Be(coming) more of a minimalist

Minimalism is kind of 'hip' these days, but not the type of hip many people are comfortable with. For me minimalism feels very natural.

I have never owned an awful lot of stuff to begin with, however, since I deliberately started to declutter my apartment, I've still managed to get rid of lots of things that were just filling up closet space or - even worse - lying around on the dinner table, my desk, or some side table near the couch.

Speaking of places where clutter can become manifest, how many pieces of furniture do you really need in the first place? The more (side) tables, cabinets, drawers, closets you have, the more stuff you can collect, the more stuff you WILL collect. So instead of buying a cute (side) table to fill up an empty looking hall or corner of the living room, stop right there and avoid increasing your chances of collecting even more stuff (such as a vase (or two) to put on the new table, as well as a few candles, some magazines, a basket for the magazines, etc.).

You should really consider (to at least try) living by the following guidelines in order to restrict your spendings, enjoy the things that spark joy (thank you Marie Kondo), and generally be more with less:

1️⃣ Focus on the benefits of Minimalism

➡️ The less vases, statues, cabinets, frames etc. you own, the less (often) you have to clean and (re)organise evrything - which equals to more spare time to do fun stuff :)

➡️ The less clothes you own, the easier and quicker it is to get dressed in the morning - again, this saves you time to finally be able to make a really declicious breakfast as well as be able to enjoy this in a relaxed way

➡️ The less you feel the need to own things, the less money you will 'need' to spend on buying new things, which saves you money, as well as shopping time

➡️ The more things you are able to part with, the more money you can make buy selling these, online or to a local send hand clothing store

2️⃣ Start small as well as here and now

➡️ Your home didn't get cluttered overnight so there is no need to clear everything within a week, a month, or even a year. The way toward a minimalist lifestyle differs per person. When you are not comfortable with getting rid of one thing each day, then set your goal at one thing per week. But also, when you are the type to take drastic action, you can speed things up by clearing up one room a day.

➡️ Marie Kondo advises to start with 'easy' things (and to save sorting more emotional stuff such as love letters and pictures for a later stage). However, she also advises to start with clothing, which I personally found a quite difficult category since for me clothes are a very personal thing and very much related to how I present myself to the world. Basic line: I don't think there is one best category (or space) to start with, so my advise is to start with what feels comfortable for you.

3️⃣ Shop consciously

➡️ Whilst getting rid of clutter in your home you of course do not want to bring in tons of new stuff via shopping. Therefor, whilst holding a 'really cute blouse' or 'very handy kitchen thing' in your hands, be very aware of if you REALLY need this thing. Once you have adopted a minimalist lifestyle you can of course go shopping again, but then use the 'one in, one out' rule, meaning that it is okay to buy a (better quality) black leather jacket when you indeed get rid of the worn out one at home.

So these are my tips for those who want to start pursuing a minimalist lifestyle. Remember: everything you own, owns you, less is more, and more is less! ;)

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