What is minimalism? You may have heard the term, and you might even like the idea of having less ‘stuff’ around you, but do you know what it all means? Minimalist is a simple concept to understand; it means that you will live with only the things you need and nothing more. You’ll be surrounded by much less ‘stuff .’ The idea is that you’ll then have more time, energy, and space to do what you want to do in life. You won’t, in other words, be bogged down by all your material possessions.
If you like this idea and want to turn your life into a minimalist one, there are a few ways to go about it. It can seem extremely daunting if you just look around and tell yourself you have to throw everything out; it’s both emotionally and physically difficult to do that. This is why you need to have a plan. Read on to find out more.
Clear Out the Junk
It’s so easy to become blind to the clutter within our homes; either we really just don’t see it anymore, or we convince ourselves that it’s necessary and has to be there. When you’re becoming a minimalist, you need to think much more objectively, and you need to take a good look around at everything in your home. If it’s really junk, throw it out. This will help you start with a much cleaner and clearer slate and will give you more space to work in.
If you’re keeping old boxes or leaflets or broken pens or chargers for electronics that you no longer own, ask yourself why you’re holding onto them. When you really start to question yourself, you’ll often find there is no reason, and at that point, throwing junk out becomes a lot easier, and it will help you feel better too.
Do You Need It?
If you’re truly into the minimalist lifestyle, you’ll know that it is all about surrounding yourself only with absolutely necessary things. This is often the hardest part, but it’s also the most important, so it will need to be tackled.
Just as you did with the junk, look around your home and notice all the things around you. What, out of all those things, do you actually use? Those are the things that you’ll be keeping; everything else, no matter what it is, will need to go. Of course, throwing out absolutely everything (or giving it away if that is better for you) is rather extreme, and if you are keen to keep sentimental items but don’t want them cluttering up your home, renting a locker from StorageArea offers a great alternative. They won’t be in your home, but you can feel at ease knowing they are completely safe and, should you want them, you can get them at any time.
Set Some Rules
Before you can do anything, you need to determine what minimalism means for you since it can be different for everyone. Some might say that they will only own a certain number of items, and others might think more about the space that is being taken up and try to open it up. Some might even choose to move to a smaller property, or even from a house into an apartment, to ensure they stick to their minimalist ideals.
So what is it that you want from your minimalistic life? Once you know this, you can set your own rules. Until you have rules, it will be hard to know exactly what you should be doing in any given situation, which is why this needs to be the first job you take on when becoming a minimalist.