied on thrift shopping for many years and I always found things I needed that would have cost me so much money brand new!
@@margscheffee9084 same reason I no longer donate items to Goodwill. I give to Salvation Army or a thrift store that uses its money from selling donated items to help women currently in or about to leave domestic abuse shelters.
Dawn, you always make so much sense. My home is not very cluttered anymore, but I still listen to your videos. You motivate me to keep up with accumulating less, and your videos are always calming.
I agree! If it isn’t adding value, it’s detracting from our quality of life. Life is too short to manage stuff that we don’t need. 🥰
Dawn, you deserve your 600K subscribers. You honestly care about helping others..and you have. May God bless you and yours and continue to bless your message💛
Thank you Connie, that means more than you know!!! 🥰❤️
I like this question so much. It helps me a lot more than "does it spark joy"? To me- joy is a rare but celebrated feeling and doesn't apply much to stuff . Thanks for this, Dawn.
Thank you! I am so overwhelmed with my mess that I just sit here. I'm so grateful for your channel and your positivity! Love you all as if you were my own family!
Marketing is real, the way they have music playing to create a mood. Next thing you know you are happily buying things. You are so right when you say you just stay out of stores unless you really need something. I was in Hobby Lobby today thinking of all the autumn decorating I could do. Then I began imagining all of it gathering dust in the garage, and then getting thrown out, and I was over the moment. Thank goodness.
Congratulations on 599k subscribers, Dawn! You still feel like a hidden gem on UA-cam.
"value in this season of life" = the golden solution to decluttering!
Thanks again for the very helpful video! I keep playing your videos in front of my husband who has a huge stash of “stuff” both inside the house and in the garage. I think it is finally starting to hit him that it is pointless to keep it. We’re both in our early 60’s! I consider you a life saver!!! You’re awesome! 😊
I had to buy an extra chest of drawers because my husband keeps so much junk inside he had no room for clothes! He thinks he has to have 40 pair of underwear and as many socks. I don’t get it. Honestly, I counted his briefs one day and I think there was over 50! I can’t get him to see he needs less!
I keep doing the same with my partner...You should show them the videos of:
"Do it on a Dimes" (or "But, first coffee" )"I tried Swedish death cleaning" It's not as bad as it sounds ..
But, it made me think about my things a lot more differently.. I'm glad you're taking steps to help your family.. My father passed away & we were tasked with moving (all his "stuff")out of my now just my mothers home .. Do we sell, donate or trash?
I don't think she understands what all her stuff will do to me when she's gone(she has way, too much for a single human), nor do I think she cares 😭
P. S. She made a video on it too lol !
Ahaha I too just "happen" to play Dawn's videos within earshot of my husband, hoping the indirectness will avoid a defensive reaction.
@@libbykat3958 Same!!
@@libbykat3958same!
I love this question! Your videos always add value to my life 😊 I recently decluttered my kids wardrobe. I donated it to foster kids. Knowing that it was going to someone who really needs it along with Knowing it is less inventory, less washing, less folding, etc, made it easier to let go.
This is so awesome! Way to go!!!!
So true about sentimental stuff…it can get to be a burden. 😢
Stack up another soap box on the one you're using, and shout it to the rafters-- your message is SO needed and VALUABLE. I watch your videos over my lunch hour at work sometimes, and the other day you motivated me to clear and organize my office/work area... to the point where one of my coworkers thought I was leaving 😄😄😄😄
I did that too! Haha! Of course, I do want to leave... 🫣
Lol, love this!! Thank you!!! ❤️
LOL.
🤣
'That 1 ? 'is it adding value?' is spot on - tfs!
Sometimes an object in my kitchen is not so much a tool, but a reminder and connection to my great-gram, grandmother, and/or aunts. Something they used to prepare meals, especially during holidays. So although an item might not be used much it adds value. Not so much as a utility, but by having it in my kitchen it helps keep them close, reminds me of stories about them, happy times, and my connection to the chain of ancestors.
As a family with medically complex children, there has never been a time where a routine or schedule wasn’t upended at a moments notice. This translates into the inability and lack of time to go through things- and a very cluttered and overwhelming house. Most slogans and “motivational” videos assume it’s a lack of motivation or a personal obstacle- not life and just trying to keep our heads above water. The marketing just makes things worse because “fast” and “easy” was what we needed.
I almost passed over this video but this is the first one that MAKES SENSE - with one question that really adds value to our life.
Thank you❤
For the first time, I have hope that our lot in life is NOT to just survive, and maybe our home can be more than a crash pad; maybe between surgeries, recoveries, and out of town appointments it can be peaceful and beautiful like I used to dream about.
