During Golden Week, we decided to take advantage of our smaller team to brainstorm about re arranging our space and getting the most out of it. As a convinced minimalist, I think this is something everyone should do once in a while. Because clutter makes us forget the importance and the value of what surrounds us.

After this, our environment felt brighter, more spacious, the room can breathe more and I feel much happier!

During our cleaning session, we found spare scissors and another pair of spare scissors. A “spare of the spare”, can you imagine?

We let things take some physical and mental space right now, “just in case” they would be useful in the future.

You may think that these items may be useful in the future. You are absolutely right! Let’s try to focus on the present and not on what may be in the future because: “Just in case” is an awful friend.

Let me share one basic principle:

“The more you own, the more it owns you.”
-Henry Rollins

The people around you affect your well-being depending on their behavior and overall presence. It is very likely that you wouldn’t want someone around you with a negative energy. It is exactly the same with the things that you allow in your personal space.

Your items are affecting your well-being. They not only take some of your personal space, but they also take A LOT of your mental space. You need to pay attention to your decorative items for example. Is this dolphin sculpture gifted to you at 9 something you want to care about every single day of your life? (True story: I kept on cleaning and repairing it for 13 years…) They may also remind you of someone, or some situations that you may not want to be reminded of every day.

As Marie Kondo would say, ask yourself “Does it spark joy?”. If not, maybe you should consider giving it away.

You may wonder … what is the link between decluttering and learning English?

Well, by paying attention to the things surrounding you, you can create a great learning atmosphere. You can choose to be surrounded by things motivating you. (Books, flowers, a picture of your next destination…) And less by things distracting you. (TV, toys, food…)

Two things I strongly recommend you NOT to be a frugal with are knowledge and experiences.

Things don’t remain, knowledge and experiences last forever.