What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is being aware of your possession and being mindful of items you choose to bring into your life. It’s looking at the things you have and really asking yourself, “Do I really need this? Do I really love this? Or is this just taking up space in my life?”

What does it mean to be a Minimalist?

Minimalism doesn’t mean you suddenly have to throw everything away. It means that everything you bring into your life serves a purpose and or simply brings you joy.

**Please don’t throw your items away if they are still usable! Recycle them instead. What I mean by recycling is finding them a new home. You can do this by giving them to someone who needs it or donating them to your local donation center or selling them secondhand.

Practical Application

Now that we have the basics down, let’s dive a little deeper using me as an example. Right now, I own a LOT of yarn and yarn tools that I’ve accumulated over a 5 year period. And it has come to the point where my collection is starting to outgrow its home; the place where I store them.

So I asked myself, “Is this yarn still serving a purpose for me?” I mean, it looks aesthetically pleasing but I haven’t even begun to think of turning the yarn I own into something or anything really. With that in mind, I decided to go through all that I had and made a list and found that I had a plethora of tools I hadn’t even touched. I then went on my local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook and I listed everything I didn’t need or use anymore.

The response was overwhelming. People were so excited to claim these items I no longer found useful and I was excited to get them out of my life and into a new home. Whether you want to give away your items or sell them is personal preference. For me giving items away is faster than selling them.

You can apply this mindset to all of your items. Whether it’s clothes, books, jewelry, make up, and other collectables. The core idea behind minimalism, well at least for me, is being mindful of what you choose to bring into your life. (Like I haven’t said that 5 times already, lol.)

The Golden Rule

There’s also the golden rule of one in and one out. For every item you bring into your life, you recycle one. I mainly do this with clothes since that’s an area in my life that can grow exponentially if I’m not careful. If I want something new I just recycle something I’m no longer wearing. Easy peasy.

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

There are many different takes on minimalism. Like not having any furniture, investing in things that bring you joy, and being a more sustainable consumer. It’s up to you to decide what that looks like for your life. I’m probably never going to own less than 40 pieces of clothes but I can choose to shop secondhand and support small businesses.

So tell me down in the comments below, what does minimalist look like for you?