Minimalism has opened my eyes, changed my perspective and helped me start to live a life with intention and meaning. It’s certainly hasn’t been easy, nor will it ever be, and I constantly remind myself that there is no such thing as an end ‘goal.’
One year ago
I discovered minimalism via a friend. I was telling her how I had read the Mario Kondo book and had started to de-clutter, she then told me about this documentary I should watch on Netflix. A few days later I sat down and watched Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things. I was hooked. I can honestly say I’ve never watched something that instantly resonated with me- the whole concept just clicked. It was as if someone had just turned a switch on in my brain and everything was different.
I then fully emerged myself in the world of minimalism. I re-watched the documentary with my boyfriend, read The Minimalist’s blog and started listening to their podcasts too- these were the real game changer and I’m still listening to them (and loving them) now. I was listening on the way to and home from work and not only was it making my commute a whole lot better but I was constantly learning, questioning and opening my mind to a different way of living. Josh and Ryan who started The Minimalists are a breath of fresh air, no bullshit- just telling their story, living by their values and inspiring so many people along the way. They have changed my life for the better and I am very thankful.
I was so far from a minimalist it was ridiculous
It’s safe to say I was mindlessly consuming every single day, a bad habit that grew worse as I got older and had more disposable income to blow. I had so many clothes, my drawers were overflowing, my wardrobe rail was bent from the weight of all the clothes and I had boxes under my bed full of unloved items. I owned about 100 pairs of shoes, more underwear than I could wear in a year and about 10 variations of a grey t-shirt. There were no signs of me slowing down. My home was filled with stuff, I was shopping every weekend and honestly, I didn’t feel happy. I thought buying stuff would make me feel better but it never did, meaning I was stuck in a vicious cycle. I hated the majority of the things I owned. My bank account hated me too.
The getting rid of
I gradually started going through all my stuff and donating or selling anything I no longer needed. I just asked myself- do I love this- does it truly add value to my life? If the answer was no then it was gone. eBay became my best-friend and around 4 car boot sales later I felt as though I had made significant progress. De-cluttering gradually worked best for me as I found it really hard to part with certain things- especially my clothes and shoes as I felt as I had invested a lot of money in them. However, I soon learned it was costing me more by taking up valuable space in my home.
Even though I’ve got rid of A LOT throughout the past year, I am still re-going through some of my things as I still feel as though I have too much. I think it’s so important to re-evaluate regularly and make changes if necessary. My current aim for 2018 is to adopt a more capsule wardrobe approach, so I’m excited to delve into that.
Maintaining
Over the past year, I have continued my journey into minimalism and I’m definitely living a much more intentional life. I’ve discovered other minimalism blogs, read The Minimalists books, inspired others with my journey so far including my partner and Mum. Yes, I still consume and I’m also far from perfect, I just try to make an effort to not mindlessly buy something. I want to absolutely love everything I own. I want to use it, get value from it and have it for a long time.
There is never an end goal
A lot of people think that one day you will just ‘be’ a minimalist and that’s it- this is far from true. Minimalism is a constant journey, it’s hard but so rewarding and I’m learning so much every day.
What are your thoughts on minimalism? Let me know if you have started living a life with less or if you’ve struggled getting rid of something. Like I said I’m just at the beginning of my journey, but I think it’s important to connect and encourage each other along the way.
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