Beginners Guide to Minimalism: Less Items

In our study of minimalism, I thought that the task of simplifying your belongings certainly deserved a post of its own. This topic can be stressful for some, but no worries! I've got some experience! There are many things that I have tried over the past year or so and I thought that sharing what worked and did not work for me (and why) might help those of you who are just starting in this lifestyle.

First,

I think it goes without saying that this is not a fast process. But that certainly does NOT mean that it is impossible. I will be truthful in saying that I am not a person who particularly enjoys cleaning. In fact, I am one of those people that tosses pretty much everything into the floor instead of putting it up in its rightful place... but I have been working on that! What I am getting at here is that there is a difference between simply decluttering, and being minimalist.

Let me explain.

Decluttering just occasionally every year would be streatching it to say that you are minimalist. Why? Because minimalism is a lifestyle. This means that you live by it day-by-day. So once you have done an intial "declutter" you will need to revisit that area often. There are two ways to keep up a room or area. There is the obvious, cleaning up. And then there is making a conscious decision of what you bring into that area. Before I purchase something, I try to recal what it is I already have and I asses if I really need the item. To put it simply:

To revisit a room= cleaning regularly + managing what goes into the space

Phew! Now that we have that clearified, lets move on to some tips :)

1. Determine what your current goal is. This will keep things more managable

Setting goals is not like setting rules. When you set a goal, that gives you the freedome to exceed that goal if you are able or so desire. For example: My goal when I had my initial declutter was to get rid of all clothes that I had not worn in 3 months (excluding seasonal clothes I would'nt have been wearing anyways), to seperate my clothes into "capsules" (learn more about that at The Every Girl), and to clean out all of my junk drawers. I did just that and even had the insentive to simplify my makeup bag!

2. Catagorize items into groups.

I have said this once before in a post but I think this is important enough to say again. I don't know about you but it can be hard for me at times to focus on one thing and not to get overwhelmed. So i found that if I catagorized my belongings into piles of like items (cleaning supplies, hair products, work stuff, school stuff, art supplies and so forth) then I could go to each group, figure out what items to keep and then put them wehere they belong. This did two things for me, 1. It brought everything out of its hiding place so that it was easy to put up what I had gone through already, 2. There was a method to the chaos which helped to calm my anxiety of "when will this end????".

3. Don't think that you have to declutter every room in the house all in one week.

That just pains me to eventhink about. I am sure it is something that can be done, but if you have the oppertunity, take it slow. Not only is it not worth it to get stressed over a short timespan, but also you will likely make wiser decisions when you are at a relaxed pace.

4. Remember that this won't be the last time that you visit an area.

So if there is an item that you are really undecided on wether or not to get rid of it, go ahead and keep if for now. Then when you revisit the room you will have thought it over for some time and can feel more confidant of your decision. I would suggest leaving said item out in an area you will see it constantly, just so you don't forget its there and not think it over.

5. So you've decluttered every room. Now what?

Congradulations! You have now started your minimalist journey!! Yay! So now for the journey part. Your rooms are how you would like them to be and now you have a great atmosphere to ponder over what being a minimalist means to you. Want to crack down on spending? Maybe minimalize your time on social media? Or even minimalize things in your diet that you don't need!

In the next post to our series I will discuss my minimalistic approach to finances. Hope to see you there! And remember, I would love to here from you guys if you have any questions or suggestions. You can contact me via email through my contact page :)