Maybe my dream isn’t dead…. 🥹
Please don’t get off your soap box. It’s the only way we can hear your voice above the crowd.
I just want you to know I feel this in my soul. We don’t have medically complex kids- but my dream of a peaceful home isn’t true right now either!
I feel for you and thought of my grandma as I read your comment. Three of her 4 children had a rare disease, required a lot of care, and died way before their time. I cannot even imagine the stress and grief she experienced in her life, all while continuing to be the sweetest person. I just wanted you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers today. I hope your children get better every day and that the peaceful home you dream of becomes reality very soon!
Dawn, at least once a week, I am quoting your thoughts about " you can't wear All the shoes, all the clothes..you can't have all the identities we once planned out. So helpful! Keeps me in decluttering mode and not just trying to stash every single thing I was ever attracted to. Keep saying these things in different ways. You are helping me so much!
Oh that hit home - “trying to stash every single thing I was ever attracted to”
Thankyou!
@@rosywilson3076 Yes! I have been working very hard on my stashing problem. Great line to remember.
Yes and 'too much inventory to manage'. Dawn is amazing and an inspiration for sure. God Bless
Oh this has helped me too, I have to ask myself will I wear this or was this purchased for my fantasy self? 😩
Me too
I’m on the other side🎉 SO much freedom in lots of areas! Not just in the home🙌🏽👏🏽👏🏽🥰🕊️✌🏽☮️
I love the way you help us see the freedom we can gain by letting go of all the what-if stuff in our lives.
I love your sweater! Also, I never get tired of the decluttering methods that you share with us. The more I hear it the more stuff I decide to get rid of. I’ve still got a ways to go but I’m getting there! Thank you so much for continuing to share with us!
I think of things all the time that I got rid of but could use now (years later). Couldn’t care less! Totally worth the daily peace of mind and the clarity a simplified home brings to EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE.
I remember once telling my 8 year old daughter about marketing, and I didn't even know that's what I was doing. It was just a thought that occurred to me while we were seeing an advertisement for some cool toy -and I said, "you know, the people who are trying to get you to spend money on that don't care if you have enough money for food." My daughter was shocked. I think it was her first time understanding that not all information comes from a loving source that cares about how we are doing.
Thank you for putting out such a positive vibe and solid ideas about getting our inventory to a supportive and useful level. I watch you over and over and always seek out a video to watch when it's minimizing time!!
Whoa, I need to borrow those words for my own kids. Great thoughts!
Everytime I watch your videos, I'm itching to go and declutter! So inspiring and I thank you :D Now I know where to go when I need a little kick to go and remove those pieces that no longer bring value to my home
Your gift is the way you explain methods to us. And no shaming. Continued blessings to you Dawn. I really enjoy your message. I’m a work in progress but got you with me. ❤🎃
I appreciate how you turn to values to explain the purpose and outcome of minimalism and decluttering. These videos are a big help. Thank you!
You have so much wisdom and you are helping so many people!! Don’t ever get down from your soapbox. God has given you a passion for helping people and excelling in helping people in this arena in particular. You are a HUGE BLESSING to everyone that comes across your channel!!!
This! Yes, such freedom. If you want to fly you have to let go of everything that weighs you down.
Dawn, this is another great chat. I was especially touched by the segment on sentimental items. I am 58 years old, had a great childhood, lots of super memories of just everyday life with my 6 brothers and sisters and family. One of those memories involves regular (I remember it as every Sunday afternoon, but maybe off on that) picnics at a nearby state park. It was a relaxing afternoon, with playing in the stream, walking, swimming in the summer, my dad reading the paper or listening to a baseball game on a transistor radio. Even picnicking in the winter, with cocoa, apples...All of this to say, I have the picnic basket we used. It's missing a handle, is a little worn. I've seen others in pristine condition, but I don't want those--they aren't ours. And our family uses a cooler when we picnic. I have a few photos taken on these everyday picnics, and they mean so much to me. I think I can let the basket go now, and let the photos be the memory-prompter...this came to me during the video. Or use the basket to store picnicware and table cloths.
If I were you, I would use it as decorative storage, lovingly put on display (if you have the space). :)
Keep it!
You should give yourself permission to keep a few things that hold special memories for you. Just try to find a new use for it!
@@ShelleybutyoucancallmeShell thank you. Right now I am thinking of possibilities for this basket...
@@cchaffincc Thank you!
Thank you for helping me let go of my instant pot (2 years ago. ) I have never regretted that decision.
