I love the " Fantasy Self" videos. I think I've seen two or three others and they are such a good source for getting decluttering ideas. Plus it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has sorta been living in a "dream" world. Just Yesterday I was hit with realizing that just because I have a lovely tea service, I'm just never going to give tea parties and sit around being all proper and such. Plus all my friends and family would never be on board with it either. So, the Teaset stuff is going out the door. Loved seeing and hearing about all of your things, especially the cake & cookie decorating things. Plus Jake's gentle nudges in the past. LOL. Cheers.
Julie Mix, I've done sort of the opposite. I have got rid of all the crockery I don't love plus pots and pans that have seen better days. Instead I completed a vintage set I adore. My good man and I plan to sell our homes and buy a bigger home together, where we'll have space for a dining table and be able to invite friends round for lunch or dinner as we both love to cook. So I'm waiting to see how my fantasy self manifests before I purge items I really do think I'll use more until I see how things work out time-wise when we are both under one roof and not running around to each other's houses, doing two lots of housework and paying two lots of bills. That said, I am purging so much else like a woman possessed. I look at it and think who needs this much stuff?!
The books. A few years ago I donated so many books to the local library and it's time to revisit what's left. Some I know I'll never part with. But there are some I'm pretty sure I'll never read, or read again. Thanks for the motivation.
This is a great way to look at things. I have used the term "past self" for this use also. Sometimes the two meet, as in, "at one point in time I thought how fun it would be to make curtains for our home." My past self even got a sewing machine for Christmas one year! The current self is starting to think, "what were you thinking?!"
Our fantasy selves should get together and open a pastry shop. I have so many things for decorating cakes and cupcakes, but reality me doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and has baked (but not decorated) four cakes and zero cupcakes this year...
joy is not utility nor reality. it is a feeling but you can replicate that through simply taking pictures or seeing the same objects being used online or in google images. because something feels good does not mean it is good!
My fantasy self is an avid knitter who makes all her winter jumpers, wooly hats, scarfs and gloves, and makes some for her friends too. Hahaha, not going to happen. I only ever knitted one chunky scarf I actually liked. Now I just gave away my knitting machine to a local fablab. That way more people will get to use it and if I ever actually feel the impulse to use it I can always come visit and use it there. Not ready to get rid of my knitting needles yet, but I'll get there eventually. What's stopping me is I spent so much time learning the craft, it feels like a waste not to use the skill. I've gone through the exact same thing with a nut milk bag btw haha. Never even used it once. I only make oatmilk and it works perfectly with a good handmixer and a regular strainer, which I both use for a ton of other things.
Love this idea, so much of my clutter comes from ideas about my ideal self! Imho that white dress would be perfect, say, on your recent trip to Greece. :)
I found this video very helpful. I am in the process of decluttering and minimizing. I would say 80% of my clutter is due to my fantasy self aspirations. I had visions of homemade everything. Sausages, soap, canning, candles, clothes. Plus, I have a fantasy Donna Reed, so I have vintage clothing, mid-century collectibles, knick-knacks. Fantasy homeschooling....I have textbooks dating back to the 1920s from a one room school house, crafts, manipulatives, etc. This video will really help me to categorize my fantasy self from my reality self.
Oh, boy, this is a difficult one for me. I didn't know what it was going to be about, but it soon dawned on me what is meant by "fantasy self." (I thought maybe you were going to talk about getting rid of video games where you do fantasy role playing. LOL!) My fantasy self is a quilter. It would be really hard for me to give away all of my fabrics. I think that would feel like letting the dream die. Maybe I can start by thinning the piles and just getting rid of half of them?
Cheryl Fraunhofer hey Cheryl, I’m a quilter and have drastically reduced my stash and stopped buying anything except thread which I buy when I run out. I also have nine children aged 13 and under so my sewing times have to be planned and deliberate. If you decrease your stash your passion may return.
