My Journey as a Minimalist

It has made my life so much better

“Less is more.” — Mies van der Rohe, the most influential architect of the 20th Century.

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to simplify your life. And if you’re not like me, see if it interests you! I’m excited to share my story of how becoming a minimalist has made my life so much better.

It’s not always easy to let go of the things we’ve become attached to, but when you do, it can be incredibly freeing. Once I started downsizing my possessions, I realized that I didn’t need as much stuff as I thought. In fact, most of the things in my house were just taking up space and weren’t really bringing me any joy.

Once you start living a minimalist lifestyle, there’s no turning back.

Do You Know How I Was Like?

As I’ve spent many years in the hostel since I was 11, I’m a sentimental person when it comes to my things. What I received from home to the hostel and what was given to me by my father are especially dear to me.

It has also expanded with the teacher. I’ve had a lot of great teachers, and they’ve all helped me grow. So if they give me anything, I believe it isn’t a present; instead, it’s their blessings that are giving it to me. As a result, I didn’t throw many things away until my high school years.

This habit has gradually developed, and I didn’t throw away my notebooks written up to my first degree, which I’ve been carrying for the past ten years or more. I’d like to keep some of the books and notes that remain useful. However, 98 percent of them are no longer relevant.

How I Went From a Cluttered Lifestyle to a Simple One?

It was an exciting story. I rented a house after my marriage. My spouse and I were against the idea of buying oversized, pricey items at home.

We believed we were simple folks. However, many items increased, leaving no space for anything else.

After three years of marriage, our home was still filled with various objects. We’ve had trouble with rearranging the house regularly.

So what did I do?

“The things you own end up owning you.” — Tyler Durden, “Fight Club.”

So, I tried to control our lives by not allowing them to rule us. The steps undertaken are as below.

Step 1: Every extra item was noted.

Running out of space on my desk and in my wardrobe was the only reason for this small accumulation. I ended up marking lots of clothing given to me by my parents over the years because they have a little textile.

Not only clothing, but there were also bags, shoes, electronic items, polythene bags, cardboard boxes, college notes.

Step 2: I divided them into four categories.

I have divided all the items identified in Step 1 into four categories listed below.

• Category 1: Extra things that can be used by someone else in need. (One man’s waste is another man’s treasure)
• Category 2: Reusable ones by us
• Category 3: Electronic wastes
• Category 4: Waste to throw (or should I say, recyclable only at an industrial scale)

Step 3: Identified foundations that accept extra items.

I looked over the internet for foundations that receive second-hand items and utilize them.

I had a lot of clothes and other belongings which I didn’t use and which were just taking up space. I donated these items to a foundation that could give them to people in need. This made me feel happy because I knew that I would put the extra things to good purpose and benefit someone else.

Step 4: Given time for our creativity.

The fascinating aspect of this process was that I had challenged my brain to find a method to modify the additional objects, such as unused boxes, clothing, and fans with rust.

By cleaning or rebuilding them, I attempted to alter them for various purposes. I didn’t buy any other things and reused the previous items for a better purpose.

If I discovered that some objects were still not usable in any way, I placed them in category 4.

Step 5: Electronic wastes disposal.

On the other hand, many electronic items such as old mobile phones, broken cookers, old fan motors, mobile phone chargers, damaged power banks, broken headsets, and many more have been left as trash. It is a worldwide issue to manage electronic waste.

For example, in some countries, the workers who extract valuable metals from these wastes often die due to toxic fumes.

Hence, it is imperative to handle e-waste with care. I contacted a few foundations and private companies for their expert advice on safely disposing Category three items. After much consideration, I decided that the best way to dispose of these wastes was to send them for recycling.

Step 6: I disposed the actual trash after filtering.

It was a snap decision to throw items into the trashcans.

However, I believe it’s meant to be recycled on a huge scale. The local municipal is taking care of it for us.

What Have I Gained as a Result of Becoming a Minimalist?

After the six steps, I discovered additional room space in my home to arrange the remaining objects and keep them where they belong.

There are no space-consuming items in our home any longer. We’ve shed everything else and are only left with what we need to live. By changing my lifestyle, I feel as if I have become minimalist.

Being a minimalist has made my life better in so many ways.

Here are just a few:

• I have more time and energy to focus on the things that matter most to me
• I don’t feel overwhelmed by clutter and chaos anymore, and feel have a more positive outlook on life
• I’m saving money by getting rid of excess stuff or buying unnecessary things after making it a more pleasant place to live in. I have more room in my house for the things I actually need.
• I don’t have to spend time cleaning and organizing my home all the time
• I feel so much lighter and happier since getting rid of excess things.
• I’m able to focus better and am more productive since decluttering my workspace

Voluntary simplicity is a lifestyle that embraces the core values of material simplicity, self-determination, self-sufficiency, ecological awareness, social responsibility, spirituality, and personal growth (Elgin and Mitchell 1977)

Research shows that living with less will make you happier. Here are some of the outcomes of that research:

• Autonomy (freedom/liberation, alignment with values, authenticity)
• Competence (feeling in control of the environment, less stress and anxiety)
• Mental space (saving mental energy, internal reflecting external)
• Awareness (reflection, mindfulness, savoring)
• Positive Emotions (joy, peacefulness)

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. If you’re thinking of becoming a minimalist, I highly recommend it! It’s definitely changed my life for the better as I feel better mentally and physically.

Happiness is on its way for you

A minimalist living is a lifestyle where an individual eliminates unnecessary belongings and lives with only the bare necessities. It is a type of living that makes life less complicated and allows individuals more time to focus on the things that matter. Minimalist living has also improved mental health, reduced stress levels, and increased productivity.

It is important to not just focus on materialistic goods but also on happiness. You can be a happy person with what you have.

If you are thinking about adopting a minimalist lifestyle, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, it is important, to be honest with yourself about the amount of stuff you own and what you really need.

Second, start small and take your time transitioning into a minimalist lifestyle.

And finally, be patient — it may take some time to adjust.

Thank you for reading!

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