You share so much wisdom, it is liberating because the mind is the battlefield. If we can change our thinking, we change our lives! Thanks Dawn! You have helped me so much♥️
Just awesome, dawn! Dawn, the wise philosopher! really, u think deeper than most which is so refreshing. i thank u!
I want to hug you! I value your logical breakdown, and your advocacy for time, positive emotional health, relaxing home, and connected family life. 💕
Thanks for sharing your passion regularly. As much as I am already sold on minimalism, I still benefit motivationally from your periodic pep talks and insights.
Dawn and everyone else that has this same problem at 2:12 of this video, I have a tip. The cutting board slipping and sliding will stabilize and be safer by laying a damp kitchen towel (or a silpat) on the countertop and then place the cutting board on the towel. That cutting board is a "TOOL" that is not doing the job you fully intended it to do. 😉
Give it some help staying in place when you and the family use it.
I'm retired. I practiced “a place for everything and everything in its place. I feel happy with my ‘things’ all surrounding me. So homey. ❤
All my junk has a place too. But it's just clutter. So I'm downsizing.
My kids get an allowance and every time they want to buy something or keep some trinket I say "is that really something you want to manage? Where are you going to put it?" I've not fully emptied my house like I want BUT I have been more mindful of the things we buy and put into it. Now that I've had my dose of encouragement, I'm off to fill a box to get rid of. Thanks Dawn!
Dawn so often when i watch your videos I come away saying "I really needed this today." Just want you to know this "ministry" of yours really helps a lot of people. Thank you!
Preach!🙌 I passed my instant pot on a few years ago and I have had to talk myself out of rebuying it! You make things so common sense clear, don't ever get off that soapbox! Thank you Dawn!
I feel like you're saving my life and I'm just a week in. Thank you for the way you word things that actually makes sense to me... nothing has ever resonated with me before. And I've been looking for help for years. Great work 💕😊
Your house is a piece of heaven Dawn. Because of you my mind has cleared. I'm still working on it, it is hard, I'm over a year now in decluttering. I'm so in peace. Love you all the way from Greece 🇬🇷❤️
You have helped me SO much with decluttering my home. It has been a few years now and like you promised my home is calm and peaceful, filled with everything we love and use and nothing more. You have helped me re-evaluate my choices and critically look at what I allow into my life. Just because something is new or someone else loves it, doesn’t mean I need it. I have enough and am enough! You have armored me against marketing. Keep preaching as we all need the message - it’s just stuff and if it doesn’t serve you right now, let it go.
I just threw away a metal water bottle that I spend money on .... because I haven't used it in over a year AND it was just sitting there screaming "wash me!" ... when I have a gazillion other things I need to do in a day, I just decided to let it go. It's so freeing when the mental bandwidth clears!
Excellent question! That question takes all the emotion out of the decision, and that emotion is where we normally get tripped up. I traveled a lot in my younger years and had an entire curio cabinet full of mementos from places I had visited. I got rid of all it. I decided the memories were important, not the mementos. And if I needed a physical item to "remind" me of the memory, then how important was that memory really....if it faded from my mind without the help of a physical reminder.
This channel just showed up on my feed. Wow! So incredible, helpful, and timeless. Minimal living, for me, has been so enjoyable in the past year. Too much stuff shackles and makes prisoners of us all. There is true freedom in letting go. "We entered the world with nothing, and we'll leave the world with nothing."
"It's here to be used for a purpose, and then it's left behind." That statement really helps put "stuff" in perspective!
A thought I had while watching this is... The house I grew up in was basically a minimalist type home. We had small closets and not much stuff. I didn't have a lot of toys as a kid. It wasn't as easy to buy things as it is now. I do think it was better then. As kids we played outside more and used our imaginations. Life was just simpler.
YOUR ADVICE IS PRACTICAL, HEALTHY, AND SO NEEDED. I've been following you for about a year now. THANK YOU, DAWN!😇🙏 May God bless you!🌞
Thanks for articulating this principle of “letting go because something no longer serves me” in this season of life. Liberating!
I never get tired of your message! You inspire me!
you are so right, I had to sell the family home and got rid of so many things, you are so right.
Best video EVER! This is exactly what I've been trying to tell my people! Keep these videos coming, they are great reminders of why I'm doing this.
Have photos ( heaven help me) and one part of my basement to go. Dawn you are a true friend to share your wisdom, nudge us to keep going and tell us gently what we need to hear! Bless you!
You will be surprised how much your content relates to valuable and healthy relationships. We tend to keep trying to make things work when we could just realize that sometimes it's not a match. This apply to friends, people we know in the workspace, church or school, family and so on. Sometimes we spend soooo many time with people we don't really like this much and we have no time to people that really matter.
