Weniger, Aber Besser: The Goals

from Dansk Modern Kurnst

Moving to, living in, and moving from Europe changed so much of me and sometimes in unexpected ways.  Two of those were how it made me suddenly appreciate something that I really didn't like before - mid-century and modern design - and how it, through necessity, helped me realize how little you actually need.

We went to Europe with two suitcases each and left Europe with two suitcases each.  And in between, we managed to make a pretty comfortable, happy, and memorable life.

One idea that really encapsulated all this to me was noticing Danish homes.  Everything in them seemed so very deliberate.  Everything had a specific purpose or held an important memory.  And everything was quality.  Sure, you may not be able to afford a large apartment, but the one couch you had in it was going to show that you took pride in your home.  Another influence in the homes I saw was that people prioritized experiences over things.  Hobbies were showcased - someone interested in cooking would have a very nice chef knife, for example.  But only one, because that's all you need.  Weniger, aber besser - Less, but better.

I saw so many versions of this kitchen....  (from webstash,no)

I've always been an underbuyer, someone who only shops when it's absolutely necessary.  But along with being an underbuyer, I also was usually a cheapskate.  Sometimes this was just out of necessity, sometimes it was because I frankly didn't know there was any other option.  What it got me were just a few not-nice things that broke or frayed quickly and meant I had to go shopping again much earlier than I would have liked.

In Europe, I mostly stayed the same when it came to clothes and household goods - mostly because I had no idea where to shop (so many store brands, so little cultural knowledge of what they mean and so little desire to spend the time to find out in a language I couldn't speak!) and because I knew we weren't sticking around so why get a nice frying pan?

But I read a lot and reevaluated my priorities and sort of committed myself to, when we finally found a place to settle in a bit more, honor my underbuying personality but be sure to do it now with purpose, design, and quality.  Keep the "Weniger" side of me strong, but make sure I always remembered the "aber Besser" part.

I've already started - this time with my clothes.  By the time we got back to the states, all my clothes were either highly inappropriate for the tropical jungle we moved to or were just kind of ratty and not my actual size.  SO in July I essentially donated my entire closet, minus a pair of pants, two t-shirts, and a skirt (had to wear something in the meantime) and started to use some money I'd been saving for this very purpose to rebuild a 30-40 piece wardrobe from scratch.  At last count, I was around 29 pieces, all at a quality that means they will last, and feeling like getting much else was going to be a little excessive.  Weniger, aber Besser.

This month, I want to take that phrase into some other aspects of my life and see how it goes.  It's been hard to choose goals for such a broad idea - goals that are concrete, I mean.  But here are my initial ideas (subject to change before Monday when I start with them for real).

Daily

Use my internet Weniger, aber Besser.  :-)  I already have a blocking program (StayFocusd) that I've used for half a year now that kicks me off of any social network or even news site after a total of 30 minutes each day.  I feel pretty good about keeping that going.  What I want to focus on more is my email - too often I check and check and check it but I always manage to put off responding because I feel like I don't have the time.  So, for the month, I will plan on using thirty minutes max during each of Hadrian's naps to check, read, and immediately respond (or at least start a draft) to emails I get.

I know, I know.  Seems like such a little goal.  But I actually think it will be really hard for me, so I don't want to try and ask too much of myself.

Weekly

Do a final weeding of all our belongings before we move into our house in December.  Each week focus on one of the following:  *Bedrooms and Baby stuff    *Kitchen and bathroom stuff  *Storage stuff (books, decorations, games, etc.)    Have things sorted, repacked, and donated/thrown away by Thursday afternoon.  This is mostly a Weniger thing, but I hope it will make it easier to figure out if we need to replace anything with something Besser.  Also, even though it's one of Paul's nightmares, I actually love getting rid of things.  So I'm looking forward to culling. (Plus, if it means three fewer boxes we have to move in December, it's worth it!)

Monthly

Get a haircut.  Haha, but seriously.  I need less hair, but better hair.  And I need to do it now so I can figure out how to take care of it quickly in the mornings.  So sometime this month I'm getting a haircut.  And I'm going to get it done at a nice salon (aber Besser!).  And take time to find and print out some pictures of what I want before I go and make the mistake of saying, "Ehhhhh....I don't know.  Less but better?  Surprise me!"