Becoming a minimalist

[Pebble]

Hi,

I'm sure there are minimalists on this forum.

I'm on my way to becoming one too.

Please explain me how minimalism changed your lives, the before/after process.

Owning less = less anxiety for me.

[vibrate]

Here! I'm in the process of becoming one! This is actually why I found Leo! I googled something with "minimalist" and youtube suggested his video "renouncing your stupid, busy life to me". A different take on minimalism, but definitely the most important one and a real eyeopener for me.

The last step of decluttering was last saturday, where I ridded my attic of all excess stuff that was left. It started two years ago while ending my marriage, moving out ot said appatment and moving into a one-bedroom appartment since (though its still pretty big). So for the first time in my adult life I actually have the complete overview of what I own. I found stuff in the (really small) attic I didn't even know I had. That is so stupid! How can you ever use it if you don't even know it's there? So, while this is a good feeling, declutterin and getting rid of stuff can also leave you a little shaky because you remove a layer around you. You seemingly are less because you have less. You realize you will have to root a lot more in yourself because you can't hold on to so much around you anymore.

I definitely can concentrate better, it takes almost no time to keep my appartment clean and tidy. I reduced my kitchen supplies and my cooking. I have both used cooking and eating as a pacifier in the past. I cook much simpler now, plainer foods. It frees up a ton of my time!

I stopped seeing all the "acquaintanes" who were not friends reallly and concentrate on deepening the relationships with my really close friends and the children in my life that are important to me. I have way less scheduled appointments than I used to have.

I'm also an environmentalist so I don't drive a car (I live in a country with excellent public transport), I stopped using shampoo 4 years ago, I only buy bio foods, I don't do fast fashion whatsoever and I walk anywhere I can.

I also quit my career job to work on the LPC and see how I want to spend the coming years.

So, tu sum it up, my life is much less complicated and I'm much less depressed.

 

 

[Dan Arnautu]

@Pebble Well, yea, the first thing is that you feel more free. I suggest you don't get rid of stuff right away. 

General Guidelines

First, try to REPLACE the things that take a lot of space with an alternative that occupies less.

For example, I changed from a desktop computer to a laptop. That also made me want to sell my two monitors   (no use having them if I have a high quality laptop with a high quality screen). Think of some things you can apply that to.

Second, reduce the NUMBER of things you have in a high amount

• If you have 100 t-shirts, pairs of shoes etc., throw all but the ones that you wear most.

Thirdly, make all the items that you can, multi-purpose.

• For example, Steve Maxwell uses shoes and t-shirts that are presentable enough for going out, but flexible and breathable enough to exercise in. 

Fourthly, what you DO have, make it high quality

• Don't buy things you need to replace every month

Another thing you can do is put all the info, courses etc. you have in DIGITAL form, rather than PHYSICAL.

I personally can not do that. I love writing by hand and reading books in physical form too much. But that's just me. You may be different.

 

Edited November 28, 2017 by Dan Arnautu

[RichardY]

@vibrate  What do you use to keep your hair clean, if not shampoo?

[vibrate]

I use alumina (clay?) Works perfect and I only wash it every few weeks (more if I do sports of course). Hair is longer and shinier than ever.

[Joseph Maynor]

I’ve always been a minimalist and have only become more and more of one as time goes on.  Being an Entrepreneur has really caused this to manifest in me more because I’ve developed a system fascilitating doing my Amazon order for the month.  I have all my possessions lined up in my office and my house so I can quickly and readily see the status of each thing and what I need to order.  I have every category of item noted in my budget too.  

If I don’t use it, it gets thrown away.  I have a small amount of stuff on the shelves in my closet that I don’t currently use but I keep there for later use.  But in general, I don’t keep stuff around me that I don’t actually currently use.  

My clothing wardrobe is also cleverly minimalistic.  I had to build a wardrobe that has the minimal number of articles that I actually wear that can be combined in lots of ways for variety.  If I don’t wear it regularly, it gets tossed or donated.  My laundry is pretty easy because of this.

I also got rid of all my books.  I don’t keep books around after I read them.  I give those away to people.

The thing is with me — if I can throw it away or give it away, I will. I don’t wanna have a bunch of shit around me.  I’ve always been like that.  The stuff I do have around me I actively use.

Also, I don’t like to keep a bunch of paperwork around me either.  I have one inbox at work, and that’s where the papers go.  If they are important enough to keep, I will scan them and put them in my DropBox in the correct folder.  Then I’ll shred the hard copies.  If they are not worth reviewing daily in my inbox or saving on DropBox, I’ll throw them away or shred them.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Pebble]

Interesting Joseph Maynor, what I experience is that the road to minimalism takes much time and effort. 

Subconsciously I suppose I still want stuff so that makes it hard but I'm progressing really quickly.

I also realised one thing, lot's of people go through a process that I would call "Maximalism Rage", I did too. 
I wanted all my stuff to disappear so I could feel better. 

