Minimalist journey starts with deciding your approach towards the simplified Life.
Each one of us cannot apply this Minimalism theory in the same way as we all are different, our Lives are different, our professions are different and our priorities are different. Understanding your Life and the areas that need cleansing is the first thing to do. For some, Adventure is more important rather than having a Library at Home. For some, it may be traveling which is more important than owning a house. For some, it may be self-grooming rather than being a Foodie.
Start being honest with yourself about what you need and what you don’t.
List down the areas which take up most of your resources-
Is it your Wardrobe that’s sucking up most of your time and money?
Is it your bitter relationships that are stealing your peace of mind?
Is it your gadgets that are creating the clutter?
Is it your inbox that’s not letting you sleep?
Do the personal audit of what you own and what you do. When we understand whats important in life, without all the clutter and distraction, we give ourselves the time, space and liberty to pursue the passions. Get hold of your Life and look down where do you need to apply Minimalism because it’s not “just about stuff”. It’s about bringing back the sanity.
Minimalism is different for everybody. Some like to keep the wardrobe organized and clutter free, some prefer to have fewer gadgets, and other people like to weed out mind clutter and hurtful relationships. There’s no wrong or right answer.
Anyone can live like a Minimalist. You don’t have to sell everything overnight to call yourself a Minimalist. The minimal lifestyle can be applied to anything, because it’s basically simplifying, prioritizing and organizing. Overall, it reduces the impact on the environment by buying less, using less and throwing away less.
I am already on this path and if you too are willing to adapt to this lifestyle, you can call yourself a Minimalist regardless of where you are on the path. The point is to just start.
Next post in A-Z of Minimalism – Excessive Consumerism
23 Comments
Aye aye to the inbox point! It’s full of unread blog posts, updates from GoodReads, BuzzFeed, Quartz and all the other newsletters I follow on an impulse. I just can’t get enough of information. Do you think I should apply minimalist techniques to this? I mean, I could filter out the newsletters that I read constantly, and unsubscribe to the ones I haven’t read in ages!
Mithila Menezes @Fabulus1710 recently posted…Brotherhood (or sisterhood) of the Introverted Netizens #AtoZChallenge
I loved the thought about doing a “personal audit” and yes minimalism can start with hobbies, relationships or just the wardrobe. Excellent post Upasna – I really love reading stuff like this and impressed by your clarity of thought on this topic!
Cheers
A is for AprilFools #atozchallenge
Thanks Shalz. I just shared what my Life revolves around and the changes I want to bring in my Life.
Weeding out the hurtful relationships, yes! Have been doing that for a few years and honestly, I feel so good. Never knew I was being a minimalist but it was a thoughtful process. Thanks for the tips, Upasna. Great start 🙂
Shalini R recently posted…Aloo Paratha
Yes you are Shalini, because you are successful in keeping those pinching people and the stress away from you Life. Thanks for visiting
You’ve approached the theory of minimalism in an interesting way with different view points to arrive at a tested formula, if not the truth. As I age, I realized the importance to de-clutter and get rid of things. It’s difficult to say in my case, sometimes it’s a yes but also quite complex. Agree, some clothes bear memory or emotional attachments that we don’t wanna throw away.
We all do keep memories and its natural being Human. But its better to get rid of those which are a burden. Thanks for taking time to comment Vishal. Realization to simplify is the beginning.
I am a minimalist by choice. I don’t like clutter at all. And my husband is my inspiration. Will look forward to all your posts for some new tips.
Same here Preethi. My Husband discourages me from useless buying, which I sometimes fall prey to. Thanks for reading 🙂
I like the term personal Audit. I really need to do so, in all areas of my life. Hopefully soon!
Personal audit because this approach would be different for each one of us and only we can do that for ourselves. I aim for clean and spotless bed to keep myself relaxed but my Hubby doe not have such criteria. He might have some other priorities 😉 Thanks for the read and giving minimalism a try Mayuri.
I look at my cluttered house and say – yes, this would be a good thing. I also have emotional attachments to so many things. A challenge!
Emotional attachment is a good thing but emotional baggage is not. Start with only keeping 3 memories from each year of your Life or 1 memory of every special person. Wanna try?
I really need to declutter .. specially wardrobe. Love this approach of simple life… it’s what I am trying to work towards too.
I understand Raj. Sometimes, wearable clothes are less than the just-for-shelf clothes and this is the real clutter. I fill a bag with those piled up clothes, be it mine or hubby’s and now my Kid’s and donate those thrice a year. It really creates a breathing space in the wardrobe.
Sometimes I wish I could lead a minimalist life like the Japanese but then I have a look at my wardrobe, lipstick collection, devices, shoes, perfumes and then that wish goes out of the window!
Tina, if your collection makes you happy then there is no worry. The aim here is to not regret over the buying or the things you own or the way you spend your time.
Simplicity leads to the most contentment. But sometimes, knowing how to simplify can be challenging as we are so attached to people and places and things. This is an interesting series, and I’ll look forward to learning more from your journey.
You know what Sinjini, I never collected postcards from my travels because I know I will never look at them rather only go through the pictures we clicked to cherish the togetherness. Attaching to things is something we need to win over but it will happen over time. Thanks for reading the series.
As they say in hindi “Santoshi sada sukhi” . So meaningful post.
Hello, thanks for backing up my thoughts with such apt Hindi proverb. Do visit for the upcoming posts in the series. Was not able to find your Blog.
I am already following this policy and look forward to more such posts that will help me keep on track….
Unishta Ji, you are a more experiences person then considering my age. I would love to know some tips from you too..