Years ago, I embarked on a cleaning spree I dubbed The Great Purge. I spent weeks shredding credit card statements from the Clinton and Bush years. Books I couldn’t finish were placed in Little Free Libraries, kitchen gadgets I rarely used found new homes and clothes I hadn’t worn in years were stuffed inside donation bins. The more items I took out of my house, the more I understood why “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo sold 1.5 million copies.
If doing more with less is something you want to learn more about, the Library has shelves of resources that will help you begin your own Great Purge.
Everything that remains : a memoir by The Minimalists
Joshua Fields Millburn
158.1 /Millburn
Nonfiction, Memoir
What if everything you ever wanted isn't what you actually want? Twenty-something, suit-clad, and upwardly mobile, Joshua Fields Millburn thought he had everything anyone could ever want. Until he didn't anymore. Blindsided by the loss of his mother and his marriage in the same month, Millburn started questioning every aspect of the life he had built for himself. Then, he accidentally discovered a lifestyle known as minimalism...and everything started to change. That was four years ago. Since, Millburn, now 32, has embraced simplicity. In the pursuit of looking for something more substantial than compulsory consumption and the broken American Dream, he jettisoned most of his material possessions, paid off loads of crippling debt, and walked away from his six-figure career.
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus thought they were living The American Dream. They had high-paying jobs and homes filled with things, but it wasn't until they gave everything up that they found the happiness that eluded them.
- Meredith
Real life organizing : clean and clutter-free in 15 minutes a day
Cassandra Aarssen
648.5 /Aarssen
Nonfiction, Self Help
Declutter your way to happiness and peace of mind. Are you constantly cleaning up and clearing away clutter? Do you feel overwhelmed by your stuff? Whether you live in a studio apartment or a large house, we all face the challenge of staying organized so we have a tidy home that feels welcoming, peaceful and calm.
This is a great book for those who want to get organized, but quickly lose interest in projects.
- Meredith
Let it go : downsizing your way to a richer, happier life
Peter Walsh
648.9 /Walsh
Nonfiction, Self Help
The need to downsize often arises at a momentous life change, whether you're an empty nester, a newlywed blending households, or cleaning out your parents' property after they've moved into assisted living. Walsh knows that making decisions about mementos and heirlooms creates strong emotions and sometimes sibling rivalries. But he believes it should be a freeing, rejuvenating process. Here he presents tips and practical takeaways to help you identify the objects that will bring you real happiness, and let the rest go.
Peter Walsh explores the emotional challenges that can accompany downsizing and helps readers develop strategies for making choices that fit their life goals.
- Meredith
Minimalism : a documentary about the important things
DVD 158.1 Minimalism
Nonfiction
How might your life be better with less? Minimalism examines the many flavors of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life--families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker--all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less.
This documentary is great introduction to anyone curious about the minimalism movement, but is overwhelmed by the information available at the Library and online.
- Meredith
New minimalism : decluttering and design for sustainable, intentional living
Cary Telander Fortin
648.8 /Fortin
Nonfiction, Home
The decluttering craze meets a passion for sustainable living and interior design in this gorgeous new book for readers of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. This book promises an opportunity for self-reflection and lasting change, by getting to the bottom of why we've accumulated too much stuff in the first place, therefore allowing us to transform our lives. Professional decluttering and design team Cary and Kyle of New Minimalism will take you through every step, from assessing your emotional relationship to your stuff to decluttering your home to then turning it into a beautifully designed space that feels clean and tidy without feeling sparse or prescriptive. And all of this without filling up a landfill--you'll find resources and strategies to donate and reuse your stuff so you don't have to feel guilty about getting rid of it!
A great book for those who want to live with less, but not add to the earth's landfill in the process.
- Meredith
This may sound similar to “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” but while Marie Kondo is an organizing guru, Fumio Sasaki is an ordinary guy who decided enough was enough. He got rid of everything he didn’t need and discovered a new way to live.
- Meredith