[Matteo]

On 11/28/2017 at 0:59 AM, Pebble said:

Hi,

I'm sure there are minimalists on this forum.

I'm on my way to becoming one too.

Please explain me how minimalism changed your lives, the before/after process.

Owning less = less anxiety for me.

I'm not sure I can define myself as a minimalist, but for sure I notice myself loosing interest in acquiring more and more things with time, especially when it comes to solid material objects.

I noticed that acquiring material objects hoping to optimize the activities I do and achieve more comfort doesn't actually satisfy me, because as soon as I got something I've already found something else to get, and it never ends. The more I notice this, the more I'm able to drop the desire to acquire something or to complicate things. I think that some acquisition of objects can be useful when it's not compulsive.

The result of this process is that I'm less frustrated when the thought of acquiring something comes to me, because I already know that is a deceptive thought that will not hold the premise it carries with it.

[Pebble]

I was looking some youtube videos about why the apple watch should be sold (I'm putting it for sale right now) and I found this video which is pretty inspiring.

 

[Faceless]

Outward expression of minimalism tends to be superficial in the sense that it’s only scratching on the surface. But isn’t to be minimal in its deepest sense imply ones psychological state to be as minimal as possible? To be simple outwardly is an attempt to alleviate, the effects of accumulation of things which we become attached to inwardly which causes conflict and suffering and so on...If we are simple inwardly wouldn’t this desire to outwardly become minimal which is fueled by anxiety and it’s effects on the mind cease? Just like outward accumulation effecting the inward state of being, isn’t all inward accumulation going to further effect inward states of being as well as the outward states? 

Sorry about the communication run on lol..

What I’m trying to say is...If we are inwardly simple wouldn’t outward minimalism be an expression of that inward state of being?

[Pebble]

11 minutes ago, Faceless said:

What I’m trying to say is...If we are inwardly simple wouldn’t outward minimalism be an expression of that inward state of being?

I'm not completely grasping what you are trying to say here. 

I personally don't plan on being a "Hardcore" minimalist and only pursue that as a "goal", nevertheless I think getting advice from hardcore minimalists is still good, you just don't have to follow everything they do but just make your own thinking.

[MarinM]

@Dan Arnautu Isn't it just about doing much less, like for example meditating and drawing whole day (ideal for me)? How does minimizing number of objects help? I mean, I got rid of phone apps, fb, ig and shit just let it for calls and viber, I would get rid of it fully but I'm not really in position. The question is - how does reducing items that are not used to distract yourself can help? Haven't really researched a lot about this concept so I'm curious

[Pebble]

32 minutes ago, MarinM said:

@Dan Arnautu Isn't it just about doing much less, like for example meditating and drawing whole day (ideal for me)? How does minimizing number of objects help? I mean, I got rid of phone apps, fb, ig and shit just let it for calls and viber, I would get rid of it fully but I'm not really in position. The question is - how does reducing items that are not used to distract yourself can help? Haven't really researched a lot about this concept so I'm curious

Aren't you overthinking this perhaps? I would say try and find out. 

[Dan Arnautu]

@MarinM Pebble isn't asking about lifestyle minimalism (the one Leo has a video on). He is asking about how owning less changed our lives.

[Pebble]

2 hours ago, Dan Arnautu said:

@MarinM Pebble isn't asking about lifestyle minimalism (the one Leo has a video on). He is asking about how owning less changed our lives.

True, let's stay ontopic, those are 2 very different subjects.

[Joseph Maynor]

How has this changed my life?

I feel free, mobile, aware of the status of my possessions at all times.  I spend very little time bogged down in junk and don’t waste a lot of my time shopping.  I don’t get lost in books because I try not to have them around me, except for one or two that I am actively currently reading,

Edited November 30, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Pebble]

I finally found a buyer for my Apple Watch, I feel a little lighter right now. It's crazy how much time it can take to get rid of things.

[Claireanne]

For me, minimalism is a path to sustainability. My motive for becoming minimalist was getting rid of the clutter in every segment of my life. I wanted to spend less money and to live more quality life. The main struggle was getting rid of my consumeristic habits, especially since I was always into fashion. So decluttering of my wardrobe was led by the decision to have only everlasting unique pieces, from designer one piece swimwear to classic work attire. That way I wouldn't fell in a shopaholic trap of buying more and making more clutter. The important step for me was also saying goodbye to social media. I have been spending to much time on it. I believe it is important to identify what are you spending the most energy and time on and how productive that thing is, or does it makes you feel any better about yourself. 

[metamorphose]

Hey there

there was a time, like 2 years ago, I considered myself a minimalist. I still live pretty minimalistic, but I felt just alone by labeling myself I restricted myself if that makes sense.

 

Anyway, that phase of decluttering was really important to me and now it‘s pretty natural for me to own and consume as little as possible. I surround myself only with things I need and/or really appreciate. The result is being more free, regarding time and money and a sense of appreciation towards myself. 

[RichardY]

I like the term essentialist  better than minimalist.