A minimalist living is something you must have heard about a lot recently. Do you think it is about getting rid of all of your belongings and just surviving on bare minimum? Then I must say, you have got it all wrong.
In reality, minimalism is not about getting rid of everything and living with nothing, but it is about decluttering your home and surviving with what you need. The whole idea of a minimalist lifestyle is not to be attached to materials, have more space at your home and have a stress-free life.
How to Be a Minimalist
Living a minimalist lifestyle is eliminating things which are unnecessary and does not really serve a purpose in your life. A minimalist living cannot be the same for everyone. I might think a material is very necessary for me daily which might be of no use to you. This depends on person to person, so it cannot be generalized.
In a simple definition, minimalism is:
• To identify what is valuable and important to you,
• And to get rid of things that is not needed or does not add value to your life.
Following is a guide to be a minimalist.
Assess What You Need
Assess your life and make a list of belongings you just cannot do without. Don’t be in haste. Slowly and clearly take an inventory of things you use every day and do not get rid of things just for the sake of decluttering.
Move Room by Room
Decluttering should be done slowly and steadily. Do not just sit in one room and decide to declutter the entire house but move from one room to another, assess the entire room and the material in it. Then decide what you really need and what item is just sitting their occupying space unnecessarily. Do this for each and every room of the house.
Store Away the Extras
Minimalist living does not mean to just throw away your belongings. You must have spent a lot of money on your possession. Maybe today you do not require certain things but tomorrow you might need it again and that is why you do not want to get rid of them. For example, if you have a stroller at home and your baby has outgrown it then you do not require keeping it but, in a scenario, where you are planning another child, getting rid of the stroller makes no sense. You just need to store it away somewhere for the time being.
Similarly, if you possess a valuable family heirloom or a sentimental item which practically has no use but emotionally is very valuable to you, you would not want to part away with it as well.
Also, there are many out there who want to live a minimalist life and are experimenting with it. For such people, getting rid of the belongings they think they do not require is not a wise decision as they might regret over-minimizing their life later and would end up spending additional money buying new items again. That definitely is not what minimalism is about.
If you find yourself in situations like the above mentioned, facilities such as storage units Austin can be of great help to provide an ample storage to store away your extra belongings.
Plan Your Purchases
The next step towards a minimalist lifestyle is to limit what you buy. You just got rid of unnecessary items. You might be tempted to buy many things when you are out shopping. You need to assess and prioritize your purchase. Buy something only if it is an absolute necessity.
A good practice is to sit at home and make a list of things you need. Stick to your shopping list when you visit a store. Avoid any deviation.
Conclusion
A minimalist lifestyle differs from one individual to another, but it focuses on the same core values, “LESS IS MORE”.