Minimalism: How To Get Started

When I first turned my interest to minimalism I was very excited and I wanted to become a minimalist right away. It was after I saw how much work and time it took that I realized it would take longer. Becoming a minimalist is a slow process that not only requires a clear vision, a lot of work and self discipline, but also life changing decisions.

The first thing you need to take a look at is your space. Are  you happy with the way it looks? Does it make you feel calm and relaxed or does it make you uncomfortable and restless? Do you feel a need to change things around or maybe re-evaluate your possessions? These are all questions that you need to answer before you can come up with a plan to get started.

Once you have answered those questions write down the areas of your home or your life that you want to de-clutter. Here I will tell you my tips to tackle your home.

Tips

1) Make a list of the spaces you want to de-clutter. For example, you could start with your room, then move on to your kitchen, living room and so on. In my case I started with my room.

2) Once you have chosen a space to start with, consider the different areas of that space. If you choose to start with your room, like I did, you might divide the big task into more manageable ones. In the case of my room I started with my closet, then moved on to my shoe collection, my nail polishes, makeup, bookshelf, desk, drawers and any other things that you have in your room.

3) Do not try to do it all in one day because you would be disappointed, exhausted and might be discouraged. Find a time that works for you. In my case, Saturday was a perfect day since I would feel too tired after getting home from work during the week.

4) Be patient. It might take you months, but I can tell you from my own experience that it is worth it. Somehow I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders every time I took things I didn't need out of my space.

5) Do not throw away stuff that somebody else my find useful! Find donation centers around your area, somebody might be less fortunate than you are, and you might be helping somebody in this world by donating what you really do not need or use.

6) Be very honest with yourself. Before you decide to donate an item, make sure that you really do not need it. Questions that might help you in determining if you need the item or not might be: Have I used this item in the past 3 months? Do I love this item? Do I NEED this item? Does it fit me (if it is a piece of clothing)? How would I feel if I donated this item?

7) Do not buy compulsively. It doesn't make sense to get rid of things just so you can buy more things to replace what you got rid off. Be a smart consumer!

I hope these tips can help you in your journey of becoming a minimalist. Questions and comments are welcomed, as long as they are constructive : ) Only positive vibes around here : )