I was browsing on the Internet that day just out of boredom and by sheer luck ended up watching Minimalist documentary on Netflix. I had huge perspective change which led me to follow path of Minimalism... kinda-sorta. I am a bit flexible about the way I define minimalism for me. As Minimalist, Joshua and Ryan have said that Minimalism is not any cult or a fad. Trust me if it would have been any one of that , I wouldn't have joined in. I define Minimalism on my own terms that are convenient for me.
For me, Minimalism means keeping only those material things that add meaning/value to my or my family's life. It has been very interesting journey so far and I know I have ways to go yet. In the beginning, I went all in. Getting rid of first few items were really hard but once I passed that threshold decluttering became easy. Once initial enthusiasm waned, I took a slow and steady approach which works better for me. Occasionally I do get in the zone and declutter a big chunk. De cluttering is just a habit now and doesn't feel like any extra work. Also, since I am already on the path of reducing stuff, there is not much clutter to clean. I spend less time in shopping and therefore doesn't have to worry about sorting and storing all that stuff. It's sure a win-win.
It would be nice to have family on the same page. I tried to teach my kids about minimalism. However, one kid got on the board easily while the other still struggles. My husband is not exactly on the same page as me ether but thankfully only few steps behind. I used to force everyone in my family to change just like me but this approach was very counterproductive. They are different people with different personalities and priorities. I respect that. Also, someone wise has said before -"Action Speaks Louder than Words". I am counting on that by taking action myself.
Sometimes I do have some set-backs and I am OK with that. I don't hold myself to a very high standard that would send me to a path of guilt and eventually make me give the whole thing up. Nope. I am not rigid, which keeps me going forward.
Just to be clear, I am neither miser nor frugal. Rather I emphasize on quality of the product that I want and would be ready to spend little extra if I need to. Besides, good quality means longer shelf life. That means less impact on environment. That's kind of important for me.
Minimalism is not at all hard for me. I don't feel like I am depriving myself by not buying stuff. Actually I find it very easy to say "no". Not having much of an attachment to "stuff" is pretty cool -I think. Minimalism has lifted a huge burden from my shoulder. I am positive now that I can get by with less space, less money and less stuff even if life throws a curve ball. This feeling is liberating in itself.
Being Minimalist for me is not same as being lazy. I value of hard work. I admire people who work to elevate their lives. Earning and saving for better future of my kids is a very fulfilling goal. Money is valuable resource and I will never devalue it.
Here is recap of benefits of Minimalism that I have found for myself. Minimalism-
1. Keeps home tidy and clutter free.
2. Decreases in "time-waste" involved in unnecessary shopping/ storing/ organizing .
3. Gives extra time to things that I love to do such as reading and writing.
4. Saves money by reducing spending on un-necessary wants.
5. Gives me ability to spend more on things that I value.
6. Teaches me good spending habits which in turn will make me have healthy relationship with material things.
7. Reduces environmental impact by reducing environmental cost of "stuff".
8. Reduces stress and anxiety.
9. Makes me more grateful for the things that I have.
- praj101
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