Minimalism Life

Last week I had an interesting conversation with an even more interesting person. She told me a story of 7 years on how she started living a minimalist lifestyle, got rid of daily troubles, made more time and had more energy than ever.  Let me tell you this, I am an impulsive person, so after all the pep talk I was on fire! I went home and started packing up stuff that I though may not be necessary. And you know what? I failed miserably. I packed and unpacked for about 50 times and finally decided that everything is necessary. I really needed that popcorn machine that I only used once in 2 years. I couldn’t live without those 10 blankets or 15 cushions, 20 candles, 3 Christmas trees, 15 table games and 10 lipsticks. Okay, maybe I was lying to myself, but it was harder than it sounds. After expanding my knowledge about this incredible lifestyle, I found some simple steps that could help you (and me, hopefully) on finding the right path to minimalism.

1. You should firstly decide whether you’re fit for this lifestyle. I’m used to writing pros and cons on a sheet of paper and facing the facts. Think about the present and future possibilities. Write the things that make you happy, that may be important to you.
2. Get rid of duplicates. Start with smaller things – such as books, accessories, shoes, clothing and etc. I, for example, have quite a few notebooks which I don’t use anymore. If you use the items all the time - then keep it, otherwise, pack it into a box and hide it in your wardrobe. Decide of a period of time, for example – 2 months. If the box is untouched for 2 months – it is time, my dear fellow, to get rid of it.
3. Keeping place tidy. Decide on the surface you want to keep clean and clutter-free. Try to put items in their rightful place and expand the zone little by little each day. If the clean environment inspires you – don’t stop with that. After taking care of your surfaces, go around your cabinets, throw out unnecessary items and keep them tidy as much as you can. If this is too much for you – make a plan, a routine. For example – cleaning cabinets each Tuesday, shelves on Wednesday, wardrobe on Thursday and etc.
4. Shop for food one time per week. I live near the store, so I’m a constant guest there. I usually buy unnecessary stuff every time I go there. You go to buy table cloths, but somehow you end up with Nutella jar and 2 packs of ice-cream. I read that you should buy food for the whole week and try to avoid going to the shop as much as you can. This way you’ll be using up your food supplies during the week, saving your time and even unnecessary expenses.
5. Be grateful of what you have. Try to be happier of little things, make more time for yourself and clean your schedule. It also helps to choose only high-quality items which could be re-used for a long time.
6. See the progress. You should keep a track on what has been done and the pros that came with it. Seeing the results may give you more motivation to keep up minimalist lifestyle.

It’s not about the material things, but more about your own well-being. This minimalism theory is all about having more time to the things that matter and appreciating the things you already have. Own less & see purpose.