A very thoughtful video,I have to go over my kitchen again and the place I store maybe items thanks for this eye opening opportunity hi to Jake take care
Loved this video, so relatable on so many levels: the mat, the yoga clothes, the cookie cutters/cake stands, the clothes that don't fit well that I keep saying I will take to the tailor (or buy more clothes to pair them with something and actually wear them). Love your channel :D
What a great idea, for me it's books. My fantasy self is a great reader, reality self is not. Whether it's fiction or non fiction, I buy books in the spur of the moment. I'm trying to either go to the library or refrain myself from buying. I've already KonMari'd my books, but I think I will go back and do another check who of my two selfs wants to keep these books.
The Messy minimalist has some good insights , yes :) My fantasy self is an entomoligist :D Luckily it's only one microscope and a pair of binoculars , and two or three books, and they do bring me joy and it doesn't take a lot of space. The area I truly need to declutter is the "Designed by Me " boxes of clothes yet to be altered. I have given myself time until Januari 2018 and in the meanwhile not allowed to buy any type of clothing, wish me luck ;) Thank you so much for yet another fantastic video!
I'm so glad you liked the video! And I wish you luck on your clothing designs...I went through a phase like that where I thought I would fix some old clothes, but never did! :)
I'm watching this all the way through so I can go through the rationale with all my stuff... Especially things like the musical instruments I never play, ideal Sarah is in a band... Real Sarah can't sing or be bothered to practice!.. I've tried this a few times before and picked them up for a last play... Then they kept breeding! Such an interesting concept, the fantasy self.
Such a great video! You have such a compelling, nice and easy-to-like style and personality making these videos and I am going to go through your other videos. Question: Can you maybe say more about dealing with decluttering for someone going up and down in weight? The easy answer is to just get rid of anything that doesn't fit right now but the truth is that I don't really like the clothes I fit now - I just use them until I hopefully lose weight again (I have been going up and down +/- 10 kg a few times the last years). At the same time, I don't like the idea of storing a lot of clothes for changing sizes. Hmmm, not easy. Anybody any experience or great advice?
Thank you for all of the kind words, Susanne! You ask a very good question, and one that I probably should make a video about for more detail. As I was someone who has gone up and then down again in weight, my short answer is keep the smaller stuff, and as you move down in weight get rid of the bigger stuff. I guess a bigger question would be about if there are patterns you have noticed that lead to weight gain or weight loss for you?
A tip I picked up from What Not To Wear, regardless of your weight, always dress to your body and make sure your clothes fit well. Because you never know for sure if you will ever reach your ideal weight (any time soon). Go up a size if needed, don't squeeze yourself in something too small and don't hide yourself in something too big. Go to thrift stores, cheaper brands or friends and family to not break the bank while dieting. You deserve it to always look good / well-dressed regardless of your weight.
I loved this video. I just decluttered some books that I had around for years that I never got around to reading. I realized that I probably was not going to read them and that if I ever decide that I want to I can probably find them again at a thrift store or used book store for pretty cheap. I have a couple of dresses that I need to declutter as well because I am not comfortable wearing them any more. Are there videos about decluttering your past self out there? Have you made one of those?
Oh what a coincidence: I just got rid of my yoga mat on Tuesday. And in the last 6 weeks: 6 garbage bags of clothes and 5 car loads (chock full) of everything and anything to charity. I also sold a handful of small pieces of furniture online. I’m sure if I inspect even further there is more I can find and more under my nose if I’m ruthless with myself.
I have a ton of books and disney dvds i could do without ... but if i get rid of all of it, i’m going to have an entire wall thats going to be empty. I actually just decluttered it a bit, got rid of a whole bag of books that i have absolutely no intention of reading (or reading again) and i think thats a nice start and it doesnt look empty. If i ever need the space, they are easy to let go of, but the reality is we alreayd have a bunch of empty space ... which we filled with some firniture (still pretty empty) but the room feels a lot better. The thing is we decided that we don’t want kids and now we definitely didnt need an extra room, so we both have ‘offices’ now. Mine has a guestroom bed which i store my handbags under and bookcases, and his has an extra tv and couch. I do really like the rooms though. As for the cookie stuff, i have some cake things, but i actually bake cake regularly. I just never decorate it, but i also dont own decorating things so im fine in that department. I used to make little yarn crocheted animals, i still have the yarn, but i never actually do it.... i could probably get rid,of that, but its such a small box and as i said we have a lot of extra space, so as long as i dont need that space i dont think i will actually get rid of it.
