Whilst many people completely
understand the concept of minimalism, appreciate the lack of clutter in their
lives, and understand that life is about experiences not things, and then there
are few, like me, who really struggle with how to start.
I struggle almost every day convincing
myself that de-cluttering is possible. Not only physically, like decluttering
home, office space, wardrobe, kitchen etc. but also mind. That the result of
being able to focus on what’s important, really can be a reality.
To help myself and to those on the
journey, those some way through, and those who just need another tip that
perhaps they’ve missed, I’ve drawn up the following list of some of the most
popular steps that I read in the recent past and have adopted.
It’s worth noting that there is no set
order for these steps, just try any or all of them, however you wish. Let me
know how you get on in the comments perhaps.
1) Start Small
Decluttering your life and working
towards ‘being simple’ is not a small task. You are changing your life by doing
so, allowing you the clutter free space to concentrate on the important things.
As with any large task, it can seem
overwhelming. A mountain to climb.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither
will your life become clutter free overnight.
Take small steps, removing one item,
tackling one space, one room. Pick up one more thing, clear just one surface.
Whatever that small thing is, it’s enough to start. Rest easy that night
knowing there’s one less thing to worry about, one less thing in your cluttered
life and one more step forward.
Small steps applied consistently will
reach the goal.
2) There is no ‘Magic Number’ of
things
Thankfully there are no rules, it’s
not about the number, it’s about removing clutter and distraction from your
life so you have time and space to concentrate on what’s important to you.
Keeping things simple, just to know that thing we hold dearly really is
important to us. Thats why there is no magic number of things to own. It’s an
individual choice, a number unique to you.
3) One in – One Out
A simple way to stay on top of the
stuff and clutter in your home is to gate-keep the items coming into your home.
Simply, for every item that comes in, another item must go out. This is
particularly useful for clothes, books, and things you may end up with.
So, if you bring a new thing into your
home, which item is going out?
4) The 15 Minute Daily Declutter
To keep on top of things I try to
spend at least 10-15 minutes every day on the ritual de clutter/ organization.
This generally means wandering around the house and knowing that there is place
for everything, and everything should be in that place. This makes it easy to productively
utilize the space as well as things and time.
5) Do I want this, or need this?
This is often a difficult area to cover. Our minds play trick on us. That combined with those troublesome marketeers, and we believe we’ll simply be unable to function without the latest this, that, or the other. For some reason the needs remain, but the wants seem to have a fleeting nature about them, with each passing day. The needs this minute remain the same every minute latter (if not fulfilled) but with time, wants seems to lose all sense of urgency. Perhaps it’s the same as sometimes buying things, only to then regret it a few days later. So, give some time to your decisions on having them. The wants may disappear/ fade away but the needs will remain.
I was reminded of this one, even
today. How long was it since you last used that thing ? When it was last worn,
read, viewed, played with, and all other actions you do with things? If it was
more than a year, then admit it. You no longer have use for it. I say a year,
because some things are seasonal based and may come in use only after that
period.
7) Unsubscribe to Ads and Newsletters
We can’t buy what we don’t know about/
wat we don’t need/ what is used by the influencers.
Cancel your subscriptions, unsubscribe
from them and don’t watch them using/ buying. They serve just one purpose. They
want you to buy. No other reason. They can make buying more stuff just so
tempting. Yes, thats exactly the feeling they want you to experience. The only
way is to turn the other way, don’t look. Click the button at the end of their
very tempting newsletter/ video/ profile. The one marked ‘Unsubscribe’
8) Bargains and freebies
There’s no such thing as free. Free
stuff, buy one get one free, free trial, free with your next purchase. They all
come at a price, generally the price you just paid to get the free thing. Even
if it really was free, why on earth would you suddenly need it? Someone else is
trying to get rid of it by giving it away. Beware of the bargain, don’t be
fooled by the free.
9) You are not the sum of your
stuff
Every single person on the planet is
different from all the other people, by nature, experience, genes, culture and
a whole host of other things. Yet we seem to invest so much time comparing
ourselves to others, and what’s worse, buying stuff other people have, just
because they have it. Shallow isn’t it. Life is not about stuff, it’s about
experiences. It’s about passion and, love and excitement, and joy and tears and
all of those wonderful emotions that make us feel alive.
10) Identify What’s important in your
life, then consider removing all that is not
This is more a reminder of why you
considered adopting a simpler life. Why do you feel you need to get rid of this
stuff, what is it you need the mental or physical space for? What was it that
made you start? What really is important to you? As I started removing the
stuff from my life, I gained space to think, to write, to pursue what I was
passionate about. There was a weight lifted from my shoulders every time I got
rid of something. When we understand what’s important in life, without all this
clutter and distraction, we give ourselves the time, space and perhaps
permission to pursue this important activity.
I hope these few tips were useful, if
you have suggestions of your own, why not share them in the comments. I’d love
to broaden my horizons and improve my pace of moving towards simpler life.
