Being a minimalist has many benefits and will make your life a pleasant journey. Also, every journey must have a beginning. So it is good to want to know how to start being a minimalist. But to know that, you must first know what a minimalist is. The answer is that a minimalist is someone who uses minimalism to simplify life. After knowing this, you can now learn how to start being a minimalist.
Know what minimalism is
As we know, a minimalist is someone who uses minimalism to simplify life. And before you can be effective in using minimalism, you must know what it is. Knowing this will let you know how to use it and what to expect. So, minimalism is a system used as a tool to simplify life. This means that minimalism is both a system and a tool.
There are two components to minimalism:
1. Refraining from getting things you don't need
2. Getting rid of things that provide no benefit
These "things" include material things that you won't use. But they can include intangible things such as the following:
Commitments that are a waste of time
Toxic friendships
Wasting time on social media
Worrying about things that you can't change
Know why you want to do it
The reason to use a tool is to do a job. For example, you use a drill because you need to make a hole in something. And you have a reason to make that hole. Minimalism works similarly. You use minimalism to make some part of your life simpler. Also, you should have a reason for doing so. Here are a few examples of the many possible good reasons:
You want a tidier home with less work.
You want to free up more time to spend with loved ones.
You want to save more money for what you enjoy.
You want fewer distractions as you pursue your life's purpose.
Minimalism is like any other tool. If you use it the right way and for the right reasons, you will love the results. If you use it the right way but for the wrong reasons, it will work. But you won't like the results. If you use it the wrong way for any reason, then it won't work. So make sure that you use it the right way for the right reasons. And the reasons should be yours.
Make it fit your life
There is no universal standard for minimalists, and there should never be one. People have a variety of goals, tastes, professions, and other life circumstances. What is useless to one person may be vital to another. So, you should make minimalism fit your life and your circumstances. For example, if you are a musician, then you should keep the musical instruments that you use.
Stem the inflow of useless things
Many decluttering tutorials skip this step. But it the most important step for some important reasons. An inflow of unnecessary things will slow down or halt your decluttering progress. And after you declutter, it will cause the clutter to build up again.
To stop the inflow of unnecessary things, you should only buy something if you need it for some use. Trivial upgrades don't qualify. If you upgrade something, then the new model must fulfill a needed role much better than the old model did.
Also, you shouldn't get something if you already have something that fulfills its role. So if you have two pairs of shoes that match an outfit, then you don't need a third. In fact, you shouldn't get unnecessary things even if they are free. They will become more clutter to clean up.
You should also stop the inflow of intangible clutter. This means avoiding new commitments unless they align with your purpose. You should also spend less time on time-wasters such as social media and TV.
Stemming the inflow of unnecessary things demands the most upfront effort. But it is the most important step and it is worth it. After this step, you can remove useless things at your own pace. You will also know that the clutter won't build back up. This step will also reward you with time and money saved.
Make it easy when you remove useless things
The next step is to remove useless things from your home and your life. Even if some of these things work, they are useless if you will never use them. The most difficult part of getting rid of clutter is deciding what to get rid of and from where. The key is to make the decluttering have the greatest effect for the least effort. This will make the process more encouraging. Decluttering is more of a psychological challenge than a physical one.
Start with the important living areas first.
Start with living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, the kitchen, and even closets. Save the attic, basement, and garage for last. This will encourage you by allowing you to enjoy results sooner.
Declutter a smaller room before you declutter a bigger one.
If 2 rooms have similar importance, then declutter the smaller one first. Smaller rooms are usually easier to declutter than bigger rooms.
Remove visible clutter before removing hidden clutter.
Removing visible clutter first will show progress sooner than removing hidden clutter first. So remove clutter on open surfaces before removing clutter from drawers and cupboards. Also, remove physical clutter before removing digital clutter.
Remove the easiest things to get rid of first.
Starting with the easiest things will let you see more progress in the beginning. This helps because the start of decluttering is often the most difficult. Here is a list of easy things to get rid of:
1. Anything that brings up bad memories
2. Trash (expired medicines and foods, broken gadgets, damaged clothing, old newspapers, etc.)
3. Clothes that don't fit
4. Unopened boxes gathering dust
5. Stuff which you forgot you owned until you saw them
6. Clothing (except for special use clothing) that you haven't worn in well over a year
7. "Just in case" items that are not for emergencies
8. Decorative items that you don't display
9. Appliances and equipment that you don't use
10. Items that are redundant beyond redemption
Reorganize after you declutter
It is best to declutter the space before you reorganize things in it. Otherwise, you will waste time reorganizing things that you will discard. When you reorganize after decluttering, give everything a designated space.
Giving everything a designated place makes the place neat and orderly. Also, the designated place is the most convenient place to put items. It makes it easy to keep the place tidy. You also don't need to search for anything because you already know where it is.
Note your progress and don't expect perfection
You should encourage yourself by keeping track of your progress. You can do this by taking photos before you start decluttering, or you can do it from memory. In either case, look at the size of whatever you are removing. This is because it is about the amount of space that you just added back to your home.
Do not be hard on yourself by expecting perfection. This will add more stress than you need because nobody is perfect. Instead, strive for continual improvement. Each week, try to make your home look better than it did the week prior.
Enjoy the simpler life
As you start becoming a minimalist, you will notice that you have more money, more time, and less stress. Your home will also look neater while being easier to clean. You should use some of these resources to enjoy life and pursue your purpose. After all, minimalism is a tool that you use to do the task of simplifying your life. But you should also have a reason for doing the task. So you might as well do it to bring happiness and fulfillment to your life.
In summary, you must know and start doing some things to start being a minimalist. You must first know that minimalism is a tool for simplifying your life. You must also know why you want to use it. You must also know that minimalism has 2 components. The first is to stem the inflow of useless things into your home and life. The second is to remove useless things from your home and life. Also, your use of minimalism should fit your life.
You must take the first and most important step by not buying anything unless you need it. When you declutter, you should do it in a way that gives you the most visible results for your effort. This will make it more encouraging. You should then reorganize after you declutter and give everything a place. Also, don't be too hard on yourself by expecting perfection.
As your start being a minimalist, you will notice that you will have more money and time. Your home will also be neater and easier to clean. You should use your extra time and money to add more joy and fulfillment to your life.