Ep. 053 | Organizing

Joshua & Ryan talk about organizing material possessions. Watch “Maximal” episodes of The Minimalists Private Podcast exclusively at / theminimalists
Questions answered in this episode:
Once you’ve decluttered, how do you maintain your new minimal living space?
What are some good alternatives to paper planners for keeping your schedule organized?
What do you think of Marie Kondo’s method?
How do you declutter your digital collections?
Detailed show notes: theminimalists....
#TheMinimalists

[@donnabuckner2689]

As a professional organizer I spend a lot of time with my clients helping them make decisions about what to "let go". Some of the questions I ask.....Do you absolutely have to have it? Does it serve you in some way (this can include giving you joy)? Do you need to hold on to it for legal/tax reasons? I also help them separate the object from the memory. "Oh, my grandma gave me this when I was seven!" My question..."Did your grandma expect you to hold on to it for the rest of your life? If she were still alive and you asked her if she remembered giving it to you, do you think she would? I also help them understand that there's a trade off, you have to make space for everything you own (and off site storage is NOT a consideration/solution).

[@mrstiggywinkle]

I love listening to these whilst i do my housework. Keep them coming! Xx

[@CanadianMGTOW]

With minimal clothing on?

[@CrocaHead]

Dude

[@ZenDragoonYT]

@@CanadianMGTOW wtf.

[@hackedtechnothief]

The Minimalist have changed my mindset thank you thank you for the wonderful lessons

[@bryanwynn06]

Minimalism has changed my life for the better.

[@jc3teacher265]

Night before I light a candle, pour a glass of red wine, and write down my schedule. Works for me! Always great podcasts!

[@VisualMind]

Hey guys :) since it was Marie kondo who brought me to Minimalism I just wanted to say that the talks about the WHY too. She says you should draw or write down your ideal lifestyle - not just your living space but also the kind of feelings you want to have, the things you want to do etc. :)

[@PrairieGirlio]

While i agree that the Kondo methods may not be a good match for everyone, she does address the 'why' and has clients define what their ideal life would look like, and uses that vision to return them to their goal if/when they start to veer off course. She also encourages valuing the objects that are kept, in alignment with the clients' goals.

[@maureenbullis1805]

To make my day more intentional, I use the notes app on my iPad to write a simple to do list. I am an Etsy seller which means I make jewelry, photograph, list and market it, answer emails, package and mail products.... So I just give myself several things to do each day to stay focused. On that same list I may have other random things like make a phone call or organize something. I also list what I want to cook and what I want to clean that day. What doesn’t get done carries over to the next day. 😄

[@ArleneAdkinsZell]

I have always hated clutter and extra stuff, but had to clutter constantly, now I only have to declutter twice a year, I have really benefited from your talks about the meaning of minimalism and the why(s) behind clutter and minimalism.

[@threnodyeve]

A recommendation about photos storage: Google Photos uses machine learning and image processing to figure out what is in your photos. It's able to recognize the faces of your friends as well as objects and dates. It's excellent for finding photos when you have thousands and they are automatically backed up, so you don't have to worry about losing precious memories!

[@gusgrizzel8397]

It's good to keep a hard copy of your treasured photos. You can't always rely on things being there on the net someday.

[@SaraMartinez-zd1yt]

Love your site! I've been listening to you all day while I purged my master closet and it was a great motivator. Glad you ended up in Whitefish! Such a beautiful area to live. My mom is from Kalispell and I grew up in Libby.

[@Kamiele1908]

I truly love your podcasts!!! I definitely look forward to them..great job, guys!!!

[@mamapork]

@TheMinimalist I've been listening to your podcast almost everyday and I love the way you keep things interesting. May I suggest that all the voicemails that you play have better audio? Often times when I listen in the car or on my desktop, the vmail part is always really low in audio and I have to turn it up, but then when it goes back to your voice I get shocked how loud it gets again. Thought I'd let u guys know moving forward. Keep up with the podcast! Thanks for inspiring me to keep things simple for 2017. I'm on journey this year.

[@MariahKay]

I really enjoyed this podcast. I've been listening to these podcasts over the past few months, and I've gotten so much value out of it. Thanks for sharing your tips, advice, and knowledge with everyone!

[@carolduarte5157]

I enjoyed so much this podcast. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping others. I'm reading Everything That Remains and it's been amazing. I'm really trying to declutter and I'm getting there. I never read Marie Kondo's book but I watched a few videos to organize what I have left.

[@mayamartin7359]

11:25 I propose a second minimalist drinking game: get rid of something every time they use the word ‘pithy’ 😄

[@pinkroses135]

2:26 thats me 😂

[@jazmineramay4292]

As a personal organizer, I find that Marie Kondo is a great first step but it misses the psychological reason one holds on to everything and has a hard time letting go.

[@NataschaYT]

I always sing out loud with your intro/outro song. 😆

[@NataschaYT]

Also, people need to stand against you for quite some time before they can scan your cards in your wallet. So no worries!

[@pearl9831]

same here hahah ❤️

[@0ut1and3r]

can you please do a podcast on colorful minimalists..

[@Sky-Child]

When you talked about flour expiring it reminded me of my gran. She is a hoarder. She has spices and old dried food items in her garage which are about 20-30 years old. She keeps saying that they don't expire and are still useful (despite having numerous new ones in the cupboard) How do you get someone to face up to that? I have asked her why she keeps things and tried to get her to see rhat they are no longer useful and have great empathy for why she feels the need to hoard (she grew up in the war - lack was a daily thing) but we can't seem to get past that onto the letting go. Would it be wrong of me to get her to taste test these "no expiry date" herbs and spices so she can see that she is keeping jars of tasteless powder?

[@cpearl8403]

Of course, the phrase "spark joy" is a translation of Marie Kondo's Japanese phrase. It is stylish but doesn't quite capture the atmosphere of the original. The nightmare of translation...

[@patriciamarouvo]

Do you have a specific podcast dedicated to "advertising"? I'd love to hear something more in-depth about this!

[@relaxananda7056]

Patsy M Yes! I would love that too! 😊

[@krm6029]

shop your pantry for cooking meals more

[@PrairieGirlio]

Love your podcasts but can barely hear the questions....

[@aishwarya3813]

Together we are.... The miniMALIST

[@mustangeek]

Should see my backups process..

[@mariluzsampalo6096]

47:40 Im feeling it... Boxes, tins, baskets... to put things/stuff inside 😢

[@trailertrish]

Did Ryan mean to reference Mitch Hedberg? (File it under D for Donut) 😂 bc I always think they look alike! #RIPMitch

[@fpl_bailey]

25:56 you can still get a blackberry in 2019. Blackberry Key 2 is quite decent but a bit overpriced, since it's the only phone that has a full qwerty keyboard they bump up the price.

[@laynehowlett9869]

Saw an advert here, something wrong?

[@ZenDragoonYT]

Doesnt matter but im pretty sure stephen king used a typewriter

[@lisak603]

You may sound Seinfeld-ish, but Ryan sounds like Jon Lajoie. Lol

[@anthonyl2886]

Ive become a minimalist over the past few years but my wife and now daughter are the opposite and it drives me mad (I know I probably drive mad at the same time)

[@Tayenmadsen]

HE SOUNDS LIKE SEINFELD