Becoming Minimalist

Last night, I watched 'Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things' on Netflix. It was the straw that broke the camel's back in my constant struggle with consumerism and materialism. I went down the rabbit hole of the minimalist lifestyle - read blogs, articles, and searched it up on youtube. Almost immediately, having gathered my bearings about what minimalism was all about, I was excited to embark down this path. Today, I started my journey and in this post, I want to share why I'm embracing minimalism and how I'm going about it.

Let's start with what becoming a minimalist means. If you want further information, I'll link the websites I've read at the end of the post, but this is what it means to me. As stated in the documentary and on The Minimalists website, minimalism is basically simplifying your life. Ridding your life of excess to focus on the things that add value and quality to living. I've always been intrigued by articles about people who have adopted extreme minimalism but I was never ready to take a plunge that drastic. In my mind, before today, minimalism seemed like a very boring way to live. There were always stories about people who had only 10 items in their closet, only a futon in their bedroom, and so on. Pushing the extremes to live on the bare minimal. Having read more about it though, minimalism is basically what you want it to be in your current situation. More importantly, it does not only focus on your possessions (although this is the key reason for me). In ridding excess, the question is always, 'Does this add value to my life?'. This encompasses relationships, time, work, activities etc... basically all the opportunity costs when making decisions. Ridding yourself of toxic relationships, overwhelming jobs, things that weigh you down. Decluttering.

"We work jobs we hate, to buy shit we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like."

In a sense, I have sort of been skirting the edges of minimalism through-out my life. My wardrobe is very monochrome, I default to all black everything quite often, I've shunned 'climbing the corporate ladder' and I've not had a real 'home' for the past 5 or so years. Constantly travelling helps with not building clutter as I always preferred to try and travel light. However, in the past year, I've settled down in Brisbane and I've allowed the clutter to build up. Being into sneakers, streetwear, and fashion has probably not helped either. Whilst travelling, I would still keep track of the trends, but didn't have the money or space to accumulate all this junk. Now that I've had a little more spending power (everything seems so cheap when you're earning and spending AUD), I've come to the realisation that I've spent the past year wasting way too much time and money on things. 

It's hard not to. Advertising and consumerism is constantly in your face these days. Open your facebook or instagram feeds, your email, twitter,  youtube, or just turn on your TV. There's a constant message of you need this, or you need that to achieve happiness. 'The influencer era'. The latest cars, fashion, tech, so you can get 1 step closer to becoming your idols. Especially now, with all the Mid-Year/End of Financial Year sales. I opened up my email inbox and there were no fewer than 13 emails from local retailers telling me 'Now is the time to shop! 50% off storewide' (I spent a chunk of last night unsubscribing from newsletters). Afterpay, interest-free payment plans, exclusive discount codes, store credit etc. And I have fallen for these sales time and again, buying stuff I probably didn't need. $80 for a complete outfit that would've normally cost $200, paid over 4 months?! It'd be rude not to! Huge discounts are hard to resist. Walk into any fast-fashion retailer. Stuff is so cheap and changes so quickly that I pick things up without thinking, just because it's $20 or $10. 'Meh, it's this cheap, why not?' And then never use it. You know this, when you do your annual clean and find that cute shirt or novelty item buried in your closet. 'Oh, I forgot I even had this!' It's not the quality items you use daily that weigh you down, it's the stuff you buy at DFOs.

"Collect moments, not things."

The other thing that sparked this 'a-ha' moment was my room. I think that the state of your room is a reflection of the state of your mind. Whenever I am overwhelmed with work or stress, the effect is mirrored in my room. An assortment of papers, clothes and things will start to pile up in various places. It quickly becomes a mess. When I looked around my room last night (I've been on-edge for the past week, waiting to hear about my scholarship), it was cluttered. There were things stacked on other things, boxes of stuff I'd kept around 'because they look nice' or 'maybe one day I'll need it'. Clothes I hardly wore cause they no longer fit or I don't like the look of but 'it's a waste to throw away or donate it because I paid x amount for this or that'. With so much clutter, it's hard to focus on and appreciate the things that really matter. The things you like the most. The things that make you happy. Not to mention having to clean that many more things. Clear your room, and it clears your mind. I've always been a fan of the minimal aesthetic anyway.

So what have I decided to do? Today I donated 30 pieces of clothing, including shoes and various accessories. I threw away old documents, old bottles and boxes that I kept around simply because they looked good. I gave away books I'd already read. There's not going to be a drastic change overnight, I'm not going to move everything out of my room and be left with only 30 pieces of clothing etc. No, it's a gradual process and the focus is more on how I make decisions in the future. When I moved into this house about 8 months ago, I decided to go with an open clothing rack. It was a financial decision back then and I planned on picking up a proper cupboard somewhere down the road. Now, it's an integral piece of this new journey. Anything that doesn't fit on my clothing rack, I don't need. If dust builds up on something, it's because I don't wear it, and therefore, I don't need it. I got rid of the storage boxes under my bed for stuff that didn't fit on the rack. This way, it's strictly one in, one out (for the time being, I'm doing one in, two out). If I buy something, I have to sell/donate/throw the thing that it replaces. This keeps me from impulse buying or stress-shopping and prompts the question 'Is buying this thing going to improve on what I already have?' It will also help with quality over quantity. The goal is to have a wardrobe where everything is a favourite piece. Again, ridding the excess. Personally, being a very indecisive person, having quality over quantity, or fewer options, also helps with time management.

Open Clothing Rack

What this also means is more gratitude. Be grateful everyday for what you already have instead of constantly chasing the next thing, a better car, a better house, a nicer watch and losing sight of yourself. Sure, you can use those things as motivation but if you're working your butt off just to buy a nicer car, do you own the stuff, or does the stuff own you? Do things because you want to, not because you need to to fund that next luxury item.

One very important thing to keep in mind, is how things add value to your life. In the documentary, there's a section where someone asks about getting rid of all their books even though they love the tactile feel of the pages, the smell, and so on. If you think your collection brings you happiness, then by all means, go ahead. Keep that hobby or collection. As long as it doesn't get in your way or stress you out about findings ways/time to store/maintain them. Remember, you decide how you want to approach minimalism. It goes without saying, this is not for everyone. If you have to stress and force yourself, it defeats the core purpose of a more fulfilling life.

"Love People. Use Things. The Opposite Never Works."

Alright, I've rambled on long enough. I hope it didn't come across as preachy. As I continue this journey, I'll share how being a minimalist extends to my lifestyle, relationships, and activities as well. Thank you for your time, have an amazing day. If you have any feedback, or just want to share your thoughts, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Resources:
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2015)
Becoming Minimalist
The Minimalists
Jenny Mustard