The 2022 Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff Recap

By
Thank you, dear readers, for giving me so much appreciation and encouragement.  I've begun my 5th year of blogging, and I get more enjoyment from it each year!  Whether you've been with me from the beginning or arrived just now, I'm glad you're here.


Thank you for sharing Maximum Gratitude with your family and friends, on social media, and with links from your own websites.  This website exists because of your support, and I'm grateful for all of it.


To those of you who go the extra mile and purchase my books – you're my favorites.  You're who I think of most when I sit down to write.


New Year's fireworks over San Francisco



Lots of good news


Subscribers have grown by 75% since last January, which makes me happy.  This is the 106th post I've written this year, and a dozen of those posts were featured on Joshua Becker's site No Sidebar.com, including How a Naked Table Benefits My Life Every Day.  I've also become a regular guest author on The Simplify Daily.com, and the huge financial newsletter Apex Money.com, curated by J.D. Roth and Jim Wang, quoted from and directed their readers to several of my posts, including The Best Holiday Gift List I've Seen This Year.


I also published four books in 2022.  Check out my Amazon Author page for more information.


* This blog is reader-supported.  If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission.


Writing is fun for me, but it's also a lot of work and a challenge to my creativity and intelligence.  Without readers, it would be impossible to sustain the energy and commitment I bring to the task.  When you let me know via comments or an email (karen@maximumgratitudeminimalstuff.com) that something I wrote made a positive difference to you, you not only make my day – you give me a reason to keep trying.




Top 7 posts in 2022 as determined by readers


1.  I Already Have Enough

We live in a world that constantly pushes for more, yet most of us have tons of excess belongings and plenty of luxuries.  Can we learn to be content with enough?


2.  6 Questions to Ask Instead of "Does It Spark Joy"

How do you declutter when so many things seem to "spark joy?"  Instead of Marie Kondo's suggestion, ask better questions to reach your clutter-free goal.


3.  End Binge and Purge: 4 Ways to Break Free of a Shopping Addiction

We aren't truly decluttering if we simply remove something whenever we buy something new.  Here's how to escape the shop 🠆 purge 🠆 shop again cycle.


4.  4 Easy Steps to Create an Attractive Minimalist Wardrobe Now

A capsule wardrobe lets you buy less clothing that you can love and wear with ease.  This 4-step process is one tool for creating a minimalist closet.


5.  Simple Clutter-Free Habits to Do in Just a Minute

Develop habits that keep clutter and grime out of your home and enjoy a relaxing, clean space with less effort.  These simple tasks take just minutes.


6.  Improve Your Day-to-Day

Experiments teach us what works or doesn't work and what we might like to make a permanent part of our lives.  See how much peace and pleasure you gain by streamlining some daily tasks.


7.  Summertime Hygge: How to Increase Happiness During the Dog Days

Create happiness today with hygge, the Danish ideal of ease and contentment.  Not just for winter, you can find comfort during long, hot summers too.  (By the way, I really enjoyed researching and writing this post.)


sparklers


My personal favorite posts from 2022...


1.  How Minimalism Helps You Maximize Your Life Assets

We all possess a finite amount of money, time, energy, talent, and other life assets.  How can we make the most of them and gain the greatest happiness?  


2.  The Best Way to Clear Clutter (Plus 12 Steps to a Successful Spending Freeze)

To declutter once and for all, you must change your consumption habits and stop buying things that aren't necessary.  Here's how to resist the lure of consumerism.


3.  How to Uncover Your Treasures by Decluttering Your Keepsakes

Decluttering mementos and collections can be hard but worth it.  Enjoy a curated mixture of items as you create space and freedom for your life today and into the future.


4.  Why Your Wardrobe is Out of Control and How to Make It Better

Frustrated by your cluttered closet?  Find out why you buy so much, how to get what you need without shopping, and how to make your wardrobe workable.


5.  5 Questions to Answer When You're Trying to Minimize

Minimalism, with its promise of ease and freedom, sounds great.  But what does it actually look like, and what are some practical steps to get there?


6.  How Limits Help You Become More Creative

Abundance can block creativity, but limits enhance it.  When we curb our belongings and activities, we become more decisive, imaginative, and skilled.


7.  What Is Gratitude and Why Does It Matter?

Of course we feel thankful when something good happens.  But how can we feel hopeful and grateful when things don't go the way we want or need?




... and 3 oldies I think you'll enjoy


1.  Less is Not a Bore

A minimalist mindset helps clarify what you love and use, and accommodates many styles and tastes, including current trends like Cottagecore.


2.  How to Keep Your Friends from Enjoying the Benefits of Minimalism

Minimalism may have improved your life, but trying to nag, push, or guilt someone into decluttering will only drive a wedge between you.  Here's how you can inspire change.


3.  The Minimalist Ideal in a Nutshell: Less, but Better

Wanting to "get the most for the money" leads us to buy cheap unnecessary junk because it's available, not because it's really what we desire or need.  "Less, but better" is the perfect minimalist antidote.


