A Few Thoughts on Minimalism

What is minimalism?

What does being a minimalist mean?

Do you get to join the minimalism club when you only own 30 of your belongings? When you don't have a junk drawer in the kitchen? When you finally realize you don't really need a bed, you can just lay a mattress and call it a day? Or maybe when your home does look like everyone else's beautiful spacious homes on Instagram? 

I am not trying to be judgy or anything in this post but I recently had these sudden thoughts going around in my mind about being a minimalist. I think I just pointed out some of the perfectly fine variations of minimalism. I am pretty sure you are no stranger to the word minimalism, at this point. But that's about it. Different people have a different understanding — not everyone is created equal.

I am not quite sure when I started identifying myself as a minimalist. To be honest, I don't really like calling myself a minimalist because I don't feel like one yet. I am a far cry from being a minimalist. I still own too many clothes and don't wear a lot of them, I keep random knickknacks and photography props solely for aesthetic purposes. 

However, I'd like to say that I am embracing minimalism and definitely being more mindful of my consumption. 

How I have chosen to incorporate minimalism into my life has greatly made it better. I think it's important to remember that minimalism isn't all or nothing. Baby steps. Once you decide to make some changes to your life, it's a step in the right direction. 

Several occurrences and incidents in my life have forced me to embrace minimalism. The instances that taught me to value everything I have in life from having less. But by no means do I have to throw away certain percentages of what I own and deprive myself. Lots of people tend to believe minimalism is the idea of owning fewer possessions. While that's absolutely accurate too, it's just one aspect of minimalism. It's a wider mindset and there's no requirement that you have to own as little as possible before you can call yourself a minimalist. 

Looks like I have much to say but I don't know where I am going with this. Some say when you're overthinking it, write it. And yes, things have reached the point in this messy lil brain, I need to pour some out. Here's my take on minimalism:

First, we each have unique backgrounds, distinct ways of thinking, different purchasing behaviours, and different goals, so of course, the approach will vary from each other. While one may be looking to change their shopping habits, another one may already be quite cautious with their spending. Talking about spending, you can still go shopping while being a successful minimalist. You just need to shop in a more considered way. I am not going to pretend I never buy anything or treat myself to shiny new possessions, but I am definitely a heck lot less impulsive than I was. My first year of low-buy was a success so the proof is in the pudding.

Second, it's a slow process. For me, living without clutter is THE dream. However, some people might be able to declutter in a blink of an eye, while others might feel sad to let go of their possessions. I am not quite successful in this area — some things hold a lot of memories and I am not ready to part ways with them. That's totally fine because I am definitely getting better in areas like keeping my skincare routine as minimal as possible, saying 'no' to several things and not knowing more people, I guess. 

Third, although minimalists aspire to live with less, it doesn't mean that our lives have to be dull. You can be a minimalist and love colour. It's not always about the monochromatic wardrobes, clean homes with a few amount of belongings. Those are alright but hear me out. I am living in a maximalist house but it doesn't define anything because you can still live in a house full of things and apply a minimalist approach to other aspects of your life. There are no set rules or checklists to make someone more minimalist than another. 

Remember, the minimalism mindset is never about denying yourself anything. We simply make room for the things that bring us joy and what's important to us. It's okay to have a different approach from others that are also on this journey. What's important to me is that it truly helps me focus on more important things, make wiser decisions and change the way I look at things and that's pretty awesome. 

What are your thoughts on minimalism? Have you tried applying these concepts in your life?