A Minimalist Secret: Your Stuff Is Talking To You! | Silent To-Do List
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- I recently embraced minimalism and decluttered my entire apartment. In the process, I discovered a minimalist secret: your stuff is talking to you!
I first learned about this concept in the book “Goodbye Things” by Japanese minimalist Fumio Sasaki. He calls it the silent to-do list.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed, just looking at all the stuff you’ve surrounded yourself with?
Maybe you weren’t conscious of what was causing it, but you just felt a sense of dread, a lack of inspiration as you looked around.
Well, I recently had this insight. Like a light bulb went off in my head.
Every item that you allow in your space isn’t just an inanimate object. On the surface, it is. But everything that captures your attention leaves an imprint on your brain. Especially the things you see on a daily basis.
And with those things, it’s as if they take on a personality. They want to be cared for. If they are neglected, their message only becomes louder.
The silent to-do list consists of all the messages our stuff sends us. Like the messy desk, which wants to be organized. Or the dishes that need cleaning.
A long silent to-do list affects our ability to focus. So, is the goal to end up with an empty silent to-do list? No. As long as you have things, there will always be items on your silent to-do list. But by cutting down on our possessions, you eliminate tasks from the list. And once you’ve stripped all the clutter away, it will become easier to prioritize the messages that remain. And you will now also be rewarded with positive messages, ones of appreciation!
0:00 - Introduction
1:15 - Silent to-do list
1:56 - With fewer silent to-do’s, it’s easier to focus
3:52 - Positive silent messages
4:43 - Shape your environment, or it will shape you
- BOOKS MENTIONED IN VIDEO -
• Fumio Sasaki - Goodbye, Thingsa.co/d/btaSacV
• Benjamin Hardy - Willpower Doesn't Worka.co/d/2EdALHl
• James Clear - Atomic Habits: a.co/d/bTHhDIM
- LINKS -
☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
♪ TikTok: / slowlivingminimalist
🖼 Posters: iampetercook.gumroad.com/l/po...
💻 Try Skillshare for free for 1 month: www.skillshare.com/en/r/user/...
📚 Interesting books to read:
• Stoicism For Beginners: a.co/d/hPU8GTX
• Minimalism 101: a.co/d/bJkA6Lt
• Declutter Your Life: a.co/d/carqttB
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
What is on _your_ silent to-do list?
“Oh thank you … we look so organized” … lol 😂
😅
I have a beat up post it note that says “slowly”, love your sign. A lot of really good tips and positive reinforcement. Thank you!
Today i wanna thank you, Peter, for giving me inspiration. Eventually i organised my home space after many weeks and even monthes of struggling. I was not really decluttering, because i have already been a minimalist to a certain degree and didnt have much items at home at all, it mostly supposed to be weekly chores, and i neglected them week by week, because of lack of free time ( and prioritizing some other activities above chores) and depressed mood, you now...So it was just mess in my apartment like clothes being everywhere instead of keeping itself in closet or so, and it made my mood even worse- exactly what you were talking about in this video.
So i watched your channel both to practice english and get incentives for organising my living space. And it worked immediately, when i was listening to you:). So since yesterday my room is spacious and only things i need daily are visible, all the rest stuff that i need not so often is being kept out of my sight in closets.
🙏 I like fun videos, done with serious sentence 🙏
I am an ”old” female, lives in a ex work vehicle/new camper van in Sweden. I still struggling with tooo much small useable parts from the apartment I used to lived in.
I am an collector of tools... some day you need them... hrmfff
...and sewing stuff... and pencils, rubbers, scissors, artpaperssss... BUT
Just when I were eating my meal AND looked at your video... just watched the dates of the spices. So 5 spice jars are now thrown away. Will not replace them😁😁😁
That's a great start! I can totally relate. That's how we justify keeping all that stuff we don't really need: _"One day, I may need it"_
It reminds me of the packing party The Minimalist talk about. Perhaps you can try it. They pretended that one of them was moving, so they put all his stuff in boxes. After 3 weeks, 80% of his things were still in there. So he donated or sold all of it. Here's a blog article about it: www.theminimalists.com/packing/
Loved this! Have known about the silent to do list for some years, but have never thought of it as a positive thing! That they can give out words of encouragement sort of, that one I really like. It makes me more observant of the things I’ve done in this process with decluttering, and not just focus on the things I still haven’t been able to part with.
Well said! Essentialism is it rather than minimalism!💯🔥
Indeed! Thanks for watching 🙌🏻
You are such an inspiration and a very effective advocate for simple focussed living.
Thank you so much, Julian! 😉
You put into words what I've been feeling after the holidays! Feels like our home is talking to me, telling me it needs to breath. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! Good luck with removing a few items of your silent to-do list 😀.
