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Minimalism is about eliminating unnecessary things from your life and keeping only the items that add value or bring joy. The word minimalism may scare a lot of people off from the idea, but it doesn’t have to be about depriving yourself of material things. In fact, if any form of suffering is taking place, you are doing it wrong. I challenge you here to start small. Pick one area of your life, home or office that doesn’t bring you joy, and let some stuff go! Here are a few ideas of places to start.
Junk Drawer
The dreaded junk drawer. We all have one. The drawer that is a catch-all for unrelated items that have no other place to reside. It’s unorganized and chaotic and probably houses things that you don’t know are even there. My rule of thumb here is if I needed it, would I know where to find it? For instance, those extra screws that come with self-assembly items, if for some reason you needed them a year from now, would you know which screws belonged to what? Probably not. You would end up at the hardware store to purchase the screws you needed in that moment. So why keep them in the first place?
Home or Office Desk
First of all, go paperless. Most companies make it so easy to limit the mail you receive and bring into your home. Clean the clutter off your desk and drawers, assign a home to needed items and create folders for organization of important files. Once clear, declare it a clutter free zone. Do not allow it to be junked up unnecessarily. Utilize your computers storage for paper, notes, spreadsheets and organization. Just make sure to back up your computer every now and then. Unless pens and markers bring you joy, limit the number of pens and highlighters you allow on your desk. Pick your favorite and use one pen.
Bathroom Drawers and Under Bathroom Sink
Let me guess, I bet you have at least one fingernail polish that is so old it has separated and is no longer usable. Why are you holding on? If you loved the color, make a note of the name and brand in the notes section of your phone and chunk that old polish. Do you have several bottles of half used shampoo or conditioner? Combine them into one and throw away the garbage. Make a conscious effort to only purchase items you will use and love.
Linen Closet
Let me make this one easy for you. Keep only one set of bed linens per bed in your home. When it’s time to wash those linens, take them off the bed and wash them immediately. Once washed and dried, re-dress the bed with the same bed linens. Makes sense, right? Why use valuable space in your closet storing sheets that never get used. Of course if you have kids that are still being potty trained, you may want to adjust accordingly.
Closets
The easiest way to start is to ask the following questions:
Does the item fit? If the answer is no, then I think it’s safe to say you can part with it, right? If you do lose those extra 10 lbs you will probably want to celebrate and grab yourself a new outfit anyways. So why hold onto all the clothes that do not fit? Let them go!
When is the last time I wore this? If you haven’t worn a particular item in over a year, it may be time to let it go. Yes, styles cycle in and out, but isn’t that closet real estate more important than holding onto to something 10 years hoping the style returns?
Is this item difficult to care for? I call these clothes high maintenance. If going to the dry cleaner regularly or spending your weekends doing laundry is your thing…then skip this question. But if you are looking to spend your time living your best life, then let these high maintenance items go. Read the tag for high maintenance cues such as “Lay Flat to Dry” “Wash Separately” “Dry Clean Only” Unless you LOVE the way you feel/look in an item, then let it go. Which leads us to the last question.
Do I love the way I feel in this? If the answer is Yes, then it’s definitely a keeper. If not, toss it! Life is too short to wear things that do not make you feel amazing. There is a caveat here. Even if you love an item but haven’t worn it in a while because of any of the reasons previously listed, I would recommend letting it go.
Bonus Tip: For coats and seasonal items, I find that neutral colors work best for longevity and multiple years use. Colors such as white, beige, brown and black are great for pairing with multiple outfits and shoes. The climate you live in may dictate this a bit more for rain and snow. How many coats can you wear at once anyways?
Stop Buying More Things
By far the easiest way to begin incorporating minimalism into your life is to stop bringing more things into you home. This is more of a mindset. It’s about finding contentment with less. Everyone is different and we value different things, so there is not judgement here.
I am asking you to take a look at the things you bring into your home for consumption. Examine the reasons why you purchase the items. Are you buying things that you enjoy? Are you buying things to assert your value or to show off your wealth? I even challenge you to examine how you would describe wealth and what that means to you. Get clear on what you value and become more intentional about any purchases.
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