Hey Everyone!
Hope you’re all doing well!
I am sure many of you have heard about minimalism and know what it is. To be completely honest I have come across this term many times throughout the past few years however, it was only a few months ago when I really started researching it and afterwards I realized that minimalism can definitely help make our lives a bit better.
Two of the most famous promoters of minimalism are Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of the famous blog The Minimalists . The Minimalists describe minimalism in the following way: “Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important-so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom”.
To me personally, minimalism is a way of life in which we can simplify our lives by eliminating the possessions that we no longer need and becoming a more conscious consumer by starting to really ask ourselves do we really need an item before we actually purchase it.
Minimalism may not be for everyone but I think that most people can benefit from minimalism. The reality is that minimalism is simply an idea and it is up to us to incorporate it into our lives in a way that benefits us. Basically there is no one particular type of minimalism. Based on many factors such as our age, our job, our roles within our families, etc. our type of minimalism may look very different from other minimalists.
My main motivation for embracing a minimalist lifestyle was to get rid of the junk that I no longer needed in order to have a more organized room so I can more easily find things when I need them. One fact about me is that I am absolutely horrible at finding things (especially things that I know are hidden among other stuff). Finding the things that I needed had become a source of stress and anxiety for me.
As a newly graduated college student, I had tons of papers that I no longer needed and I carefully recycled them. (As a side note: whenever you are trashing or recycling papers always make sure that you no longer need them, make sure that you don’t accidently trash important documents. Also, if the papers contain sensitive information about you its probably best if you shred these papers).
Once I had finished recycling all of the documents that I no longer needed I started going through my other possessions which for me, mainly consisted of my clothing and accessories. For me, this was definitely harder because there were some items where I couldn’t decide if I should keep them or donate them.
While following the Minimalists on various platforms I realized that for Joshua Fields Millburn, minimalism was a gradual journey and it took him several months to get rid of everything that he no longer needed.
However, Ryan Nicodemus got rid of his possessions within a few days. Nicodemus described how he actually had a packing party where he invited his friends and they helped him pack all of his possessions in boxes and for a period of time he lived mainly by only grabbing the things he needed and after a certain period of time he got rid of the things that he had packed but never used after packing them.
For me personally minimalism is a long term journey in the sense that I have gradually gotten rid of the things that I no longer need but I still have a ways to go. One thing that has really helped me is the ninety-ninety rule. Basically if you have something and you’re not sure if you still need it or not, ask yourself if you have used it in the past ninety days or do you anticipate using it in the next ninety days. Of course, this is just a general rule that doesn’t work in every situation but it can be helpful.
Like I mentioned earlier, minimalism has made me a more conscious and aware consumer. Previously I would go to the dollar stores and purchase anything that seemed cute or seemed like it would come in handy one day. Now, I have really realized the power of creating shopping lists in which I list everything I need beforehand. If I come across something online or at the store that I want, I wait it out for a few days and if I still think that I need it then I will purchase it.
Some people may think that they can only have a set number of possessions in order to be considered a minimalist. However, this is simply not true. Minimalism is about getting rid of the excess but it is not about restricting you. Minimalism is not against material possessions it is simply about making sure that every item that you do have is of some value to you.
This post cannot do justice to this wonderful topic however, there are so many books, articles, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos etc. on minimalism. Click here, here, here, and here to learn more about minimalism.
I hope that this post has inspired you to perhaps gradually declutter your life with the goal of making your life a bit better.
With Love,
Yasmin
A Bit Better 
OMG ! Ha ha ha! I think I’m a “maximalist” – at least regarding books, clothes and shoes, accessories, music recordings, little decorative objects, unaccountable souvenirs from friends and inherited things from my dead relatives… I live literally buried in all this 🙂 But it does not me anxious or overwhelmed; on the contrary, it gives me a deep security; it makes me feel rooted and connected. Just today I have very gladly worn a shirt, a pair of leggings and a scarf I had not worn since ages ago. Had I got rid of them, I would not have found them yesterday and they would have not made my day today. I could explain many similar experiences about books that belonged to my parents or even grandparents… Said all this, I do understand your point. It just would not work for me, and I believe it would make me very unhappy.
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Omg that’s very funny and interesting 😊 But thank you so much for sharing this because you’re story really gives a different but equally valuable perspective! I think that the most important thing is that your possessions add value to your life and/or they are of value to you! I definitely see you’re point and now that I think about it my entire family are what you can describe as maximalists and similar to you they always find things that bring them positive memories 😊
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A big hug, my friend 🙂 We come from different sources and we are apparently different, but I feel how you are and I am very fond of you just for it. Kisses 💋 !!
