Episode 174: Christine Platt

This week, Janine and Shannon are thrilled to present an interview with Christine Platt, author of The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less. Christine offers all sorts of great insights on the benefits of living with less, along with some ideas for getting there. (And we’re offering a giveaway of her excellent book!)

Discussion topics include:

• Christine’s relationship with perfectionism and how it was changed by motherhood
• The envy that perfectionists sometimes feel toward those who embrace good enough
• How having less stuff makes things easier
• How minimalist lifestyle is conducive to efficiency and productivity
• The energy expended looking for something that’s lost–and how Christine calms herself in those situations
• Minimalist wardrobes
• Christine’s suggestion of inventorying your wardrobe before paring it down
• The stark reality you face when you actually count your clothes (Christine discovered she had 50 pairs of jeans!)
• The thrill of bargain shopping (and trying to resist it)
• The liberation of less and the ways it can manifest itself
• The joy of being able to deep clean an entire house in two hours
• How living with less allows you to appreciate what you have
• Shifting your focus on what you’re gaining, not what you’re losing, when you embrace a minimalist lifestyle
• Minimalism: The gateway to living with intention
• There’s no cookie-cutter approach to living with less: The important thing is that it’s authentic to you
• Why dressers and drawers don’t work for Christine
• The powerful combination of authenticity and intention in Christine’s approach to minimalism
• Learning to say no to gifts from others + getting creative with your own gift giving
• Christine’s closing advice for perfectionists

Links:

• The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less
• The Afrominimalist website
• Christine’s Instagram account

Exciting News! We’re offering a giveaway of Christine’s book, The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less. (Both Shannon and Janine give it a thumbs up!) For a chance to win a free (print) copy, simply supply your name and email address in the form below. You will be automatically added to our mailing list so that you receive an email update whenever we publish a new episode. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)