Let’s talk about something near and dear to my heart.
That’s right, minimalism!
A few years back, I had so many things in my house that I don’t remember even purchasing.
And before you ask, no.
Minimalism isn’t all about decluttering.
Minimalism is a lifestyle that you consciously choose to do.
So let’s talk about it.
Definition of Minimalism (For Me)
Minimalism, for me, is effectively using the things that you need to the fullest.
I choose to get the stuff that I need for my day-to-day and not go beyond that.
Of course, minimalism has a specific meaning that means spareness or simplicity.
A Conscious Choice
As I said earlier, it’s a choice that you have freely chosen to have fewer things around your home.
This way, it removes all unnecessary things that you don’t really need around your space.
All of the things that you have serves a purpose.
Do away with thinking of ‘more is better.’
(Because that’s not always the case.)
Becoming Less Materialistic
When I’ve gotten the hang of owning fewer possessions.
Naturally, I pivoted towards my clothing.
And let me tell you, it wasn’t so easy at first.
That’s why I’ve gone ahead and started to create my own capsule wardrobe just for this reason.
Not only that, but by being less materialistic overall.
You don’t need to have everything that’s brand new and distracts you from what matters most to you.
No more hype trains, no more unnecessary spending, and finally, get in touch with your own wants and needs.
Stableness and Reliability
(This is for my fellow overthinkers out there)
Choosing a minimalist way of living can be a calming effect on you.
Why?
The reason being is you know that all the things you have, again, serve a purpose.
You don’t need an X amount of this or that because what you chose is as reliable as the next best thing.
Or when it comes to living, you’ll always have that constant no matter what life brings you.
You know that by being as minimal as possible, it will still work for you.
And excess? It just goes out the window because that’s not how you choose to live.
Common Misconceptions of Minimalism
Almost everyone already knows the word minimalism.
(But not everyone understands it.)
I’ve had to deal with people who seem confused about the lifestyle that I’ve chosen and I just love answering their questions.
(No, really, I do.)
A Rulebook For Minimalism
Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t really one.
Sure, there are ways to start and how to live it.
But minimalism is truly a unique experience for each individual.
The only thing that you can say that’s similar for each person is that they have fewer possessions.
But, their way of minimalism might not work for you and vice versa as they might have different goals or choose a different way of living altogether.
As for me, I prefer living a minimalistic life because it suits my personality and makes me more honest about myself.
Not Having Nice Things Anymore
(This one really lets me give out a chuckle most times)
It doesn’t mean that having a minimalistic lifestyle, you’re not going to be able to enjoy nice things.
On the contrary, the things you choose already are nice because they fit a purpose in your home.
And I’ve always gone for quality over quantity before switching my lifestyle to a minimalistic one.
Having quality gear, clothes, appliances, etc., is always my preferred way.
Make a checklist of what you really need, and start from there.
Quality items can save you more money in the long run as it lasts longer and ages better.
(Feel free to keep things that have sentimental meaning, of course)
A One and Done Change
Once you choose to go minimalist, the things that you improve are essentially done.
That’s not the case, as it’s a constant improvement in your way of living.
It just takes way less time to sort things out when you already have most of your things in a way you choose to use them.
Minimalism Equals Being An Environmentalist
Living a minimalist lifestyle definitely benefits the environment because of less waste usage.
(And other more eco-friendly reasons.)
But that wasn’t the reason for my change.
My change was rooted in creating a more functional space and lessening items in my house that I don’t really use anymore.
Most importantly, my need for self-care and how I was able to achieve that by living a minimalistic life.
There are plenty of eco-lovers out there who choose the lifestyle because of the former reasons I mentioned.
But not everyone fits the bill in this instance.
It’s A Boring Way Of Living
On the contrary, you will have more time to spend doing what you love and exploring new things!
Once you achieve the mindset of a minimalist, you’re no longer constrained to what most people are lured by new products or items.
You have all that you need, and you are free to pursue what you love or want to try.
Think about it!
You won’t need to go out and do the grocery as much or spend a heinous amount of time cleaning and organizing your home.
How To Get Started With Minimalism
I’ll be outlining a few things that you can do to get started on your own minimalism journey.
These are all just guides and feel free to tweak them as you see fit to your needs.
(There isn’t a one-size fits all rulebook, anyway)
Create A Checklist
Simplifying things with a checklist helps you start things in an organized manner.
It could be as easy as knowing where to start the change and where you would need to improve on some parts of the lifestyle.
An organized change would be better for most than to simply deciding that almost everything should go.
Look Deep In Yourself
Why do you even want to go for a minimalistic life?
How will it improve your current way of living?
Is it a drastic or simple change?
These are just some of the questions to ask yourself before fully committing to the change.
Again, this is a CHOICE and not something to be forced upon a person.
You must know why you did it and why you keep doing it.
Slow But Gradual Vs. Drastic Change
Here’s a good sub-topic to talk about while we’re at it.
There are two types of changes that a person can make to achieve this lifestyle.
A slow but gradual change or having a complete overhaul.
Most people tend to go the slow but gradual change (like myself) as it eases me into the lifestyle.
Besides that, It gives me a chance to really think about what I need in my life over the things that I just find excessive.
On the other hand, there are people who choose to go for a drastic change.
Like ripping a band-aid off and getting it over with.
These people most likely are not happy with their current way of living and found a new way (minimalism, of course) to fix that.
Immediate change is what they prefer and they have already conditioned their minds to the lifestyle, hence it’s easier for them to do it this way.
Start Small
Now back to the slow and gradual change.
Starting with smaller items can be less stressful for you as you may not want to part with much larger objects in your home.
Also, it slowly changes the space around you and you can adapt to the newly found space which you can utilize in the future.
(Or don’t.)
Small items are easy to discard or giveaway in general, as well.
Think Efficiency
Think about efficiency every step of the way.
This can help you create a routine in your way of thinking.
If I remove this then I won’t get this, but I will get this instead.
(If that makes sense.)
A better example would be that having a space that is less cluttered, will be easier for you to clean with minimal effort.
Continue Improving
Again, as I previously highlighted. Minimalism is a lifestyle, and all lifestyles undergo change as do all things.
Focus on improving your minimalistic way of living as there will always be new means to make your life easier.
It doesn’t need to be a priority right away as you notice things along the way on your own personal journey.
Minimalism Is Very Doable
I, as well as countless others, are proof of that.
I’ve gone from getting so many items (that my husband will allow) to only getting what I need.
If you want to see what happened in a little experiment about minimalism on clothes that I did.
You’ll be shocked to find out what I found out.
Start Decluttering And Focus On Self-Care; Here’s Why
One of the very first steps I did on my minimalism journey was to focus on my self-care.
If you think that it’s high time to focus on yourself, as well. Click the link below to get started and find peace with what you’re about to do.
You won’t regret the changes it makes in your life.