How I redefined Minimalism
I just read an article about minimalism that I found enlightening. It said that minimalism doesn’t mean “stark, white and sad.” It also isn’t about never buying anything or even owning as little as possible.
“Minimalism is not a punishment, and it does not have to be austere or ascetic” - Shira Gill who is a world-renowned organizing expert and the bestselling author of three books: Minimalista, Organized Living, and LifeStyled.
Whew! Because if that was the definition, then I am not a minimalist.
I never considered myself a minimalist. Nor do I consider myself a maximalist.
I sort of linger in the in-between.
I love an eclectic home.
I love my dining room rug that I negotiated and bought in Morocco. I love that it’s paired with some beautiful Japanese art on the walls and our very American wood dining room table, chairs, and china cabinet. I also love bookshelves filled with all of the books we have loved and still need to read.
However, besides the bookshelf, I don’t like clutter.
I am horrified by the show “Hoarders.”
Since we’re talking about Decluttering in the Financial Freedom for Creatives Club, I wanted to reframe minimalism (for both myself and for you, if you want to declutter in a way that may be a bit different).
Now, I really love Marie Kondo’s method of decluttering because I think it’s also a form of minimalism that says everything in my house should be intentional and purposeful, and if it doesn’t add value to my life, I get to bless it and let it go.
So when you start decluttering, ask the question: “Does this spark joy?”
After getting rid of anything that doesn’t spark joy, you may want to buy new things, so let’s ask a similar question –-
“What do I want to fill my home and life with – intentionally and on purpose?”
Sometimes, we have to just buy the couch that gets delivered quickly, but if you really had the chance to “start over,” what would you choose? I would choose pieces that I absolutely love, something that inspired me and gave me energy! And yes, furniture and decor can do all of that.
Also, if I can afford it, I would choose quality. I would buy the handmade Moroccan wool rug over getting a cheap polyester one at IKEA. Or if we’re talking about clothes, I prefer the handbag or shoes that are Made In Italy and will last me the rest of my life.
(Of course, don’t get me wrong, I have made a few “fast fashion” choices when something is super cute at Zara.)
While minimalism is often associated with having “less,” it doesn’t mean you have to be less abundant, less luxurious or less fun. Instead, what I’ve learned is that it’s really just about practicing letting go and only keeping or adding personal belongings that really are meaningful, aligns with your values and reduces the visual clutter and noise that can be distracting you from anything.
Here are some additional steps to declutter:
Try decluttering mentally and emotionally first. Write an anger release letter, if you feel any stuck energy or you’re feeling the procrastination. Write out a forgiveness letter to yourself, if you are embarrassed about the state of your home. If you are borderline or even full on hoarding, and there’s stuff everywhere, it doesn’t help to beat ourselves up about it. Instead, that shame can also prevent us from taking action. If you’ve ever watched an episode of “Hoarders,” usually they are paralyzed.
Start extremely small. When my husband and I were cleaning our house after the fires in L.A., we started with one room at a time. That actually maybe even too much. Recently, I helped a client to declutter. This client gave me a tour of the house, and the place that I felt like was a huge red flag was the cat litter in the kitchen. The cat was very unhappy with the consistency of the litter and would pee on the walls, rather in the litter box, so my client had to tape up plastic bags all around the litter, making her kitchen both smelly and unsightly. When I suggested that she spend some money on a litter that could take care of odors as well as perhaps have a lid/roof/house where the cat could go inside and do its business, she hesitated a bit because of the costs. When she did it, she sent me an email with the subject line, “What a difference a litter can make!!!” She proceeded to tell me, “My cat has never been this happy!! I cleaned well into the night last night! My cat was absolutely freaking out about me moving so much in his area. This morning everything was in order and when he went for his morning constitutional…MAGIC UNFOLDED!!! TMI Warning: For the first time in YEARS he “covered his tracks” after #1!!! He got in and it took him a minute to adjust but his little body was SO HAPPY!!! He just sat right down, did his business and there was not a drop up my wall!!! The litter even has a locus flower smell and that’s all that’s in the air!!! Afterwards, we had an absolute rub down LOVE FEST!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the tough Love about having to level up my game with owning a cat!! Our Lives have been BEAUTIFIED by this change!!”
Once you’ve done one thing, and it’s made a huge difference, it will inspire you to keep going. So, at this point, start setting up either bags or boxes to either “donate” or “sell.” (note: if you have a lot to declutter, it will actually be faster to donate at Goodwill, Salvation Army or your local “Buy Nothing” Group. Sometimes thinking you have to sell something can also be a way to procrastinate.)
Now that you’ve gotten rid of what doesn’t fit or doesn’t align anymore, plan a “Get-It-Done Day.” It’s a day to return library books, take the clothes you kept to the environmentally friendly cleaners, or deep clean your curtains, rugs, sofa, baseboards and windows. All of that will feel sooo good when it’s done!
I love this one from that article, so I’m just going to share it with you: “Do the Relocation Shuffle: Set a timer for fifteen minutes, walk around your house looking for things that aren’t where they belong, and simply put them away. Dump the dirty clothes in the hamper—or better yet, directly in the laundry. Put the stray dishes and coffee mugs in the sink or dishwasher. To make it feel like less of a chore, turn the relocation shuffle into a friendly competition with your partner, roommate, or child: whoever puts away the most items in fifteen minutes wins. The goal is simply to restore order, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.”
This one goes along with #5, but I hate seeing cords everywhere, and I still need to do a better job of this, but decluttering, to me, means less visual clutter, so if I can figure out how to hide those pesky cords or even my free-standing weights for working out, it just makes me so much happier.
Make things look nice. I think decluttering doesn’t mean there’s nothing. I love putting on a beautiful table cloth on the dining room table, and if I have fresh flowers or even just a few branches of green leaves, I’ll put them in a pretty vase, and it really just makes the space so nice and just visually sooo nice to look at.
Use what you have before you buy more, and then when you buy something new, see if you can get rid of something that’s similar. For example, if you wanted to buy new towels for the bathroom, can you donate the old towels, or retire them into the garage or tool shed to be used as cleaning rags?
Finally, decluttering is one of the best ways I know to pay down debts and to attract more money, energy, freedom, time and spaciousness. Decluttering is also totally free (unless of course you decide to hire a decluttering or organizational expert, which you may want to do, if you have a lot of clutter.) Also, giving or donating items will make you feel more abundant and richer. Don’t believe me? Give it a try!
And when it comes to minimalism – what I now know is – with less stuff, you’re less distracted and it actually leads to one of my biggest core values – freedom! Freedom from “stuff” that you don’t need, don’t want and don’t care about feels soooo good!
With Love & Gratitude,
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