Minimalism is something plenty of us have heard about; perhaps it’s something that you currently practice, or something you would like to practise in the future.
Recently, I was looking through my journal for content ideas when I came across a list from about a year ago of reasons why I wanted to minimalise and goals/outcomes I hoped to achieve from doing so. I thought I would share them in case there are others who may be looking to declutter for similar reasons. So, here we go:
- Be in nature more
- Less materialistic
- Reduce stress
- More time to do art (and hang it!)
- Be more focused on practicality & functionality
- Feel more calm and relaxed
- Want to have less choice so that I can make decisions faster
- Self-improvement
- To live in the present moment
- Be tidier & easier to clean house
- Not holding onto poor fitting clothing
- Be more mentally organised
- Be more mindful of the planet
- More time for hobbies and spending time with friends
It’s been over a year since I wrote that, so I thought I’d assess where I’m at now since writing it.
I’m definitely not a tidier person since writing this in my journal, I’m still (and probably always will be) the person who moves a pile of worn-but-not-yet-ready-for-the-wash clothes from the bed to the floor each evening but when I eventually do get round to tidying, everything has it’s place, which makes things easier to find when needed.
I have definitely become less materialistic. I’ve never felt a massive need to own lots of expensive clothes or possessions but nowadays I generally focus more on the sustainability of each product I buy; I ask myself Do I really need this?, Do I have something at home that serves the same function? and Is this something that is going to serve me for a long time?
I no longer feel this need to hold onto clothes I never wear; every six months or so I go through what I’ve got and throw out things I haven’t worn and what I do buy (most of the time) is second hand and therefore isn’t contributing to fast fashion, so I’m being more mindful of the planet while adding new pieces to my wardrobe that I actually need.
Personally, my reasons for minimalising are still very similar however, one major reason has been added; I plan on buying a narrowboat to live on in the next year or two. Obviously they don’t have a lot of space for hiding miscellanea, so I really need to make sure I’m only keeping things I really need to get by.
I still have a habit of popping a random receipt, pen, lighter etc. in my beside table drawer to the extent where I can no longer close it, which is something I need work on but I’m very excited at the prospect of not owning a tonne of junk.
Let me know your reasons for decluttering, I’d love to hear them!
All You Need Is Less
VICKI VRINT
Organised
SARAH REYNOLDS
Lagom
