What is Minimalist Living?
Simple & Sweet like Minimalist Living!
First and foremost, I’m glad that you are here to learn about minimalist living. We both have this goal in common. I am here to provide you with information (tips, applications, resources) that will help you with this life changing endeavor; it is something that I started with about 9 months ago and I remember how hard it can be in the beginning.
Minimalist living, in simplest terms, is to live with as less as possible, mentally and physically until you achieve peace of mind. The concept is simple but achieving it is hard. Just look at the desk you are sitting on: how many items does it contain? Is your desk surrounded by papers, notebooks, books, pens and pencils?
What about your closets, living rooms and bedrooms? How much joy does all this clutter bring you? What clutters you physically also disables you mentally.
While I am no expert at living minimally, it is something that I practice. I know how it is when I started so I realize where you are coming from. Please understand that minimalist living is a process that will free you of the excess baggage that nothing else can bring.
What should be your first step? Get rid of excess. Go through your closets and pick out all the things that you don’t need any more. Donate all clothes to a charity of choice. I promise you, this might seem tiring but at the end of it all, you will feel ecstatic for not only helping yourself, but helping others. I will be writing about how to make this process a bit easier.
What was once considered ‘cheap’ (with a negative connotation) is now expressed as ‘minimal’ and ‘smart’ thanks to this economy. If you are curious about what minimalist living is all about, welcome to this website and I hope you’ll stick around!
With that said…
Minimalist Living Isn’t For Everyone!
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone so if this isn’t you, then don’t feel bad. Many people try to be something they’re not–this is never a healthy thing for your mind so do what is true for you and what will benefit you.
However, if you’re here then obviously you were searching for this topic. Have a look around!
10.30.10Getting the Complete Picture of Becoming a Minimalist
While I have this website to help people and to share my thoughts, I’m by no means an expert on minimalist living. What I can share with you are a couple of reads that helped me progress quite nicely and gave me that extra ‘push’.
The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life is the work of Leo, a minimalist living advocate and one who walks the walk. Not only does Leo talk about how to achieve this certain mindset and lifestyle, but also how to reduce stress and creating a minimalist workspace.
The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life is penned by Francine Jay in which she streamlines and guides the readers through the minimalist process. Everything from decluttering to redefining the way your mind works, Francine has done an excellent job. Excellent read and the reviews tell you all you need to know.
Both works might sound similar but they’re from two viewpoints and pack a lot of value for the price (for me, less than a fast food meal!)
You Don’t Need Books to Enjoy a Minimalist Living
It’s true. I think most people know the concept of this lifestyle is easy and most people should be able to achieve it.
But here’s the problem: most people lack motivation. Usually it’s when they get inspired that they take action. This kind of action can seem mentally taxing and the pay-off seems too far away.
It’s for those reasons giving things away was a struggle the first four months. Confession: I still have small moments but I’m enjoying my life immensely and love the freedom it grants me.
What can you do to help yourself today?
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Minimalist Living Personal Case Study
This is a post for those of you who are starting on this journey to learn and implement the ideas and principles of minimalist living. To be honest, for someone very new to the idea of minimalism, it can be hard to cope with the idea of giving up a lot of the needless things you own.
But there’s a great pay-off at the end which most people lost track of. I thought that this personal minimalist living case study may be of some help to you, so here we go:
How It All Began
Everything was going fine. I had a good job (or what seemed like a good job?) with a full-time salary and health benefits. I had a nice apartment with a beautiful view.
But you know what was missing? Furniture. I wanted some awesome furniture.
So I went out and bought an “awesome” couch, a couple of end tables, a bed (that I still have), a small dining set and lastly a bedroom chest.
This all might sound like a lot but I started by buying one thing at a time, every couple of months until one day, after having all this furniture, I realized I wanted more.
Yep. So I bought a flat screen tv and a nice $300 stand for it.
A few months later, a familiar feeling again returned, hungry for something more. At this point, I stopped and looked around my apartment.
Did I really need to buy more stuff or was I ignoring emotions that I couldn’t face; instead replacing them with momentary happiness in the form of shopping?
Was all the furniture not good enough? Were all my clothes not enough? Did I need another pair of sneakers? I was surrounded by all these things and the things I owned ended up owning me.
That’s when I realized it was…
Time to Change
I knew things had to change. Don’t get me wrong: I wasn’t a hoarder but buying stuff wasn’t the answer either. That’s when I started doing research online and offline. I realized I wanted to keep things simple. Sure I want my furniture and flat screen tv but I don’t want these things to take over. That’s when I discovered minimalist living.
Minimalist Living: Is It For Me?
This is a question I struggled with for a long time. When you think of a minimalist, you think of a bald monk, sitting on his prayer rug in a big, empty room surrounded by.. well, nothing!
That’s not what minimalist living is about! Minimalist living is all about taking care of yourself and your environment so you feel peace of mind.
