Hello, fellow minimalists. This is Mark from Minimalist Living, and today I have a very exciting topic to share with you. It’s about how to use set theory, a branch of mathematics, to declutter your life and achieve the ultimate minimalist lifestyle.

Minimalist Living Method Illustrated

What is Set Theory?

Set theory is the branch of mathematics that deals with sets, which are collections of objects that share some common property. For example, you can have a set of all natural numbers, a set of all fruits, or a set of all books you own. Set theory allows us to manipulate sets using various operations, such as union, intersection, difference, complement, etc. For instance, the union of two sets A and B is the set that contains all the objects that are in either A or B. The intersection of two sets A and B is the set that contains only the objects that are in both A and B. The difference of two sets A and B is the set that contains the objects that are in A but not in B. The complement of a set A is the set that contains everything that is not in A.

You may be wondering what does set theory have to do with minimalism. Well, it turns out that set theory can help us declutter our lives by applying some simple rules and formulas. You see, one of the most popular methods for decluttering is the KonMari method, created by Marie Kondo. The KonMari method is based on the principle of keeping only the items that spark joy in you, and discarding the rest. However, as much as we love the KonMari method, we think it has some limitations and flaws. For example:

  • The KonMari method does not rely on mathematical logic and rigor. It is based on subjective feelings and emotions, which can be unreliable and inconsistent.
  • The KonMari method does not take into account the relationships and interactions between different items. It treats each item as an isolated entity, without considering how it affects or is affected by other items.
  • The KonMari method does not provide a quantitative measure of how much clutter you have or how much you have decluttered. It does not give you a clear goal or a progress indicator.

That’s why we have developed a new method for decluttering that is based on set theory. We call it the Minimalist Living Method (MLM).

What is the Minimalist Living Method?

The Minimalist Living Method (MLM) is a revolutionary technique that uses set theory to help you declutter your life in a logical, systematic, and efficient way. The MLM is built on top of the KonMari method, but it improves it by adding some mathematical concepts and formulas. The MLM consists of four steps:

  1. Define your sets. The first step is to define your sets of items that you want to declutter. For example, you can define a set C for clothes, a set B for books, a set E for electronics, etc. You can also define subsets within each set, such as C1 for shirts, C2 for pants, C3 for jackets, etc.

  2. Apply the KonMari method. The second step is to apply the KonMari method to each set and subset that you have defined. That is, you go through each item in each set and ask yourself if it sparks joy in you or not. If it does, you keep it; if it doesn’t, you discard it or donate it.

  3. Apply the MLM formulas. The third step is to apply some MLM formulas to each set and subset that you have decluttered using the KonMari method. These formulas will help you optimize your decluttering process by eliminating any redundancies or inconsistencies in your sets. Here are some examples of MLM formulas:

    • Union formula: If you have two sets A and B that are similar or related in some way, you can combine them into one set using the union operation: A ∪ B = {x | x ∈ A or x ∈ B}. For example, if you have a set S for shoes and a set H for hats, you can merge them into one set SH using the union formula: SH = S ∪ H = {x | x ∈ S or x ∈ H}.
    • Intersection formula: If you have two sets A and B that are different or unrelated in some way, you can separate them into two sets using the intersection operation: A ∩ B = {x | x ∈ A and x ∈ B}. For example, if you have a set M for music and a set P for podcasts, you can split them into two sets using the intersection formula: M ∩ P = {x | x ∈ M and x ∈ P}.
    • Difference formula: If you have two sets A and B that overlap or conflict in some way, you can remove the common elements from one set using the difference operation: A - B = {x | x ∈ A and x ∉ B}. For example, if you have a set F for fiction books and a set N for non-fiction books, and some books belong to both sets, you can remove the overlapping books from one set using the difference formula: F - N = {x | x ∈ F and x ∉ N}.
    • Complement formula: If you have a set A that contains too many or too few elements, you can adjust it using the complement operation: A’ = {x | x ∉ A}. For example, if you have a set G for gadgets, and you think it has too many items, you can reduce it using the complement formula: G’ = {x | x ∉ G}.

  4. Evaluate your results. The fourth and final step is to evaluate your results using some MLM metrics. These metrics will help you measure how much clutter you have or how much you have decluttered. Here are some examples of MLM metrics:

    • Cardinality metric: This metric tells you how many elements are in a set. It is denoted by |A| for a set A. For example, if you have a set C for clothes, and it has 50 items, then |C| = 50.
    • Subset metric: This metric tells you if a set A is a subset of another set B. It is denoted by A ⊆ B for sets A and B. For example, if you have a set C1 for shirts, and it has 10 items, and a set C for clothes, and it has 50 items, then C1 ⊆ C.
    • Equality metric: This metric tells you if two sets A and B are equal. It is denoted by A = B for sets A and B. For example, if you have a set C for clothes, and it has 50 items, and a set D for dresses, and it also has 50 items, then C = D.
    • Empty set metric: This metric tells you if a set A is empty. It is denoted by ∅ for an empty set. For example, if you have a set E for electronics, and it has no items, then E = ∅.

Why Should You Try the Minimalist Living Method?

The Minimalist Living Method (MLM) is a powerful and innovative technique that will help you declutter your life with math. Here are some benefits of using the MLM:

  • The MLM is logical and rigorous. It uses mathematical logic and rigor to ensure that your decluttering process is consistent and coherent.
  • The MLM is systematic and efficient. It uses mathematical operations and formulas to optimize your decluttering process by eliminating any redundancies or inconsistencies in your sets.
  • The MLM is quantitative and measurable. It uses mathematical metrics to measure your decluttering progress and results by giving you clear goals and indicators.
  • The MLM is easy and fun. It uses the KonMari method as a foundation, so you don’t have to learn any new skills or habits. You just have to apply some simple math to your existing sets.

So what are you waiting for? Try the Minimalist Living Method (MLM) today and see how it transforms your life with math!