Next...

 

 Leo Babauta...that's what's next, is right now, and  has been for the past four months!

 I stumbled upon his blog last spring and soon after acquired one of his books. I loved reading his take on simplifying. Whether your looking to declutter your house, your schedule, your mind or your entire life, he's got some great suggestions about where to start and how to stay motivated. 

 

I was so inspired by his words of wisdom....

 

 

 ...that I soon after purchased several more of his books. I know, I know not exactly a progressive step in the simplification process on my part. But then neither were those endless to-do lists I created in relation to my cottage quest endeavor. That's not to say the seeds of a more minimalist mentality had not been planted however.

 

 

I'm fairly certain they were planted. Planted quite firmly in fact and that they merely needed a nudge to sprout. Thanks to last week's pillow progress they did. 

 

 

So what happened after I threw out all those lists?

I made a new list. But, not before I fully embraced these words from Leo.

 

Simplify your list down to the barest of

essentials, and you can eliminate the need

for complex planning systems.

 

Easier said than done that's for sure but after several days of contemplation on what was essential and multiple edits of the list it now looks something like this.

 

 

PROJECT COTTAGE QUEST

 

1.stop buying stuff

2.declutter the stuff you have

3.pare down paperwork

4.refresh the house one room at a time

5.develop an upkeep routine

 

Now to stick to it...