Is Minimalism for You?

Is Minimalism For You?

Minimalism and simplicity are commonly used terms today. Are they the same thing? There are varying degrees of minimalism. Many view minimalism as the modern equivalent of living in a cave and eating berries by a fire, but that isn’t necessarily the case.

If you feel like your life is too hectic or lacks meaning, minimalist ideas might help you create a life that’s more centered and enjoyable.

Simplifying your life is a matter of reduction. But, minimalism goes further. It also includes elimination. You’re literally removing things from your life.

Signs that minimalism might be a viable idea to enhance your life:

1. You have items in your way that you rarely use. Unnecessary clutter has a negative impact on your life. It weighs you down emotionally and wastes your time.

· Box up those unneeded items and then sell, donate, or toss them.

2. You have excessive debt. The only material goods that are necessary are food, clothing, and shelter. While there’s no reason to get too carried away with limiting yourself to the bare essentials, if debt is making your life miserable, you’re likely purchasing too much.

· Prior to any purchase, ask yourself if it’s something you truly need or if it’s just a want.

3. You’re upset that you don’t own a nicer car, house, or other items. If you have a car that breaks down all the time, of course you’d like a more reliable car. But if you already own a decent, reliable car, it’s different. Is obsessing about owning a $100,000 car really conducive to a happy life? Certainly you can find more meaningful things to occupy your thoughts.

4. You’re busy, but your life lacks meaning. We’ve all had days filled with activity, which ended with feelings of emptiness. Minimalism can help remove the excess from your life to make room for more meaningful activities.

Luckily, there are many strategies that can help you embrace a life of minimalism. You just need to know how to get started.

How to introduce minimalism into your life:

1. Get clutter off the floor. Not only will your home and office look cleaner, but you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel! Put it on a shelf, in the closet, or get rid of it altogether.

2. Now hit the countertops, tables, and shelves. Go through all those items and ask yourself if you’ve used them in the last six months. Do you truly need them? Clear off those spaces as much as possible.

3. Go through your clothes. Most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time, while the other 80% of your clothes are just taking up space.

· If you don’t wear it, or it hasn’t fit in over a year, let it go.

4. Make a list of all the optional activities in your life. Include all the organizations, clubs, team sports, happy hours, and so on. Eliminate one. In a couple of weeks, eliminate another. Now fill some of that free time with activities you really love. You can free up a lot of time by learning how to say “no.”

5. Repeat this process on a regular basis. Just a couple of cycles of minimalizing will dramatically reduce the complexity of your life.

You don’t have to live under a tarp in the woods to use minimalism to your advantage. It’s simply a matter of removing excess and meaningless things from your life. Use some of the extra time and space to introduce new, amazing things into your life. You’ll be glad you did!