I love this concept! My only suggestion is to think of secondary uses for things before you declutter them. Like the yoga mat could be used to planks or Pilates or even while you do cardio.. But yes, overall this video I agree with 100%
Here's a tip, if you have a large collection of books, DVDs, cds, albums, VHS, etc., before sending it out the door, take the time to make a spreadsheet of them. Now you have a record of their details. Then you can be fairly confident of locating any of those in the future, should a need arise. These that I have listed can be found via interlibrary loan if your local library doesn't have them, excluding old technology like record albums and VHS tapes. You probably won't look at the list. But it removes the tangible from the equation so you aren't looking at or able to touch those things in your personal space (regardless of where that is, i.e., garage, attic or bedroom bookcase), which I believe somehow normalizes they're presence in your living space, making tricky to permanently remove. JMHO.
Thank you, Jen! I'm not sure if you've watched the channel recently, but due to a few life changes I did gain some weight back over the last 2 years. I'm hopeful to make some changes going forward, but in the meantime there is no video.
Just found your channel! I'm curious about your other teaching channel, but I don't see it listed in the Channels section of your page. Or is it a private channel just for your students?
Thanks Megan! I need to add it to the channels section! It is called Mr. and Mrs. Social Studies and a link is: th-cam.com/channels/n5d_M6i5HvrHPQcTsj4Flg.html
Yeah.. YOGA.. my FANTASY person thinks it would be cool to say.. yeah.. I am headed to YOGA.. my real self.. went for a glass of wine to RELAX... same result.. different path.. so the YOGA mat will be donated.
The dress is so beautiful! I understand where you come from but the fantasy designer ( There I go again ;) ) in me is thinking of ways you could make into another piece of clothing LOL . It's okay to let go P.S> There is that video where you are wearing that dress so that's nice I think, a little digital memory :)
I think it's good to have a fantasy self, but if you don't achieve that fantasy in a reasonable time period than it is prolly time to let it go and move on. Always be improving! New sub here. I have been on my own decluttering journey for a long time now, and just recently joined TH-cam to help keep me motivated. I would love for you to check out some of my videos if you find the time. My clothes declutter video addresses this topic a bit without the same phrasing. One of the reasons I don't really agree with the kon marie method is that just because something brings you "joy" does not mean that you are using the item. I am much more practical when it comes to my decisions for keeping or letting go of an object. Use it or lose it!
I love the " Fantasy Self" videos. I think I've seen two or three others and they are such a good source for getting decluttering ideas. Plus it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has sorta been living in a "dream" world. Just Yesterday I was hit with realizing that just because I have a lovely tea service, I'm just never going to give tea parties and sit around being all proper and such. Plus all my friends and family would never be on board with it either. So, the Teaset stuff is going out the door.
Loved seeing and hearing about all of your things, especially the cake & cookie decorating things. Plus Jake's gentle nudges in the past. LOL. Cheers.
Great job on getting rid of the tea set! Jake is good at those gentle nudges haha...it holds me accountable! :)
Julie Mix, I've done sort of the opposite. I have got rid of all the crockery I don't love plus pots and pans that have seen better days. Instead I completed a vintage set I adore. My good man and I plan to sell our homes and buy a bigger home together, where we'll have space for a dining table and be able to invite friends round for lunch or dinner as we both love to cook. So I'm waiting to see how my fantasy self manifests before I purge items I really do think I'll use more until I see how things work out time-wise when we are both under one roof and not running around to each other's houses, doing two lots of housework and paying two lots of bills. That said, I am purging so much else like a woman possessed. I look at it and think who needs this much stuff?!
