Simplify Your Life by Adopting a Minimalist Mindset
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What can you do to simplify your life? Adopt a minimalist mindset…
Life is crazy. We get busier and busier until we wake up one day, feeling totally overwhelmed. How did things get so complicated? Maybe you are doing just fine or maybe you are on the brink of losing your mind. Simplifying your life and getting back to basics can help.
How have our homes got over-stuffed?
We live in an age of excessive consumerism. Many items can be purchased inexpensively (cheap). When they break, wear out or we decide we don’t like them anymore, they can easily be replaced with the next, new hot item on the market. And a lot of those old items don’t leave when we get new ones, causing our homes to become over-stuffed. I cringe when I think of all the money I have wasted over the years, not to mention the time taking care of those items and the stress of living with too much.
What is a minimalist mindset?
Minimalism has been a growing popular buzzword for years now. There are some very extreme ideas for what a minimalist is, but how far you go is entirely up to you. The first thing that comes to mind when people hear “minimalist” is a spartan interior space or a hippy backpacking around the world with all their worldly goods in a backpack, which is fine, if that’s what you like. For most people, I will go out on a limb and say this is not a realistic type of lifestyle to aspire to. A more accurate description of the minimalist mindset is to have only enough – items you love or need (and actually use) and comfortably fit into your home in their designated spaces. “Enough” for you and your family will be different from “enough” for everybody else.
How to incorporate a minimalist mindset...
You may not be able to do anything immediately about your family, your job, school or immediate circumstances such as debt, illness or the country you live in. What you do have some control over is your home. Starting to simplify there, you can gradually improve your finances, health and make your country a better place. (Seriously – it all starts in the home.)
Start with your home – the center of your world, what should be your haven. Define what’s important to you – your family, friends, work, money, spiritual life, health, hobbies and special interests.
Declutter your home...all the things that you do not need, serve a definite purpose for you or that you love...bye, bye...
To declutter means to remove unnecessary items from the home or place, to make it more pleasant and useful. It is not moving an item from one pile to another or putting it in a pretty bin.
Designate a home for everything...a place for everything and everything in it's place...
This step is the first step in organizing. Think logically about where you would look for a particular item. Make your life easier by placing things close to where you would use them.
Create systems to maintain your newly decluttered home...
Regularly reassess your things. If you get something new, have a plan in place to get rid of the old. Keep a box in a designated space where you and your family can put items you no longer want as soon as you realize you no longer want something or it isn’t serving your needs anymore. If you want to sell something, give yourself a deadline of a few days or a week to post your ad or arrange to get it out of your house. The longer you procrastinate the quicker your clutter will return. Put junk mail in the recycling bin as soon as you look at it – shred it first if it has any of your personal information. ( Keep your paper shredder right beside the recycling bin if you need to.)
You are the gate keeper...be very intentional about the new items you let in your home and stay there...
Before you buy anything new, ask yourself some questions and be brutally honest with yourself.
- Will this add value to my life?
- Do I really need it or just want it?
- Is it to replace something I already have?
- Can I afford it or will it jeopardize another financial goal?
- Do I have space for it? or will I need to get rid of something first?
- Will I still be thrilled with buying this new thing tomorrow, next week, next month?
- Am I going to want to keep it forever?
- Will it be difficult to dispose of when I no longer want it?
- What is the environmental or social impact of the manufacture of this item?
- How much time will I have to spend to maintain this item?
- Or any other question that is pertinent to your situation and your values.
Save yourself some agony and limit your shopping to things you very intentionally decide to purchase.
Be grateful for everything you have...
If you are constantly trying to “keep up with the Jones” you will never be happy.
Live your best life with a minimalist mindset...
What will you do with all your spare time, now that you aren’t distracted by the clutter in your home?
- Travel more?
- Spend more time with friends and family?
- Write a book?
- Pursue a hobby?
- Start your own business?
- Live a healthier lifestyle?
- Volunteer?
You can read The Minimalist Mindset by Danny Dover, or many others on this topic for more information.
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