Yes to all of this! This mindset has really helped me declutter my house over the course of many years. And now my friend wants help organizing her home - I often explain decluttering has to go hand in hand. I’m going to share this video with her to help us be on the same page! Thank you for your great content - I always learn something I can apply to my home and life.
Dawn, I'm not a minimalist so instead I did a test. I took everything off my bathroom counter I wanted to prove that I would or might miss the items that lived there. And months later I dont miss a thing! It's so easy to clean and looks clean all the time!!! It effects the whole bathroom and makes it look clean 100% of the time even though it sometimes isnt as clean as it should be. Now I want to declutter other areas one of them is my bedroom where I have a desk for crafting and it's just a dump pile of things that dont have a home. I have also had 3 more kids in the last 6 years so my storage size has decreased to accommodate a family of 6 from a family of 3. Please keep encouraging I'm watching and motivated. Thank you God bless
I believe this is one of your very best videos. Your message is simple, compelling and actionable by anyone, wherever they are on their journey. Embracing the concept of possessions serving you and letting go of those things that don’t, is to acknowledge what is truly important in your life. You learn a lot and you surprise yourself! Congratulations on passing the Subscriber milestone!
Your point about marketing is so true. SO many things I've purchased due to social media - it is sad. Clothes, makeup, handbags, shoes, KITCHEN appliances. When I think back to print media advertising, it was a problem, but nothing like today. Funny how my Grandmother was a wonderful cook with a few pots and pans, and how she was loved and admired with home sewn dresses and only a few pair of shoes, all lasting years.
Meanwhile, my latest appliance is a Ninja Foodi - I rue the day I made that purchase because I've not found it an improvement to cooking, yet it is still in holding because of the cost...
One of my most favorite videos yet! Preach on Dawn!! ❤ Watching & listening to you become so passionate about this is what makes you so motivating!! Thank you!!!
My grandmother was wise. She told me " If you own too much stuff, your stuff will own you."
Great to see the doors out of the dining room--smile
This is a small thing, but I had a garlic press and I hated cleaning it. It was convenient but it caused stress to clean. Got rid of it then looked up ways to mince garlic without one. I can use my mortar and pestle or a cheese grater and those things I use way more and for multiple things! And easier to clean. My goal is find effective ways of making cleaning and such easy. It is so wonderful to breathe. My husband recently said “I know I can be a pack rat, but I really like not having a lot of stuff and have the breathing room.” It was his way of appreciating what I’ve done to make cleaning up easier and not our main focus of our weekends.
I gradually got rid of almost all of my kitchen stuff. I only prepare simple and healthy meals and I do not need anything more than the very basic things (I do not have a cheese grater, I buy it already grated, I do not use garlic at all because of the smell (sometimes I use the garlic powder) . I feel soo good and my kitchen looks wonderful. I do not cook sweets because they are not healthy so in the rare ocasions ( christmas) I buy something and that's all. It's true I don't have a passion for cooking, but I really enjoy cooking some simple meals and I do cook our dinner almost every day.
Hi I have been following you for about 2 and bit years. Got rid of 50% or more. The decisions that I made to get rid of stuff that was not adding value has also helped me/us make decision to buy things that add value to the season we are in now. The process of simple and hard decisions on whether or not to keep our stuff also allows us to bring things in (without guilt or judgement) because we know we can let it go out the door too. That's freedom. Thank you for all that you are doing.
Dawn I went through my craft supplies and am donating about 300 craft items to a teacher's aid, It was hard after I boxed it up thinking all the money I spent, But remember your videos and it has changed the way I declutter, I get so much inspiration from your channel. Just found out my neice watches your channel too.
This resonated with me in so many ways. You helped me to think about “things” in a way that sticks. Value, marketing, this is a tool, sentimental stuff, and then all the emotional baggage that goes along with every item. What an AHA moment about fantasy selves and the silent messages that things send. BRILLIANT! I went through every single thing I own and freed up so much physical and emotional space and have freedom from things that made me feel guilt, shame, anxiety, people pleasing, etc. I didn’t realize how my home was a heavy burden and is now a sanctuary where I can breathe easy.
Dawn, you are my hero. I have learned so much from you and you share in such a down to earth manner that there is no judgement - just a desire to share what you know with others. Please come to my home in TN. I so need guidance and support to get my house decluttered and organized. I’m not on Facebook so that’s not an option but I’m at a point where I no longer want to or can manage my ‘stuff’. Both my parents were hoarders in different ways. One kept everything and the other couldn’t make decisions or stick to a project. They are gone now but I think my worst fear that I would become like them has come true. I tried hiring an organizer but she just helped me move things around and now it’s worse than before. If you can’t come, can you put me in touch with someone in the Nashville area? Please keep doing these videos, your passion and caring is inspirational. ❤
Thank you! I recently downsized (unexpectedly) and am left with extra stuff I didn’t have time to sort through before I moved. This helps me think about how to approach sorting.
