After I went to Iceland in 2013, I was hooked on the idea of minimalism. I lived out of a backpack for three months, and couldn’t believe how free and light I felt.
I’ve been cutting back on stuff since.
I’ve learned that minimalism isn’t just about stuff, at least not for me. It’s an opportunity to make room for more – more gratitude, more joy. It’s a way to retrain yourself to think about the quality of everything in your life.
A lot of my friends know about my minimalist tendencies, so I’ve been recruited to help clean, organize and sort through stuff. I consider myself to be at an intermediate level of being minimal, so I wanted to provide ways that I’ve encouraged other people to get started.
Make a pile of meh.
I believe that you should have as many feel-good items as possible. I’ve started a lot of purges by looking at something, and judging whether or not I should keep it by how excited it makes me.
That sounds new-agey, but stick with me.
I have a teal tunic that I’ve had for nearly four years. I wear it to the beach, on trips, to bed. It’s one of my favorite articles of clothing. It’s survived many haircuts, style change ups, and multiple European cities. It’s a keeper.
However, the black ankle boots I purchased when I was trying to be trendier? They’ve been sitting on the floor of my car, only worn once, because I just can’t find anything to match them.
Because they don’t match me.
Items that don’t get love from you should get love from someone else. Make a huge pile of clothing, kitchenware, home decor that just doesn’t pump you up.
Then either donate it, or store it away to see if you’ll miss it for awhile. More often than not, those items have been the easiest to purge and the least missed.
Practice being honest with yourself.
Becoming a minimalist isn’t just a great way to cut down on clutter, it’s a way to redefine your lifestyle. Every single thing that you consider giving away, challenge yourself to be brutally honest about. Those black ankle boots, for example.
Why did I buy them?
I bought them to be edgier.
Can I do that without the black ankle boots?
Yes, definitely.
How can I do that without a material object?
I can graffiti something. I can try different kinds of hot sauce. I can write a poem full of expletives.
There – item pitched.
A lot of times, being materialistic is just a way to unintentionally pursue your interests. You can do that without stuff. By attaching an identify with something tangible you need to have, you’ll always need more of that type of thing to move forward.
Once you accept that no material object is going to change your life, you can break that habit of associating self-fulfillment with stuff.
Make a list of the things you use on a day to day basis.
If I did this today, so far, I would have used: toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, all in one shampoo/conditioner, soap, razor, laptop, charger, Internet, light grey shorts, dark grey top, underwear, cell phone, cell phone charger, boots, laptop bag, iced tea, handful of Golden Grahams.
That doesn’t include my car, dog, or the accessories that come along with that.
But look at that – look at how simple that list is. I’d guess that it’s the same for most people. Compare that to EVERYTHING else you have. You can survive on so much less than you give yourself credit for.
Make the list a few times, and start second guessing everything else you have in your house. Do you ever use that food processor? How often? Could you substitute that for something else? Who else could use that item, and benefit from it more?
Finish this sentence – if I had less, I could ____________.
Common answers (and a few of them are mine): I could stay more organized, I could not have to clean as much, I could rent out my second bedroom, I could drop everything and travel/live out of my car with my dog, I could finally use my kitchen to cook.
Attach a goal to your minimalism and it’ll be more fun.
Prioritize where quality or quantity matters.
Some people like to have more of certain things. I get it. I personally love tiny, decorative boxes. I’m starting to get really into hot sauce and spices, so I want more of that around, too. I love pillows. But it can’t be everything. You shouldn’t want more of everything, if whatever that is isn’t that important to you.
Where quality matters to me: my toothbrush (oral hygiene is important, people), my jeans (I only have three pairs, so they need to hold up), pens and pencils (I doodle a lot, and I like to use nicer materials), vodka (I love vodka and cheap vodka makes me sick) and flights (I don’t connect in more than one city anymore, it’s a waste of time).
Where quality doesn’t matter to me: tea/coffee (I drink black coffee every day, and until I try better coffee, it doesn’t matter in the short term), sneakers (I destroy them anyway) and technology (right now, I just need a laptop to publish blog posts and upload pictures, same for my phone).
Where quantity matters to me: I prefer to buy paper goods in bulk, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. to have it on hand, I’d rather have a bigger bottle of shampoo/conditioner even if it’s harder to travel with, underwear (for obvious reasons, but mostly so I don’t have to excessively do laundry) and pillows. Pillows are gross, brah. Gotta be able to toss ’em. Oh, and books. I want a library of books. They don’t need to be in great condition, but I want all of them.
Where quantity doesn’t matter to me: Socks. I don’t like them and don’t need more than 4-5 pairs. Shoes. I need just once nice pair of running shoes, one nice pair of boots, and heels. I have no use for flip flops. Dishes. I could eat out of a cardboard box for the rest of my life and would have no qualms about it.
Once you write all of this down, what you can get rid of will be glaringly obvious.
Identify your eccentricities and goals.
We all have things that are weird about us. Use your quirks and aspirations to your advantage. A good way is to make another list (yeah, a lot of this is just writing exercises) of things you like/dislike, as well as what your personal goals are.
Here are some examples to get you started.
Likes/Dislikes:
I hate using spoons.
I always kick off my bed sheet.
I’d rather be cold, than hot.
I take way too long to answer text messages.
I like doing laundry.
Goals:
I want to experiment with different types of hot sauce.
I want to read more.
I want to go on more hikes.
I need to spend more time doodling.
A lot of these things have solutions and benefits that aren’t obvious. I can significantly cut down on silverware, I can just nix the bed sheet all together, and if having apps/texting isn’t that important to me, I can downgrade my phone.
Also, look at the opportunities – want to try different kinds of hot sauce? Pack (or give away) your other spices and condiments and pick up a couple sample bottles of sauce. You’ll have to use them since you don’t have anything else. Read more, hikes, doodling? Pack away what’s distracting. Cancel Netflix. You get the idea.
Set yourself up to success but cutting down on things that deter you from your goals. Relish in your strangeness. Who ever said you needed a bed sheet, anyway? Who cares?
Go pilgrim for a day.
One of my favorite challenges to myself is to go pilgrim. What I mean by that is to think smaller. I like to see how I can do everyday things with less.
How can one cook rice in the most minimal way possible? What tools do you use? What about soup? What about meat? Would it be easier and more cost effective to pick up something prepared from the store? Really think about it. Identifying simpler ways to prepare things you typically eat immediately gives you a chance to get rid of what you don’t need AND save you time.
How can I clean my car in the most minimal way possible? Throw away everything. If it’s in your car, it’s probably trash you don’t need to survive. Then just drop it off somewhere to get everything cleaned.
Minimalism doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to do all the work. It’s as much about conserving your time and energy as it is downsizing.
If any of this doesn’t make sense, or if you have questions, reach out to me. I love talking about minimalism and I’m always challenging myself to do more with less.