Simplified Sundays ~ 30 Days To Minimalism
Life is complicated. Whichever way you look at it, there are constant obstacles, pressures, expectations and it can be overwhelming. I’m a strong believer in controlling the controllables, and if there is a way that things can be simplified, I think it is worth applying. Whether this is physically or mentally, I would argue that simplification is a huge way to relieve stress and make life easier.
With this in mind, I want to start writing a series here on Madolyn Thinks called Simplified Sundays, to share ways in which I have simplified and in turn, made my life a little less complex.
The first of these Simplified Sundays posts is around minimalism, more specifically de-cluttering possessions and items in the home. I’ve put together a 30 Days To Minimalism Guide, which is a breakdown of various different categories to sort through and minimise. I really feel that having and owning less ‘stuff’ simplifies things greatly. There is less choice, less cleaning, less tidying, less organising and fewer distractions. It also means you have more time, more space and clearer surroundings, which in my mind equals simplicity.
Some of these categories are larger than others, and some may take you no time at all. But I’ve split them up into days so that in theory you can greatly simplify your belongings over the course of a month
Wardrobe
Day One: Wallet/handbag
Day Two: Underwear/socks/pjs
Day Three: Clothes
Day Four: Coats/jackets
Day Five: Shoes
Day Six: Accessories
Day Seven: Linen and towels
Beauty
Day Eight: Makeup
Day Nine: Skincare
Day Ten: Beauty products
Day Eleven: Hair products
Office & Livingroom
Day Twelve: Junk draws
Day Thirteen: Books
Day Fourteen: Paperwork/life admin
Day Fifteen: Ornaments
Day Sixteen: Electricals
Day Eighteen: Digital Media ie cds/dvds/games
Day Nineteen: Paper media ie magazines/newspapers/post
Kitchen & Bathroom
Day Twenty: Kitchen appliances
Day Twenty One: Crockery/cutlery/pots & pans
Day Twenty Two: Bathroom cabinet ie medical supplies etc
Day Twenty Three: Cleaning products
Misc
Day Twenty Three: Sentimental items
Day Twenty Four: Photographs
Day Twenty Five: Hobbies ie camping gear, musical equipment
Day Twenty Six: Work
Day Twenty Seven: Boxes - of old items and the instruction manual
Day Twenty Eight: Seasonal items ie hats/umbrella/picnic gear
Day Twenty Nine: Car
Day Thirty: Travel items I.e. suitcases/bags/adapters
Welcome to Madolyn Thinks... Again!
I feel as though blogging is a fairly reflective process. Over the years I have shared various elements of my life here on Madolyn Thinks from shopping hauls, to fashion must haves with a few travel diaries thrown into the mix. Lately however I feel as though I have turned a page and begun a new chapter of my life. I have grown a lot in recent times and I feel as though one of the reasons Madolyn Thinks has become a neglected aspect of my life is because I lost a real passion for it. The problem I faced is that I no longer felt that it was reflective of myself now, despite my continuation of love for both writing and photography. My focus, lifestyle, thought processes and everything in between has shifted, and the topics of my previous posts don’t seem to represent me as a person anymore.
I have used some of the lock-down period to take some time to reflect on Madolyn Thinks and figure out what it is that I want the focus to be. In the past I have really enjoyed having this space and being able to use this platform as a creative outlet and want to continue to do so. With this in mind, I would like to introduce a new wave of Madolyn Thinks, or the next chapter as it were. My plan is to archive some of my older content and move forward with posts which align more with my current mindset.
I still want to incorporate my interests of travel and reading, as well as my love for beauty and fashion on Madolyn Thinks, but I would also like for there to be more of a focus and a deeper intent to my writing. Madolyn Thinks will still remain a personal blog, however I want to use this space to share learned experiences and practices that I have adopted into my life. The notion of minimalism and intentional living is something that has been learning about for the last four or five years. This has only intensified over the last year or so, as I have applied it to most aspects of my life.
As well as there being much more of a focus on minimalism, intentionality and tips on simplified living, there are also a few more minor tweaks to Madolyn Thinks. There are some new elements including a ‘Book Club’ page, as well as a few new tabs at the top for some series/topics that I have scheduled to write about. These include Simplified Sundays, Resources, Capsule Wardrobe and more. I am also going to change the scheduling of my blog posts, publishing content on Wednesdays and Sundays each week.
I’m really looking forward to getting back into blogging and I’m excited about how Madolyn Thinks may develop. So here’s to moving forward and trying something new!