Im glad Im not the only one that hates to leave the house again when I get home from work👍
Yes!! Especially in the winter! :)
The books. A few years ago I donated so many books to the local library and it's time to revisit what's left. Some I know I'll never part with. But there are some I'm pretty sure I'll never read, or read again. Thanks for the motivation.
This is a great way to look at things. I have used the term "past self" for this use also. Sometimes the two meet, as in, "at one point in time I thought how fun it would be to make curtains for our home." My past self even got a sewing machine for Christmas one year! The current self is starting to think, "what were you thinking?!"
Past self is also a great way to think about it!
Oh my goodness! Fantasy self! This video helps so much and opens my mind in a new way. Thank you!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that, Andria! :)
I love this vlog. My fantasy self is a gourmet cook and card maker. I have so many cook books and craft items - it's inspirational clutter.
Our fantasy selves should get together and open a pastry shop. I have so many things for decorating cakes and cupcakes, but reality me doesn't have much of a sweet tooth and has baked (but not decorated) four cakes and zero cupcakes this year...
Haha let's do it! :) Happy to hear I'm not alone with the baking items!
This really made me laugh! I too think I'm a baker when really I only bake the pre made cookies from the store lol.
Yep, the Fantasy Self is such a great concept, especially for us KonMari-ers, as the KonMari method definitely does not protect against this.
Thanks for your comment, Veronica! That is a good point!
joy is not utility nor reality. it is a feeling but you can replicate that through simply taking pictures or seeing the same objects being used online or in google images. because something feels good does not mean it is good!
My fantasy self is an avid knitter who makes all her winter jumpers, wooly hats, scarfs and gloves, and makes some for her friends too. Hahaha, not going to happen. I only ever knitted one chunky scarf I actually liked. Now I just gave away my knitting machine to a local fablab. That way more people will get to use it and if I ever actually feel the impulse to use it I can always come visit and use it there. Not ready to get rid of my knitting needles yet, but I'll get there eventually. What's stopping me is I spent so much time learning the craft, it feels like a waste not to use the skill.
I've gone through the exact same thing with a nut milk bag btw haha. Never even used it once. I only make oatmilk and it works perfectly with a good handmixer and a regular strainer, which I both use for a ton of other things.
It sounds like donating the knitting machine to the fablab was a really great apporach, Isamoa! Thanks for sharing!
Love this idea, so much of my clutter comes from ideas about my ideal self! Imho that white dress would be perfect, say, on your recent trip to Greece. :)
I found this video very helpful. I am in the process of decluttering and minimizing. I would say 80% of my clutter is due to my fantasy self aspirations. I had visions of homemade everything. Sausages, soap, canning, candles, clothes. Plus, I have a fantasy Donna Reed, so I have vintage clothing, mid-century collectibles, knick-knacks. Fantasy homeschooling....I have textbooks dating back to the 1920s from a one room school house, crafts, manipulatives, etc. This video will really help me to categorize my fantasy self from my reality self.
I'm so happy to hear it was helpful!
Oh, boy, this is a difficult one for me. I didn't know what it was going to be about, but it soon dawned on me what is meant by "fantasy self." (I thought maybe you were going to talk about getting rid of video games where you do fantasy role playing. LOL!) My fantasy self is a quilter. It would be really hard for me to give away all of my fabrics. I think that would feel like letting the dream die. Maybe I can start by thinning the piles and just getting rid of half of them?
Cheryl Fraunhofer hey Cheryl, I’m a quilter and have drastically reduced my stash and stopped buying anything except thread which I buy when I run out. I also have nine children aged 13 and under so my sewing times have to be planned and deliberate. If you decrease your stash your passion may return.
Or..... By making a start on a quilt!
A very thoughtful video,I have to go over my kitchen again and the place I store maybe items thanks for this eye opening opportunity hi to Jake take care
I'm so happy to hear that, Badrool!
Oooh you convicted me on the yoga mat! I’ve only used mine a few times.