That's a good idea to put your yoga mat out the night before! I might try that!
Good luck with that, Jessica! 🙌🏻
This is the cutest video Peter, love it ❤❤❤
Glad you liked it, I enjoyed making it! 😀
Your videos are full of informations but you explain so well ! Thank you !
Thanks for the kind feedback, Madie!
So much of the good stuff in the video! ...thank you, Peter!
Glad you enjoyed it, EM! 🙌🏻
That was such a great video!! Very helpful and informative as well as entertaining! Thanks for sharing, it really helped and although I have heard of the silent to-do list before, the way you presented it just made it click for some reason. Thanks alot!!😊
You're welcome Ghada, glad it was helpful and entertaining 😉!
Thank you Peter! This was a great reminder.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, Peter! Please keep them coming!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
This video is rlly inspirational! Thank you! ☺️
Glad you liked it!
been watching all your videos since yesterday. it's very useful and informative Thank you
Glad you like them!
Thank you Peter! This video made me smile…. Yes those items that talk to me are annoying! (But yours are funny)
I really needed to hear this, as I am decluttering my parents’ home. They have passed away, and I just sold it and now need to decide what to keep . This is not an easy task as they were in their 90’s, so there was a lifetime of things in the house. I also need to declutter my own place as I am moving to another city. Your video has inspired me, and now I feel it will be easier for me to make decisions about the ‘stuff’. Wonderful points Peter, and I like the little Tottoro! All the best, from a fan in Canada, Laura
Thanks so much, Laura! I'm really happy to hear that you found it helpful. Sorry to hear that your parents passed away. It reminds me of the story that Joshua Fields Millburn (of The Minimalists) tells about having to go through his mom's stuff after she passed away. Don't know if you're familiar with it, he talks about it in the Netflix documentary 'The Minimalists', but you can also read about it here: www.theminimalists.com/sentimental/. Good luck with decluttering!
Makes perfect sense 💡
It does, doesn't it? ✨
Excellent video! 😃👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you! 😃
Thank you again
You're welcome, Alexander! 🙌🏻
Yes! I've made a poster saying slow down😊
That's a great start to live a slower lifestyle 🙌!
Great video! Thank you so much :) inspired!
Thanks, Monika!
@@IAmPeterCook Na-ah, thank YOU! Yesterday, after watching your video, I got rid of 2 belly dance belts, that had been hanging next to my bed. I picked up this hobby for a bit and quickly realised that I hate arabic music. So each time I looked at them (everyday) they'd say 'you should totally try again, you'll like it' :D Oh my god, it was so stressful! You set me free XD!
@@moniashek2137 Ha that's a funny story, I'm getting anxious just reading it 🤣. Glad that you made the decision and set yourself free 🙌
If it weren't for those silent messages, who else would talk to me 🤷♀️
Aw, I hope it's not just stuff at home that's talking to you 😉!
So much is on a to do list
Yep!
Very cool, Peter! Have you thought of a podcast?
Maybe one day, Traian! 🎙
@@IAmPeterCook Your style is captivating. Good luck man! BTW check W. Irvine Guide to good life. Cheers!
@@traianturcanu216 Thanks Traian!
I am struggling to understand this Silent to do list. Do I get rid of my clothing and dishes so I don’t need to deal with them?
All my books are like “read me, read me, why won’t you read me?”
Ha, I can relate 😅
Mine too!! I've started getting rid of them. No one needs that judgement in their lives!! 🙂
Peter, i would like to ask you about your framed word "slow". Dont you get used to it so that it doesn't work anymore? I tried using this trick a couple of times with different ideas or habits i wanted to implement. For instance, when i wanted to implement those silent breaks with doing nothing, you talked in one of your videos about, i put a sheet of paper somewhere in my room , where i could see it easily and frequently enough. And i wrote there "make a break". Ok, it really helped two or three days but later i gradually got used to it and started to percept it like not more than just furniture. Now i try to deceive myself by moving this sheet of paper from one place to another once in a few hours).
Great question, Helen! I do get used to it actually, days will go by where I don't notice it at all. And then there are times when I do a cardio routine at home and I'm seeing that framed word "slow" and I'm like I don't want to go slow, I'm doing a workout haha! I guess it goes in waves. I feel that when I'm going too fast for too long, at some point it will catch my eye again and signal to me I need to slow down. This happened to me recently. Also, at the moment I am considering replacing it with something from Visualize Value (instagram.com/visualizevalue/), I really like the simplicity of their illustrations.
Are you collaborating with the minimal mom?
Nope, but who knows, maybe one day 😉