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Aww thanks I feel the same about you!!! Sending you hugs😊❤️😊
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I am hoping for a tiny home the next time around!
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Yes me too😊 I actually think small spaces that are well kept can be just as nice as the fancy larger homes!
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Great post! I share a lot of the same views with you on what the concept of minimalism actually is, and it’s taken me a while to reach this place. I’m just starting out on my own journey now but after reading this I’m not just apprehensive anymore, but a little excited, too.
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Thank you for commenting! I am so happy to hear that this post has helped you feel excited about minimalism. Wish you all the best on your minimalism journey and feel free to keep me updated in the future😊
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I too try to live this way, I think naturally I am a shopper and I love little trinkets. However, there is a line that needs to be drawn. A line that I drew while I was busy packing everything I had come to own in my 24 years into one hatchback car and a small pod to move across country. That was eye opening.
I looked at all of my junk laid across my boyfriend’s garage and I felt overwhelmed. It really got to me, I thought hard about a lot of it and realized how useless so much of it ruly was too me.
Now in my life here, on the West Coast, I focus on not building it up with junk. Instead I think about each of my possession as important to me and focus on experiences.
I am glad to hear about your journey through minimalism. It is a wonderful lifestyle choice.
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Thank you so much for sharing your story as well! I am so happy to hear that you have found minimalism helpful in your life as well! I definitely agree that it is a great lifestyle choice!
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I’m glad I found this post. My Husband and I have been living this lifestyle for years and it’s good to see more people are finding out about it and positive things are happening!
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Thank you so much for your kind words!!! I am definitely glad minimalism has been a positive experience for you and your husband! And yes minimalism is definitely spreading fast these days!
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That’s was so inspiring blog …I’m a new blogger. ..pls chck out mine too
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Thank you so much for your kind words and I definitely will check out your blog as well!
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I love it….but when it comes to clothes I failed it. Lol but the I love the idea because it is so appealing to me. I want less of other things but I love clothes.
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Honestly I love clothes as well lol but there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a larger amount of clothes. In fact, I believe you can still be a minimalist with a lot of clothes because minimalism is about getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t bring you happiness but keeping the things that do make you happy!
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Okay that explains it better ….I waned to think of how much clothes can clutter my space…even though I keep them color coordinated. Great post!
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Thank you so much for your kind words! And color coordinating your clothes is a great idea because you can more easily find what your looking for!
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I struggle with this. I sew and loom knit. I have tons of fabric and yarn that I don’t want to get rid of because I sell the stuff I make.
I also start feeling anxious when I go to get rid of stuff, have OCD so I’m terrified of becoming a hoarder so I’ll randomly panic and throw random stuff out, then regret doing it.
I’ve been reading to understand but my mind panics (I’m making huge progress with managing my OCD to a point I hardly ever notice it but when it comes to cleaning or decluttering, it’s my main trigger right now)
Good luck on continuing your journey.
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Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your story! I am glad to hear that your making great progress in managing your OCD. Honestly you should never feel bad for keeping fabric, yarn or anything else that you really like or that you use to earn an income from. Minimalism is about getting rid of the stuff that no longer adds value to your life but its not about getting rid of the stuff that you like or the stuff that is useful for you! I am definitely not an expert but to ease the the cleaning/decluttering process I would suggest looking at everything you have and then making a list of everything you love and everything you use and then consider to declutter the rest.
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Love the idea of minimalism 👍😃 hope I can start soon.. hahhaha.. thank you 😘
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Thank you so much for your kind words!😊 Wish you all the best on your minimalism journey!!!!
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Haha.. thank you.. wish you all the best too 👍😄
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Thank you!!!😊
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Minimalism changed my life, and changed me as a person. Check out what I said minimalism means to me, in this post!💖 —https://emilyryannblogblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/what-minimalism-means-to-me/
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Thank you for sharing this link and I am glad that minimalism has improved your life just as it has mine!
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I enjoyed your post however i can empathise with both Li Fontrodona and The Dream Girl. Being a crafter I am surrounded by fabric, yarn, paper, card I am reluctant to discard. But now every year I sort into clear boxes and pass to other crafters items I really know I will never use. I think I am a maxiimalist like Li Fontrodona. Having my go to books are part of who I am. What a wonderful world we live in to be able to respect and learn another person’s way of seeing the world.
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Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!!! I definitely value your opinion. I think that being a crafter requires creativity and I think that keeping fabric, yarn, paper and other materials can be a source of inspiration and further increase one’s creativity. Also, I totally agree that the world would be a much better place if we all respected each others thoughts and perspectives!!!
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