I’ve always been the type to keep a lot of things. I kept clothes that I no longer wore but that brought back good memories, forty lipsticks when I only wear one shade. And so on. Minimalism seemed far away and impossible, but fortunately I was able to question myself. Over time I realized that keeping things I didn’t need weighed on my mind and took up a lot of space in my home. Living minimally does not necessarily mean living without anything. It simply means living more simply and with much less stress.
3 STEPS TO MOVE TOWARDS MINIMALISM
STEP 1: REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE
The day I sat down to take stock and visualize concretely everything I had… I was hallucinating. You don’t realize how much you have until you look at it. I noticed that I had a lot more than I thought I did and I’m sure there’s a good chance you do too. Take stock and set up boxes of things you want to get rid of. Also consider throwing out things you are keeping “just in case”. Pieces of that piece of furniture you put together months ago, the buttons you got with a jacket and are hanging out in a little plastic bag on a cabinet etc. Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 4 months. This will help clear your mind and save you space to put away what you really need.
STEP 2: DECLUTTER YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
We tend to think that because there is no material aspect there is no need to get rid of the unnecessary when it comes to digital. And of course this is a misconception. Where to start?
COMPUTER
➤ Empty the trash
➤ Delete or move files from the Downloads folder
➤ Clean up your desktop, try to keep it empty
➤ Delete / uninstall unused applications and software
➤ Do your updates and avoid the “remind me tomorrow”
EMAIL
➤ Unsubscribe from newsletters that no longer interest you, if you don’t want to do it manually you can use CleanFox
➤ Use labels, filters and folders to organize and sort your emails
➤ Delete old emails you no longer need
➤ Delete emails that take up a lot of storage space – on Gmail, click on the little arrow in the search box and access the heaviest emails
PHONE
➤ Delete apps you no longer use
➤ Put the most frequently used apps on the first or second home screen.
➤ Delete duplicate or poor quality photos
➤ Close Internet tabs and running applications
➤ Check your phone’s storage data and see if you can delete apps and files that take up too much space.
➤ Sort through your contact list and delete numbers that no longer serve you
➤ Delete podcasts and music you no longer listen to.
You can also do this sorting on your social networks by unsubscribing from accounts that no longer interest you; on your blog by going back over all the links to see if any are broken etc. These are things that take time but that will do you a lot of good. Moreover, you should know that with 270 billion emails sent every day in the world, 7.263 billion grams of CO2 are rejected. The storage of emails is done on servers that consume a lot of energy. To preserve our planet, it is therefore important to regularly delete your emails. It’s a small gesture, but one that, when done by many, can have a real impact.
STEP 3: CREATE A MINIMALIST MINDSET (MINIMALISM MINDSET)
You can have the best intentions, but if your mindset doesn’t change, you won’t be able to implement minimalism in your life in the long run. Make minimalism a habit and an essential part of your life so you can stay true to it. Creating a minimalist mindset is about living with awareness. You must be intentional in your daily actions and know why you are making the choices you are making. Regularly ask yourself questions when you want to buy something. Do you really need it? Is it something you can borrow?
Minimalism is a lifestyle that is very subjective and personal. We all have different dreams, different tastes, different personalities and most importantly different priorities. That’s why it’s important to do what works for you. Your only goal should be to find what is important to you and minimize or eliminate all distractions. Focus on what’s important, find what makes you happy, what matters and what doesn’t in your home and life.
Minimalism is a personal journey that requires you to be very in tune with your inner self. The reason most people start by decluttering their physical environment is because it’s easier. And that’s a good place to start, the other aspects of your life will be influenced by it as well. What I really advise is to live your life according to you and not according to what you think you should do or how others act.
DO YOU PRACTICE MINIMALISM? Share it with us.