Comments

  1. Lucy HJanuary 2, 2023 at 10:06 AM

    Thanks for all the thought-provoking, interesting articles in 2022. I always enjoy what you write. Have you / will you update us on the 2022 low-shopping-year-goal results? How did it go and what are your thoughts? Thanks and happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen TrefzgerJanuary 19, 2023 at 12:40 PM

      Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comment! I do have plans to share a quick update on my No Buy Year.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2023 at 7:14 AM

    Thanks for all your thoughtful and thought-provoking articles. I take something from all of them. Will you share more about your low-shopping year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen TrefzgerJanuary 19, 2023 at 12:45 PM

      I'm glad to hear my writing is useful to you. You inspire me to keep working! I do have plans for a quick update on my Buy Nothing Year - but maybe you missed the update I did last spring (it was after about three months of low shopping). It's here: https://www.maximumgratitudeminimalstuff.com/2022/04/buy-nothing-update.html

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

45 Useful Tips to Help You Responsibly Declutter Unwanted Items

By
Image
Do you ever drive down the highway or out on a country road and see someone's old couch or mattress?  When driving through the orchards and croplands around my town, I sometimes see stuff like this in an irrigation ditch.  I can't believe people do this, and leave it for the farmers to clean up or pay for disposal. Tossing stuff you no longer need or want into a dumpster isn't minimalism – it's the equivalent of littering , just like the people who throw things out on the side of the road.  It may seem simple, but it's not responsible or good for the environment. Unfortunately, some of what we remove from our homes is garbage , and there's no place for it but the landfill.  But when getting rid of clutter means mindlessly tossing it into the garbage, it becomes too easy to buy more and fill our homes up all over again.   By becoming more accountable, we change our minds about purchasing.  I believe that when you thoughtfully declutter, you'll become very sen
Read more

12 Tips to Try When You're Frustrated with Decluttering

By
Image
I won't sugar-coat it – decluttering is a hard job.  The more you're stressed and challenged by your home – the more you need the benefits that come with decluttering – the bigger the job probably is.  The advantages are real, but so is the frustration.  At times, you may feel tired, sad, or overwhelmed.  Letting go of stuff requires constant decision-making, and sometimes you'll need a break. And you deserve one!  You're not just decluttering, you're in the process of changing your mindset and your habits , and that's hard for anyone.  So when you feel like the job is too big, or that you should have everything under control, remember that no one has it all under control.  We're human, which means that we often have to learn the hard way.  But the victory will be even sweeter because you made it through the highs, the lows, and everything in between. When you feel like giving up, on decluttering or anything else, be gentle with yourself, and say goodbye to
Read more

Why You Should Make "Less is More" Your Mantra for Life

By
Image
Maybe you've heard the saying popularized by architect Mies van der Rohe in 1947:  "Less is more." It's an oxymoron – a phrase that seems to contradict itself.  Others include "old news," "open secret," "unbiased opinion," and "awfully good."  Or the lament, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." What does "less is more" mean?  It's wonderfully open-ended.  Answers to that are as varied as the people who reply.  Consider: Less anxiety, more peace. Less debt, more savings. Less busywork, more substance. Less clutter, more space. Less comparison, more contentment. Less sugar, more vegetables. Voluntary simplicity Back in the 1990s, a fair number of Americans realized that the continual quest for more and better was stressing them out and keeping them from creating lives of purpose.  After the consumerist binge of the yuppie-era 80s, some started wondering if the big house, flashy car, exotic vacation, and Rolex we
Read more

Why You Should Try Wearing the Same Clothes Every Day

By
Image
Wearing the same clothes every day would get boring, wouldn't it? A long time ago, I had a job that required a uniform, and I have to say it did make life easier .  I had three copies of my work outfit, and there was never a question about what to wear.  I never worried whether my clothes were stylish or "right," because everyone else wore the same thing. The same argument has been used in public and private schools in favor of student uniforms.  Rather than constant worries about fashion and comparisons and dress codes, a uniform makes everything simple.  It's one less thing to think about in the complex life of a student. Many people argue that clothes make a statement about who you are.  "I express myself through my clothes" is a comment I've often heard, usually from women.  The idea of a uniform scares them, because how will they make themselves noticeable or unique ? I think we might be imagining some sort of Handmaid's Tale society, where we
Read more

The Hygge Way to Clean and Declutter

By
Image
When I returned home from a weekend trip recently, I immediately unpacked my suitcase, washed a load of dirty clothes, and put everything away.  It made me feel settled and at home.  It was comfortable. A few days later, I felt a bit restless, so I set my writing aside and started cleaning.  I cleaned the refrigerator door and wiped the kitchen counters.  I swept the porch and mopped the floor in our small entry hall.  I decluttered a few old papers from my file box.  It felt good. Self-soothing with home care For me, cleaning, organizing, and decluttering are a form of self-care.  Tidying gives me satisfaction.  It makes me feel that I'm managing my life and ready for what's next. A hygge home isn't dirty.  It's not cluttered with garbage, dirty dishes, or things we never use or put away.  It's not covered in a thick layer of dust.  So don't decide that pouring a glass of wine, lighting a candle, and snuggling under a blanket is hygge, but running the vacuum is
Read more