Such good advice. I would just say that I was given an air fryer which I never learnt to use and which was taking up room in the kitchen. I was going to give it away, but then electricity prices skyrocketed in the UK. Using a conventional oven has become very expensive, so necessity has meant that I've learnt to use the air fryer (and a slow cooker). Much more economical.
Such a great video of the overview of living as a minimalist!
Thank you for getting passionate, you are helping open so many eyes and minds!!
Thank you for great advice and support! You have inspired me to start on my family minimalism journey! As a mom of 4 that range from ages 4 - 8, I feel like I can really relate to you. You have given me so much motivation, and I am so excited about this journey that I have started and what it is going to do for me and my family. Thank you again so much!
The question about 'does it add value' (and all the associated thoughts) is what lead me to declutter/give away my dehydrator. I know some folks would rather give up their hubby than their dehydrator. But it just wasn't working for me. And it took me a long time to realize that. And making that decision was the right one for me. Every box/bag of stuff I take out of my home lets me feel a little bit lighter.
Thanks for getting on your soap box! We need to be reminded!
To tell the truth, I had never thought about how marketing impacted my buying choices before watching your videos. It it SO HELPFUL! No joke. Having just that knowledge has helped me.
I'm so thankful for you and your family. It's amazing how many people you are reaching! Keep it up girly!! ❤️
It's truly disgusting how much marketing we are bombarded with from the time we are born until the day we die, isn't it? Such a massive effort that companies put into getting our money. Too many people get caught up in it, not even realizing what is happening, because they suck us in from the time we are little children, often because our parents let it happen or just don't teach us about it. I hope more people will come to this realization and teach their children to be wise to these marketing tactics, as Dawn and Tom have with their children. I think our mental health and society in general would be so much better off, and resources put to much better use.
I always think of the Kardashian empire and all the wealth they've acquired as an example. Why are they doing so well? It's all marketing and image-making of course. Meanwhile, they negatively affect girl's and young women's self esteem as they feel pressured to buy their products, trying to live up to their ridiculously fake images.
All of this is just SO supremely wasteful and horrible for our environment too... as our landfills grow with more and more useless junk and low quality, fast-fashion clothes made of plastic (polyester). Corporations rake in billions of dollars and use that money we've given them to lobby our lawmakers... you know, that are supposed to be working for us... to make laws and give tax breaks in their favor instead of ours. It's insidious.
Asking "does this add value" rather than "does this spark joy" makes it easier to view items in their proper light. A hammer may not spark joy but it definitely adds value to one's life. It's a more realistic question that takes more of the emotion out of decluttering.
Your sweater complements your coloring very well. You look great. ~ Lisa
Definitely hitting home on this one! Need to reprogram my thinking and re-assess the true value of everything in my house and life. Now if only you could help declutter my mind😁
Oh my goodness!!! My life is changed for eternity’s sake 🤗 Praise the Lord!
I’ve had the best day being released by the “things, encumbrances “ that were weighing me down and the sun is shining ☀️🌻💝😄
Thank you so much for sharing your passion and gifts 🎁
Listening to you really makes everything make sense. It’s so helpful to hear you talk through these things. Thank you!!!!!!! X
Thank you so much for this! I'm literally tearing up at how much this struck my heart. I've recently started watching your videos and you're helping me look at my "inventory " differently. The overwhelm, the struggle, the guilt and anxiety. The word minimalist scared me for a long time. But I finally opened up to a mom friend of mine about my struggles. She recommended you. And I am so grateful. Thank you again. I'm going slowly but it's helping me. And that means some much. ❤️
Once again, spot on and hitting it home. Thank you Dawn ❤️
Since I stated following you… this one phrase actually works best for me “Do I want to manage this?” But the “Is this serving me NOW?” That’s a definite second best for me.
When I get stumped sometimes I also think “how does this make me feel?”
I just told the cashier at my gas station about you and memory boxes. She has 4 kids. She's so excited to look up your channel tonight.
Thank you for these videos. Freeing myself of the material baggage from ex family members has changed my life. I know longer feel chained to a past of bad memories. Becoming a minimalist and removing the commercial materialism from my life has given me a true sense of contentment.
I am always amazed how you are able to have so much value in every video on this one main topic. Thank you!