wrote:
http://www.missminimalist.com/2011/08/declutter-your-fantasy-self/
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/francine-jay/declutter-your-fantasy-self_b_9785190.html
Here are two articles. Similar but.... It is stuff we have talked about here so I don’t know it is necessarily new, but I like refreshers. They help to get back in focus.
The one from miss minimalist made me chuckle a little bit. It helps to laugh at yourself a little.
@aprilskies
We've been discussing fantasy lives here for years. But it's nice to know that others are similarly afflicted.
Allow me to declutter, if you will, these two and merge the "good parts."
Do you have a fantasy self? And if so, how much of your clutter belongs to it?
All too often, we hold on to stuff because it represents who we think we should be, rather than who we are. Sometimes our fantasy selves are meant to impress others; sometimes they’re relics of our past; sometimes they’re fantasies about our future.
Whatever the case, it’s important to remember: acquiring stuff for your fantasy self doesn’t make it a reality. Most of the time, it only leads to a lot of “nice” clutter you never actually use.
Is your fantasy self…
* A culinary diva who has the pots, pans, gadgets, and gizmos to whip up any dish or confection under the sun…
when your real self would rather order takeout?
* A socialite with a closet full of cocktail dresses, with shoes and bags to match…
when the social event of your week is going to the coffee shop?
* A fitness guru with a treadmill, yoga mat, Pilates equipment, and a wardrobe of exercise clothes…
when the most rigorous workout you’ve had lately is taking the stairs?
* An all-star athlete with a garage full of sports gear…
when you’re more likely to catch a game on TV?
* A knitter/sewer/scrapbooker/woodworker extraordinaire with enough supplies to fill a craft store…
when you rarely ever complete a project?
* A DIYer with a workbench stocked with equipment and tools…
when you usually call a handyman if something breaks?
* A globetrotter with premium luggage and travel gear…
when you’d rather curl up on the couch and watch a Rick Steve’s DVD?
* A bigwig executive with expensive suits, silk ties, and luxury watches…
when you wear khakis and a polo shirt to work?
* A cello virtuoso with a library of sheet music…
when you haven’t picked up the instrument since high school?
* The trusted keeper of your family’s history and heirlooms…
when you’d prefer to shove those dusty boxes of junk in the attic?
Storing our fantasy selves’ stuff isn’t fair to our real selves—not only does it make us feel like failures, it takes away the space and time we could devote to uncovering our true passions and potential.
So as you’re decluttering, give the boot to your fantasy self and all its accessories—it’s not giving up on your dreams, it’s making way for real ones!
--
Our homes have such limited space - why should we have to allot so much of it to the belongings of someone who doesn't exist?
Well, that's the beauty of decluttering: we don't! We're empowered to evict that fantasy self and all her accouterments. It may seem cruel and heartless and difficult at first, but I promise you this - you'll feel a huge sense of relief when she's gone.
Getting rid of that stuff, and the expectations that go along with it, is a tremendous weight lifted from your shoulders. When your fantasy self's formalwear is gone, so is the pressure to attend fancy parties - or the disappointment that an invitation to one hasn't arrived. When your fantasy self's baking supplies are gone, so is the pressure to whip up a cake for everyone's birthday - or the guilt when you don't. When your fantasy self's hobby supplies are gone, so is the pressure to engage in activities you're not all that enthusiastic about.
When you let go of your fantasy self, you let go of a cascade of clutter - not only the physical baggage but the psychological baggage as well.
And what's there in its place? Space! Space in your rooms, your closets, your cabinets, your drawers, your heart, your mind, and your soul. Space to celebrate your real self, and explore your true passions and potential.
Such space creates a fabulous opportunity for self-discovery. When we express ourselves through consumer goods, we lose sight of who we are. Furthermore, we're so busy buying things, and paying for them, and organizing them, we have little time to ponder (or pursue) what matters to us most.
Decluttering gives us more than clean closets. It gives us clarity - for what we want to do, how we want to live, who we want to be. So go ahead, give the boot to your fantasy self and all her accessories. It's not giving up on your dreams, it's making way for real ones.
By Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify.
~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~