I didn’t give away all my favourite things. Just because you want to live minimally doesn’t mean you need to give everything away!
However, you do need to de-clutter your mind!
If I Did It, So Can You…
It took me a better part of 6-9 months to reduce to my favourite ‘essential’ items. Minimalist living is a process. It took me a little while to cope with the minimal ‘mindset’ so be aware that you might feel like ‘giving up’.
There is no giving up. As long as you’re aware that you want to live this lifestyle, then you’re already doing it. If you need some help, check out The Art of Being a Minimalist.
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Celebrate Holidays the Minimalist Way…
The intent of this post is to share how I’ll be celebrating Christmas and the rest of the holidays. It certainly won’t be with expensive gifts…!
Hear me out.
Every year, hoards of parents will walk into their local toy store and make purchases for hundreds of dollars, walking out with a cart full of video games, race cars, and other games. Yet more people will spend money on their loved ones by purchasing gift cards, expensive jeans, designer hand bags–you name it.
People will slip into debt!
People will happily slip into debt!
People won’t care that they’re slipping into debt!
Why? Because we think going into debt for our loved ones isn’t a big deal. What are we teaching our children?
Why not buy them something that will change their minds for the better?
This holiday season, break the cycle.
5 Awesome Minimalist Living Tips That Will Help You De-Clutter Your Life Starting Today
Living a life that is free of complications starts with minimizing your physical space. If you live in an apartment, chances are that you want to make room anyway. If you live in a house, chances are that you have every closet stuffed with old clothes, toys and papers that you don’t need and certainly haven’t used in ages.
Most people have a hard time with letting go of things simply because they have emotional attachment to these things. I remember not wanting to throw away my graded essays from high school ten years later! In reality, I’d never use these papers again but it was the nostalgic feeling that had me clinging.
So let’s start nice and easy and remember that minimalist living is a process that can take a little while. Let’s get started:
1. Stop buying unnecessary items: This is a broad rule but ask yourself if you really need this item. Do you really need a new t-shirt when you have 30 folded and tucked away in your drawers? Do you really need this classic movie on dvd that comes on tv every other weekend?
2. For every new thing you buy, get rid of 3 old items: This will usually put things in perspective. That new lamp looks fantastic but is there an old lamp, t-shirt, or a few old bed sheets you’re willing to part with? If not, then put the new item down. If so, first get rid of these items then buy the new one or this will never work!
3. Schedule closet cleaning, one closet a day: Cleaning a closet can take a while especially if you have ignored it over the years. For some people, it could take 2-3 days cleaning out just one closet. Don’t try to clean all closets in one day or you’ll quickly give up. Take things one at a time. Remember to donate and recycle as much as possible!
4. Start eating in: That doesn’t mean you bring fast food home or order pizza. Treat your body as well as possible. The best thing you can do is buy fresh produce and meats and cook your own meals. You will feel generally more satisfied. This will be hard to do in the first few weeks but like anything, catch your slip-ups, get your groceries and stay on course. Eating out is all about excess mentality: you’re wasting your dollars on unhealthy foods. Nothing wrong with enjoying this once in a while but not more than once a week.
5. Start now by de-cluttering your desk! So all the things I mentioned sound do-able but we need to take action now! Chances are you are sitting in front of a computer desk that is cluttered. Why not start by getting rid of old bills, papers and things that you don’t need? Even if you’re not at your computer desk, turn to your left or right: you will find something that you can work on right now.
All of this might seem overwhelming but practicing a minimalist living is all about starting here. Starting is the hardest part of any process and everyone goes through the struggle. I will be sharing more resources with you that have helped me over the last 6 months and I’m hopeful that they will do the same for you.
Enjoy your day with a clearer mind and a more-clear physical space.
P.S. If you have enjoyed this article about minimalist living tips, please share with others. Thank you!
10.27.10The Things You Own End Up Owning You
That’s quite powerful, isn’t it? That’s actually a quote by Tyler Durden, Fight Club (movie). There is so much truth in those 8 little words and it’s all so compact….. yet it takes years of experience to relate to that sentence.
I’ve owned multiple computers, gaming systems, televisions, phones, clothes, furniture but at the end of the day, all I crave is space. All the space I had was being consumed by furniture and all of the aforementioned items.
Don’t get me wrong: minimalist living is not about enjoying your afternoons drinking tea whilst sitting on the hard floor or even owning less than 50 items.
It’s all about what you are comfortable with living, at minimum. The moment you feel like your time is not being wasted cleaning things, stressing over cleaning and shredding papers, the moment you feel inner peace with the way things are, that’s minimalist at its best.
A minimalist lifestyle isn’t necessarily all about being “clean” and “sterile”. While it can incorporate that, it’s all about living happily without things that clutter your mind.
For now it might seem like you want more furniture, more perfumes or the latest pair of awesome shoes…. But remember, “The things you own end up owning you.”
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