I'm glad to hear it! :)
Loved this video, so relatable on so many levels: the mat, the yoga clothes, the cookie cutters/cake stands, the clothes that don't fit well that I keep saying I will take to the tailor (or buy more clothes to pair them with something and actually wear them). Love your channel :D
Thank you so much, Madalina!
What a great idea, for me it's books. My fantasy self is a great reader, reality self is not. Whether it's fiction or non fiction, I buy books in the spur of the moment. I'm trying to either go to the library or refrain myself from buying. I've already KonMari'd my books, but I think I will go back and do another check who of my two selfs wants to keep these books.
This is such an insightful comment! I love the part where you said you much check which one of the two selfs wants to keep the books!
The Messy minimalist has some good insights , yes :) My fantasy self is an entomoligist :D Luckily it's only one microscope and a pair of binoculars , and two or three books, and they do bring me joy and it doesn't take a lot of space. The area I truly need to declutter is the "Designed by Me " boxes of clothes yet to be altered. I have given myself time until Januari 2018 and in the meanwhile not allowed to buy any type of clothing, wish me luck ;) Thank you so much for yet another fantastic video!
I'm so glad you liked the video! And I wish you luck on your clothing designs...I went through a phase like that where I thought I would fix some old clothes, but never did! :)
Oh, I can so relate!
I'm watching this all the way through so I can go through the rationale with all my stuff... Especially things like the musical instruments I never play, ideal Sarah is in a band... Real Sarah can't sing or be bothered to practice!.. I've tried this a few times before and picked them up for a last play... Then they kept breeding! Such an interesting concept, the fantasy self.
I can totally understand the musical instrument aspect of this! Thanks for sharing!
Such a great video! You have such a compelling, nice and easy-to-like style and personality making these videos and I am going to go through your other videos.
Question: Can you maybe say more about dealing with decluttering for someone going up and down in weight? The easy answer is to just get rid of anything that doesn't fit right now but the truth is that I don't really like the clothes I fit now - I just use them until I hopefully lose weight again (I have been going up and down +/- 10 kg a few times the last years). At the same time, I don't like the idea of storing a lot of clothes for changing sizes. Hmmm, not easy. Anybody any experience or great advice?
Thank you for all of the kind words, Susanne! You ask a very good question, and one that I probably should make a video about for more detail. As I was someone who has gone up and then down again in weight, my short answer is keep the smaller stuff, and as you move down in weight get rid of the bigger stuff. I guess a bigger question would be about if there are patterns you have noticed that lead to weight gain or weight loss for you?
A tip I picked up from What Not To Wear, regardless of your weight, always dress to your body and make sure your clothes fit well. Because you never know for sure if you will ever reach your ideal weight (any time soon). Go up a size if needed, don't squeeze yourself in something too small and don't hide yourself in something too big. Go to thrift stores, cheaper brands or friends and family to not break the bank while dieting. You deserve it to always look good / well-dressed regardless of your weight.
I loved this video. I just decluttered some books that I had around for years that I never got around to reading. I realized that I probably was not going to read them and that if I ever decide that I want to I can probably find them again at a thrift store or used book store for pretty cheap. I have a couple of dresses that I need to declutter as well because I am not comfortable wearing them any more. Are there videos about decluttering your past self out there? Have you made one of those?
I have not yet made a video about decluttering my past self, but that is an interesting idea!
My fantasy self is a great chef and that why I got tons of heavy cookbooks:(
Gosh, I can totally relate to this one!
Oh what a coincidence: I just got rid of my yoga mat on Tuesday. And in the last 6 weeks: 6 garbage bags of clothes and 5 car loads (chock full) of everything and anything to charity. I also sold a handful of small pieces of furniture online. I’m sure if I inspect even further there is more I can find and more under my nose if I’m ruthless with myself.
You are on a roll! Keep it up! :)
Abundantly Minimal thank you very much and thank you for sharing your journey and your helpful tips!
I love this! Forces us to be honest. :)
That is definitely true, Kim! Thanks for your comment!
