Minimalism, simple living, decluttering...call it what you like, it's nothing new. But today, Minimalism has almost become a global movement in response to excessive consumerism and the misuse of our natural resources. It is no surprise then, that it appeals to millions of people around the world who want to live a more simple and stress free life. You may have your own reasons for becoming a minimalist. Perhaps you want to save money, or you want to declutter and downsize or like me, you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
In this blog post I'll share some tips with you on how you can foster a minimalist mindset in your everyday life and the benefits that you will experience from this approach. I'll also walk you through some simple but specific steps you can take to get your family on board and live a lot more with a lot less!
My Story
When I got married and we settled into our first apartment together, I must admit I got a little carried away and stuffed our place with what I can only call clutter now. I filled several walls with face masks and decorative frames that I had collected from my traveling days, I filled up the shelves with books I knew I would never read, our kitchen cabinets with cutlery and crockery sets that I kept for dinner parties that I never planned and amassed a serious collection of cushions and candles and....clutter.
Two years (and a baby) later, we found out that we were moving to the UK and I was forced to sell everything and ship the rest to my parent's house (the boxes still sit there unopened after 6 years!). We took a flight with three suitcases, one for each of us, and stayed in an Air BnB for a few months till we found our new home. We only had the most essential things with us - some clothes, some toys for my daughter, a few toiletries and our laptops. That's it. Whatever we needed for cooking and cleaning was already available at the Air BnB. And I felt so free.
I realised two things at that time: 1) I was done wasting money buying clutter that served no purpose and 2) things are just things and you don't need them to make you feel happy or gratified. Since then, I have been vigilant about keeping our possessions to a minimum. It has saved me so much money, it has helped me to reduce my time in cleaning and it has reduced the amount of stress I had drom organising and sorting unecessary items in my life
So, what is Minimalism?
There's no simple answer. It means different things to different people. For some it could mean fitting all your possessions in one small travel bag and to others it may mean getting rid of physical items that have become meaningless to them. For others, its to do with reducing their ecological footprint. By buying less, you are reducing the demand for consumer goods made with scarce natural resources in a high energy production process.
Minimalism is the act of simplifying our lives by reducing the amount of stuff we have.
What it doesn't mean is:
Getting rid of things that you love or which have a sentimental value to you.
Never buying anything new for yourself or your family.
Living in deprivation or denial. In fact, you will realise that you will have more money and time to spend on life-changing experiences.
Throwing away things you don't like anymore so you can buy more.
A Minimalist Mindset
Before you jump into decluttering everything in your path, it's important to remember that this is a lifestyle choice and that it will take time. Go Slow. It won't happen overnight and it certainly never stops. And keep in mind that it's a family affair. You will need to speak to your partner, children, parents or housemates. People generally don't like getting pressured to get rid of their stuff. It's not easy. So give them time, share your reasons and perhaps just start with your things first before you tackle the rest of the house.
Step by Step Decluttering
Make a plan and think about where you want to start. Should you tackle the kitchen first, the living room or the kid's closets? In Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy talks about doing the most difficult task first, so you could start with the most cluttered room first and when you see the difference that makes, you will be motivated to carry on.
So pick one room each day or week and set a timer for 20 - 30 minutes. If you spend more time than that, it will seem like a unpleasant chore, less than that, you wouldn't have done much. Gather some supplies too. You will need some type of bag or box for sorting and storage plus a duct tape and pen for labelling. And your willpower.
Let's start. Every time you pick something up, ask yourself:
Do I need this item?
Does it serve a purpose anymore to me or my family?
When was the last time I used it?
Could somebody else use it instead?
Answer these questions and you will know that you will need to take one of the following four actions:
Keep It: It's a popular belief (which I agree with) that 80% of the time we use just 20% of our things. Keep your favourites. If you're not sure about something, keep it in a separate box in storage and if you still haven't used it in 6 months to a year, it's probably not serving purpose in your life.
Sell It: Sometimes we find it difficult to part with something becuase we spent a lot of money on it. See if somebody wants to buy it. Check out ebay or your local Facebook groups. It's been my experience that if your kids don't play with certain toys, they never will! The same principle applies to your old hobbies. Let go of these items, somebody else could enjoy them more.
Give It Away: Ask family, friends and neighbours if they need something. Otherwise, consider donating it to the local charity shop or the food bank if something is still sealed and within the date of expiry. You could simply post the information on your local Facebook group and give it away for free.
Recycle or Dispose It: Eventually you will be left with a pile of stuff that you could either recyle (check your local authority for certain types of plastic toys and bulk items), or dispose of in a safe manner (check your local authority for hazardous and electronic items). Pay close attention to food items and that have gone past their use-by date. They're taking up valuable real estate in your kitchen.
How to Stick to your Minimalist Habits?
Now that you have decluttered all the rooms, what does your home look like? Do you feel like you spend less time looking for things? Do you feel like you don't need to stress anymore over mountains of paperwork or the piles of clothing? Do you feel like your house looks cleaner and more organised?
Simplifying your life has so many benefits but how do you ensure it stays that way? Here are some tips that can help you to stay organised:
Avoid the build up of clutter by keeping your surfaces clean and clear of unecssary items. Every item in your house belongs somewhere, so return it to it's designated place once you are done using it.
Avoid shopping or shop less. With the convenience of online shopping and mega malls and retail parks within a short driving distance, it can be difficult to resist a good bargain. But ask yourself do you really need it?! Ask yourself the same question again in another couple of days. You might find that you've been able to live without it.
Set a financial goal for yourself. When you stop buying unecessary things, you save a lot of money, which you can then use to plan a family holiday or treat your partner to a spa day.
Before getting anything new, think about buying secondhand. Afterall, you want to cut down the use of additional resources that go into making any new products. Also consider the packaging the item(s) comes in.
Sometimes it's hard to let go of sentimental items such as your kid's craft projects. You can take a photo of it and archive it, using apps such as TinyBeans that help to keep track of your children's milestones and achievements.
Think about investing in a capsule wardrobe, so that all your wardrobe pieces complement each other and you resist the urge to go shopping because you don't have anything to wear! Trust me, I've been there. I've created a capsule wardrobe for my kids as well and it has honestly saved me a fortune!
You will come to realise that it's never a one-off. Random stuff will continue to enter your house, goodie bags from birthday parties, Christmas gifts from the grandparents, freebies from a hotel stay. And that's OK, just do a quick declutter every couple of months to make sure you're on top of your game.
Be grateful for what you have. Millions of people around the world don't even have access to basic necessities, let alone the luxury of owning non-essential items that they need to declutter.
Using less of everything, by saving more water, switching off lights and appliances, producing less waste and buying only what you need for your home and family.
You must have realised by now that Minimalism is about changing our mindset and not just getting rid of our physical possessions. The next step would be to apply a minimalist approach to other areas of our life, such as simplifying our daily routine, following a minimalist diet, going through a digital detox and eliminating relationships from our life that have no meaning to us anymore. If you're on a roll, check out the documentary The Minimalist by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus who share the stories of inspirational people from all walks of life on their personal journeys towards Minimalism.
How about yourself...do you find it easy to give away your stuff? Or do you feel like you might need it one day? We would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. You can subscribe to our newsletter and every month we will send you a newsletter on sustainable living tips to inspire you.
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