A long while back, I became newly aware of an idea. More of a practice, really. It’s called minimalism. And if you haven’t heard of it before, you’re in the right place because, we’re discussing just that. So sit tight, because it’s going to be a fun ride.
Minimalism, a definition
So quickly, what is minimalism? Minimalism is a philosophy that reflects on what it really means to have “enough” and “excess”. And basically, it’s a personal journey and challenge that asks you “do you really need all this stuff?”
There are truly people in this world who are in need. They don’t have enough to thrive and survive. However, for many of us, we find ourselves accumulating things that we don’t need or even really like. And this is why minimalism is important.
Minimalism, my journey
I’ve talked about minimalism in this site before, from my own personal story (which you can find part 1 of here) to a simple piece about decluttering sentimental items (click here to dive into that). But the truth is, I’ve made it all seem quite straightforward. Like, once I was a slob, then I found Marie Kondo, started decluttering and organizing, and now I’m good. The truth is, it really isn’t so black and white.
When I began my journey of decluttering which intersected with both tidying up and minimalism, I had a very primitive starting point. I had many, many things that I was carrying around that I didn’t need or use. I was, from every perspective, aggressively beginner. Which was good, because that meant there was a lot of improvements I could make. There was a hope there.
I began to organize and get rid of my things, slowly, painfully. I had always identified as a pack rat. And after all, it was like getting rid of a protective layer. Something that I used to insulate myself from the world around me. That first wave, I didn’t miss anything that I got rid of.
Decluttering becomes tidying up
The second time I realized I needed to go through my possessions was after coming across a book— The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. That book made me feel empowered and excited to go through everything I owned. It gave me an ideal to shoot for, that I could decide to get rid of anything that didn’t bring me joy—without guilt. And that someday I could look around at my possessions and feel a sense of peace and love in my home. So I dutifully went about sorting through my things with much less resistance this time.
And funny enough, this time I was able to get rid of a lot more of my possessions. I was sending them off with love, not this desperate “I don’t want to be a hoarder” energy. I felt that it was better for me to not have to be surrounded by things that would distress me, and I realized that by getting rid of these items, there was a chance for them to find a loving home that could actually put them to use. What could be better?
Minimalism, another foreign step
However, after tidying up and only keeping what brought me joy, I was still open to another step. And then I found minimalism. Minimalism seemed almost crazy at first. This idea behind intentionally keeping as little as I could in my life stunned me. But I started asking the question, “what is necessary?” What is necessary for me to live the life that I truly want to live? What is necessary to hold onto, and what is nice but actually holding me back?
In a very short amount of time, I had gotten rid of many possessions. More than I could have dreamed of two years before. And yet I felt more rich, alive, and purposeful than ever before. I felt free. And one of the most difficult things about it was that I found it difficult to explain to people how lovely this experience really was. I ended up gushing nonsensically or simply not getting my message across.
Living a life with less (in a culture of “more”)
My close friends are used to me trying on new concepts that others might find weird. They have an easy time keeping up with me, or at the very least, listening to my escapades with interest. But for most other people around me, this minimalism thing was just ridiculous. “What happens when you don’t have what you need?” They would ask in dozens of different ways. They were concerned, worried, for both my future and probably also my sanity.
I think the most difficult people to converse with were those of the older generation. They learned through hard times that you need extra things. That the world is not kind and you should gulp up whatever we can to prepare for it. And they learn to express their love that way, by giving things. Which makes it kind of hard to reject their gifts. You don’t want to hurt their feelings or seem ungrateful.
But most of all, working with the practice of minimalism really means that you’re out of step with most people around you. It’s really common to want more things. To want what you don’t have, to wish for more. This means that once you start with minimalism, once you really start to benefit from it and enjoy it, you’re willingly taking on a perspective that’s going to be different (and in many cases opposite) from most people around you! Which is okay. Diversity is great, in all forms. But it’s something to be aware of beforehand. Not everyone is going to be happy for you, and most people won’t understand.
Minimalism is pretty cool
Although it puts you on the outside sometimes, applying minimalism to your life has many real benefits! When you take some things out of your life, you have space for others. This is true with anything, but the space that minimalism creates is liberating.
You’ll get more space!
Perhaps the most immediately obvious effect of minimalism is the physical space it creates in your environment. You’ll find your room, your home, your space increasingly…empty.
When you hear the word empty it may have a negative connotation for you. That’s understandable. But as someone who had many possessions to the point where barren countertops and tables were a foreign idea, let me just tell you this. You don’t know how overwhelming your possessions are until you start to get rid of them.
As your space becomes less crowded, you find that you don’t really need a bigger home. That you have more than enough room for different activities you never would have dreamed, because now your things aren’t in the way anymore. (Like for me, I had room to do some exercising in my living room in the mornings because I got rid of a coffee table I didn’t want anymore.)
You also get to see the beauty of a simplified space! There is beauty in your possessions.(Particularly if we’re talking about decorative pieces.) But there is also beauty in the space between them. When you have so many decorations and things, the eye doesn’t quite know what to focus on. This can bring low level stress, often subconsciously. When you see the bare essentials of your space with a few key statement pieces, it’s really freeing and beautiful. A well curated room is a beautiful room.
More time and energy
Another thing that we notice through minimalism is the hidden cost of things. When you buy something, that’s something that you need to find space for, pick up after using, dust off as time goes by, fix if it breaks. The less stuff you have, the less time you spend maintaining your possessions. You won’t find yourself with as long of chore lists for the weekends, tasks piling up before you can get to them.
And it’s much easier to pick up after yourself if there are less items to pick up, that much is obvious. In many ways I’ve gotten to be a neater person, but I’m by no means perfect. And on the days when things pile up behind me, it’s a lot easier to pick up after myself when it’s all done. There are simply less items in my wake.
These simple things don’t seem like a big deal when you read about them. And they’re not “a big deal”, but they are a big part of how we spend our time and energy. With less things, we don’t need to put as much effort into maintaining our possessions. This gives us more time and energy to play around with the new space in our lives.
Perspective
And the final benefit that you get from minimalism that I’m going to list is the most subjective, but once you get there, perhaps the most noticeable. And that’s the change in your outlook on life.
When you put minimalism into practice, your home changes. And any time your home changes, it changes how you perceive your life. But it’s not just a cause and effect thing either. You become more aware of yourself. Of your values and boundaries. You become more aware of what’s really important in life, to you. And for everyone that’s different. Not to mention the less worry you put into your things, the more emotional space you have to care about other things in life.
Minimalism, a process
I think, for many people, minimalism is a process not of becoming, but of discovering who they’ve already become. And that’s what makes it so special. As you clean out your possessions you start to ask yourself what is necessary for you and what is most important to keep. These questions don’t just apply to physical things, although that is where they begin.
When you start to realize what excess looks and feels like with your possessions, you are more able to recognize it in your life as well. And once you’ve realized it, you’re on your way to being free of it once and for all. And that’s really what minimalism is. A way of figuring out who you are and learning to set yourself free, all through your possessions- the ones you decide to get rid of as well as the ones you decide to keep. If you’re interested in that idea, be sure to stick around for the next post where we’ll discuss the process of minimalism more specifically in the form of the question, “How do I become a minimalist?”
I really like this article!!
🙂
Thanks, I’m glad it was helpful for you!