Great tips ! 👍🏻
Thank you, Patty!
I have a ton of books and disney dvds i could do without ... but if i get rid of all of it, i’m going to have an entire wall thats going to be empty. I actually just decluttered it a bit, got rid of a whole bag of books that i have absolutely no intention of reading (or reading again) and i think thats a nice start and it doesnt look empty. If i ever need the space, they are easy to let go of, but the reality is we alreayd have a bunch of empty space ... which we filled with some firniture (still pretty empty) but the room feels a lot better. The thing is we decided that we don’t want kids and now we definitely didnt need an extra room, so we both have ‘offices’ now. Mine has a guestroom bed which i store my handbags under and bookcases, and his has an extra tv and couch. I do really like the rooms though. As for the cookie stuff, i have some cake things, but i actually bake cake regularly. I just never decorate it, but i also dont own decorating things so im fine in that department. I used to make little yarn crocheted animals, i still have the yarn, but i never actually do it.... i could probably get rid,of that, but its such a small box and as i said we have a lot of extra space, so as long as i dont need that space i dont think i will actually get rid of it.
I love this concept! My only suggestion is to think of secondary uses for things before you declutter them. Like the yoga mat could be used to planks or Pilates or even while you do cardio.. But yes, overall this video I agree with 100%
That is a great tip, Claire! Thanks!
Here's a tip, if you have a large collection of books, DVDs, cds, albums, VHS, etc., before sending it out the door, take the time to make a spreadsheet of them. Now you have a record of their details. Then you can be fairly confident of locating any of those in the future, should a need arise. These that I have listed can be found via interlibrary loan if your local library doesn't have them, excluding old technology like record albums and VHS tapes. You probably won't look at the list. But it removes the tangible from the equation so you aren't looking at or able to touch those things in your personal space (regardless of where that is, i.e., garage, attic or bedroom bookcase), which I believe somehow normalizes they're presence in your living space, making tricky to permanently remove. JMHO.
Hi Sarah, have you done a video about your weight loss? I’m definitely going to look through my stuff tomorrow for signs of my fantasy self 👍😁
Thank you, Jen! I'm not sure if you've watched the channel recently, but due to a few life changes I did gain some weight back over the last 2 years. I'm hopeful to make some changes going forward, but in the meantime there is no video.
@@AbundantlyMinimal thanks I’ve watched for a while now and I haven’t noticed at all, you look grand to me 🙂👍
Just found your channel! I'm curious about your other teaching channel, but I don't see it listed in the Channels section of your page. Or is it a private channel just for your students?
Thanks Megan! I need to add it to the channels section! It is called Mr. and Mrs. Social Studies and a link is: th-cam.com/channels/n5d_M6i5HvrHPQcTsj4Flg.html
Thanks! :)
Yeah.. YOGA.. my FANTASY person thinks it would be cool to say.. yeah.. I am headed to YOGA.. my real self.. went for a glass of wine to RELAX... same result.. different path.. so the YOGA mat will be donated.
Thank you for your comment, Colleen! You made me laugh!
LOL! Hilarious
The dress is so beautiful! I understand where you come from but the fantasy designer ( There I go again ;) ) in me is thinking of ways you could make into another piece of clothing LOL . It's okay to let go P.S> There is that video where you are wearing that dress so that's nice I think, a little digital memory :)
I think it's good to have a fantasy self, but if you don't achieve that fantasy in a reasonable time period than it is prolly time to let it go and move on. Always be improving! New sub here.
I have been on my own decluttering journey for a long time now, and just recently joined TH-cam to help keep me motivated. I would love for you to check out some of my videos if you find the time. My clothes declutter video addresses this topic a bit without the same phrasing. One of the reasons I don't really agree with the kon marie method is that just because something brings you "joy" does not mean that you are using the item. I am much more practical when it comes to my decisions for keeping or letting go of an object. Use it or lose it!
First! 😆
Woohoo! :)
Save the nut bag!!! For juicing!