Photo by Canva
There is something so freeing about owning less. Perhaps it is the financial freedom of not buying as much, or the time freedom of not having to clean up after yourself so much.
The term, “Minimalists,” started becoming trendy in 2014, when two very professional men quit their jobs, sold their excess things, and downsized their homes. They reported feeling freer, lighter and more relaxed.
It was a revelation in the western world, because the majority of society, rich or poor, was stuck in the cycle of “keeping up with the Jones’”!
If you’re the type of person who has a cluttered bathroom, closet or office space; if you’re the type of person who let’s the dishes climb in procrastination of doing them; if you’re the type of person who is mentally scattered and overwhelmed with all that Life is, listen up.
You are the manifester of your own reality, and by showing the Universe what you’re interested in by doing, you can manifest your dreams into reality. So let’s talk about how you can go about doing, a term known as decluttering.
By decluttering, or getting rid of things you don’t need or use often, you are physically lifting weight off your shoulders, permanently crossing tasks off your to-do list, and most likely giving someone something they’ve always wanted!
Go into your closet, your junk drawer, office space, or wherever you feel called to declutter first. Take everything out and begin sorting into three categories: keep, giveaway and throwaway.
The things in your keep pile should be the things you use regularly, that you can’t live without or would have to replace immediately if you gave it away.
Your giveaway pile should be things that you no longer use or don’t use often enough to keep. You can even split this into two categories for giving away blindly (thrift stores, etc.) and to give to friends or family (someone you have in mind). If you’re unsure, just throw it in the give-to-a-friend pile to get it out of the picture.
Your trash pile is obvious. Old makeup and notes, empty pens, etc.
When you’re finished, move to the next space. You might find that it’s addicting; you might find that it’s stressful. It can be both! If something is too stressful to part with, create a pile for those things until you have mentally detached or find a better use for it.
Now, look at the space, feel the weightlessness, notice how your mind feels less cluttered and how it was impacted by the junk lying around your physical space. Look into the intangible parts of your life: relationships, spirituality, etc. How are these spaces being cluttered?
If you get really into it, you might consider downsizing your home when you realize you don’t actually need all that space!
Tiny homes are so cute, affordable, and more easily maintained. Many people like to convert storage containers into a living vicinity. Others prefer to build a yurt or live in a van! What’s your next step in maximizing your life?