A MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE
Did you watch “The Minimalists” on Netflix? Maybe you became inspired by the lack of material possessions in the tiny home movement? Or maybe you just feel like you (or a someone you know) has too much stuff? Whatever inspired you, you’re here now reading this blog so I think its safe to say that you are headed in a better direction. I have been working on my Minimalist journey for about 3 years now. It has transformed, changed, and morphed into my own version of minimalism. So here are 6 tips to help you start decluttering, organizing, and making room for what’s important!
Tip #1:
Understand first that this is your Minimalist journey and no one else’s. Minimalism isn’t about only having a certain number of things its about living with intention and being intentional about your possessions and where you spend your time. A lot of stuff needs a lot of maintenance and a lot of work which mean a lot of time.
The less you have the more you can do. So sit down and imagine your day to day life, would it be easier if you had less knick-knacks on the fireplace or shelf? Do you avoid dusting that place because you don’t want to pick everything up first. Are you late for work because you can never decide on what to wear out of the mountain of clothes in your closet? What would make life easier. Do you struggle with money because you purchase more than you should? Devise a vision, a goal and set that first before embarking on this journey and don’t worry, it can change over and over.
Tip #2:
If you have Spotify or Patreon or any way to Google and listen to some minimalist podcasts do it. It is super motivating and inspiring to listen to their advice on letting go of possessions. Hearing minimalist’s talk about how much there life has changed since they started their Minimalist journey really get’s you in the mood. You could even buy an audio book and listen to it while you work. That’s my go to.
Tip #3:
Buy a couple boxes, or a few depending on how much stuff we are talking about here and pack up all the stuff you aren’t sure you want to get rid off. Put it in A box and set it out of sight. Let that box stay there for 1 month, if you never go back to it to get out a shirt you want to wear or a knick knack or appliance then open it back up at the end of the month and sell/donate it. If you do want something go get it and put it away! No big deal!
Tip #4:
Realize that these material items are just items and a lot of the meaning we attach to it is not visceral. You can take a picture of stuff from your childhood days and get rid of the space it takes up. You can remember it, you can journal about it. There are bunch of things you can do to remember an item without keeping it in a box in your attic or basement. A year ago around this time I unpacked 4 huge containers full of high school and childhood work/memories/shirts/yearbooks etc. I laid it all out, took pictures of all of it and then kept 1 little box that I may or may not keep forever. The rest went in the recycling/trash.
It was definitely a hard trip to the trash but I couldn’t keep dragging around these containers full of stuff. It was necessary part of my Minimalist journey and I didn’t use any of it. BUT, there is nothing wrong with keeping these things if it brings you down to imagine not having it. Try and break it down and ask yourself, “why do you want the memorabilia?”, and decide whether that is a good enough reason to continue to pack away and cart around these containers/boxes/family furniture/pictures etc.
Tip #5:
Capsule wardrobe. Courtney Carver is the inspiration and mind behind project 333. Her message pushes people to “Be More With Less” by organizing and downsizing your wardrobe. Now, I tried to get my closet down to 33 items but I couldn’t personally. So I didn’t count and instead just donated and got rid of what I didn’t wear. I then made little boxes for the spring, summer, winter and fall. Sweaters in one wardrobe, summer dresses in another. I’d say now I have about 20 items in each box and then 50 items total that work through out all seasons. This works for me and my closet is very nice to walk into. I love how sleek and clear it is as well as how easy my laundry is to do and put away.. My clothes look nicer when they aren’t all squished together and my morning routine is much faster.
Now, as you’ll see in the picture, I have a lot of earrings! I have a personal goal to accessorize more lately. Its been my go to gift to tell people when they ask what to get me and won’t take nothing as an answer! If you are like me and have something you love and want to keep, find a nice functional way to organize it so it aligns with your routine. I love having them all on display instead of thrown in a box or bag.
Tip #6:
If your home burned down what would you want out of it? What one thing would you grab. If all the technology could be replaced by insurance what do you have that you wouldn’t want to live without? For me, that was photo albums. Family photo albums from when I was a kid. My mom did a great job documenting all of it from birth through elementary days. There are about 10 albums completely filled. It has been a process but I have been working on scanning each of them into the computer. One at a time really takes time, but it is so worth it to know I will have them forever in the cloud. Another bonus, the cloud doesn’t take up any physical space. Best of all if my home was on fire I could just grab my pups and let the rest go.
Again, I want to reiterate, this Minimalist journey has no rule book. It is 100% up to you. You create your vision and then set out to make it a reality. Feel free to comment below or reach out if you ever have any questions or need advice on your very own Minimalist journey!
Happy minimizing,
Sierra
