Minimalist Mindset
How to Start Being a Minimalist
Minimalist living is a concept of a simple lifestyle that is fast adapting within people seeking more to life than material things. From vlogs, blogs to books each one has their meaning.
Learning how to embrace a minimalist lifestyle and watching how people have done it, has sparked an interest within to embrace the idea but, it cannot be done in a day, its a work in progress.
So, in my search to be a minimalist I have come to understand that it is all about the mindset that we have. It is about removing things in your life that do not spark joy or are not a necessity.
Because we live in a materialistic world we have been consumed by the ideas of wanting to own things that we do not need. In the long run, we have become obsessed with having the latest fashion, tech and everything else.
But if you stop to think, at the end of the day some of these things are not necessary. For that reason, It is more beneficial to be intentional with purchases for what we need and not what we always want.
Embracing minimalism means changing your way of thoughts not just de-cluttering and simplifying alone but developing a minimalist mindset. It is a way of life whereby you make room for the most important things in life and allowing everything else to fade away.
Whether it is people, thoughts or possessions that do not serve you anymore get rid of them and mindfully focus on what adds value to your life.
Minimalism is also about responsibility and having the discipline to practice intentionality in all areas of your life by making room for what matters. It allows you to have the freedom to spend less time and money on stuff, and spend more energy on actually living.
Nonetheless, Minimalism is different for everyone. The beauty of it is that you get to evaluate your life and determine what it means on a personal level.
It can be as simple as de-cluttering your home, owning fewer items, reducing your living space or simply downsizing your life, whatever purpose you want it to serve.
So how do you begin the journey of being a minimalist?
- Clarify your Intention
Why do you want this lifestyle change? Make a list of reasons you want to make this change.
Create space in your home
Get out of debt and save money
You want more experiences and fewer things
More time for yourself and family
Simplicity and peace in your lifestyle
2. Start by De-cluttering
Minimalism is primarily about living with what you only need. Focus on keeping things that you value deeply, and toss things that you no longer need.
Get rid of anything you no longer use. Take out the unnecessary items from your life and reduce both the waste and the mental effort that organizing those items take on you.
3. Get rid of Duplicates/Excess
If you have two sets of anything, get rid of one. Keep what you need now and not what you think you will need in the future.
4. Toss Once Upon a Time Items
If you haven’t used an item for over six months, toss it. Anything that you no longer use doesn’t serve any purpose in your life.
5. Replace, Do Not Add
Resist the urge to purchase until you have something that needs replacing.
6. Stop Hoarding
Avoid keeping and collecting unnecessary items. They consume space that could be used for items that serve you.
“A minimalist eschews the mindset of more, of acquiring and consuming and shopping, of bigger is better, of the burden of stuff. A minimalist instead embraces the beauty of less, the aesthetic of spareness, a life of contentedness in what we need and what makes us truly happy. A minimalist realizes that acquiring stuff doesn’t make us happy. That earning more and having more are meaningless. That filling your life with busy-ness and freneticism isn’t desirable, but something to be avoided. A minimalist values quality, not quantity, in all forms.”
― Leo Babauta
“This is the beautiful secret of minimalism: It may seem like it’s about stuff, but once you’ve cut through the clutter and adopted a new frame of mind, you learn that it’s barely about ‘the stuff’ at all.” ― Erica Layne, The Minimalist Way: Minimalism Strategies to Declutter Your Life and Make Room for Joy
The first step is the radical changes in your mindset, actions, and habits.
