When we first step foot in the minimalism movement, we see so many lifestyle choices that get headlines or dominate blogs and youtube videos. Many of these are very intimidating or overwhelming if we are no where near where the minimalist celebrities are.
- You don’t have to sell all but X number of things to be a minimalist. There is no set number of things you have to have in your living space. Things like the 100 item challenge set unrealistic goals and can have consequences like needing to repurchase things. The focus should be more on owning what things bring you happiness or help you accomplish your goals and daily tasks.
- You don’t have to live in a 200 square feet tiny house in the middle of no where. Living with someone in such a small amount of space can test the limits of the strongest relationship. The better way of looking at this is can you downsize your house or apartment and save money and time with a smaller living space.
- You don’t have to give away all your art, furniture, and home decor items Empty spaces are nice and liberating, but taken to an extreme, it can also leave spaces joyless. What things you do have should carry a greater importance and bring more happiness. It brings more purpose to what art, furniture, and decor items you do have.
- You don’t have to fit all your possessions in a backpack. You don’t have to sell all your things and pack it in a backpack and go travel the world. Learning to pack light can help inspire more decluttering at home, but it isn’t necessary to take the jump and minimize it all to a piece of luggage.
- You don’t have to sell your car and ride a bike or public transport everywhere Not everyone lives in a big city with reliable public transit or can live near where they work or buy groceries. Being more conscious about how often and where you go, re-evaluating your distance from frequent destinations. Reducing commute and errand running times can add more time to your life to do the things you want to do.
- You don’t have to give up buying things You don’t have to participate in a no buy challenge. Before you purchase something, pause and reflect on whether you need these things or may end up decluttering them later.
Minimalism is a personal journey and everyone’s pace of change and interpretation of it is different. Do not let someone else’s individual journey along minimalism scare you away or keep you from continuing on.