Less is More...
Minimalism....I am sure you have heard this term. Nowadays, some people also call themselves a Minimalist. Let's explore this buzzword.
Simply speaking, Minimalism is owning fewer things. Owning only the stuff that you actually need. The overarching idea is "Less is more". When I read about minimalism, I felt a sense of familiarity with this concept and the familiarity comes from my family. My mother has never been a hoarder. Since my childhood, I have been seeing her giving away stuff to people (both out of kindness as well as to de-clutter). I used to fight with my mother for giving away my clothes to people without my permission. The immature me did not realize that had she sought my permission, I would have never allowed to give away that shirt lying in the closet unused since past 3 years! Growing up, when I started living on my own, I realized that my mother's minimalism was not only environment friendly but also a necessity for me.If you are new to the world of minimalism, then let me help you find some easy way to adopt this. Bonus tip - you get to see the benefits instantaneously and its liberating!
- Start small - 30 days challenge: This was my induction. I gave myself a 30-day challenge to pick one thing each day that I will give away, throw or sell. I picked one carton box and started dumping one item each day. It didn't really matter what I picked up...it could be a pen, a hair dryer, a lipstick, used batteries, just about anything that I identified I didn't need. As I started filling up the box, I started feeling lighter. More like a burden off my head. The more I put in the box, the lighter I felt. On the last day, when I looked into the box, it was an eye opener for me. From electronics to make up to clothes, there were so many things I just did not need. By the look of that box, I realized that I had not even touched the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more that I can remove from my life and that is where my journey towards minimalism started!
- Gain some Lose some: If you find the 30-day challenge too drastic, you can adopt the approach of 'gain some lose some'. Basically, every time you buy something, you have to give up something in exchange. For example, you walk into a beauty store and find a new fancy looking mascara. Now you already have one at home, but this one in the store seems better so you go ahead and buy. You have to remember that while buying a new mascara is fine (the idea is not to deprive oneself!), you don't really need the old one now. The old one belongs to that give away box. Follow this as a rule - Every time you buy one, you lose one.
- Understand Memories: We keep a lot of stuff with us in the name of memories... gifts, souvenirs, paper cards, show pieces, even non-working earphones. So many things that we bought or were gifted at some point in time, and we are too attached to give them away because we want to retain the memories associated with those things. But think about it...how many times in the last 5 years did you actually look at those things and thought about the associated events or people? You will have the answer. Please understand our memories are safe and sound in our brain neatly stacked up, we can revisit them whenever we want to. We don't need to keep a physical, tangible and a perishable reminder of that memory in our lives. Life will be more fulfilling if we focus on collecting memories through experiences and not things.
- Does this serve me? You may be thinking that deciding whether to keep or give a thing is easier said than done. I agree that the choice is not easy at times, but you can at least start by asking yourself a question - Does this thing serve me? If your truthful answer is No, then you know what to do with it. Give it away to someone who it can actually serve.
- Tidy up: We are often advised to keep our homes and workspace clean and organized. Do you know why is this important? In today's day and age of multi-tasking, I believe this is not only important but absolutely essential. A clean and organized space helps to think clearly. A well-organized ambience fires up productivity and creativity and brings a sense of calm and peace. What we see is what we reflect! An important step towards a clean space is to de-clutter. Start with your office / home desk - remove all the extra clippings, staplers, and ancillary stuff that you don't need. Shred the old papers. Keep the wires of your gadgets neatly tied up in a bundle. There are a number of YouTube videos that provide ideas on de-cluttering.
- Less stuff = more time: We build our homes over a period of time. The bare walls are decorated, naked floor is furnished, stuff is brought in to make our space comfortable and homely. We buy these things over a period of time thinking we need them and then we spend time, effort and money to maintain this stuff. Every time something breaks, it needs to be repaired. Now imagine if you were to reduce the stuff at your home by 50%, what do you miss? Does your home not feel like home anymore? Or do you feel that you have 50% less things to maintain and take care of. Now imagine the amount of time you have at hand and how you can use this time. How you can use this time with your family or towards a cultivating a hobby or a plan a travel escapade. Again, focus on collecting experiences and not things. Your home doesn't need to be a storeroom. It needs to be your sacred space of only the things that you need and love. So cut the flab!
- Say NO to shopping apps: This may seem difficult since most people believe they are very busy and don't have time to do offline shopping. It a topic for another day to ponder on why we believe we are busy and is it normal to think that way. But if you are one of those who heavily relies on online shopping, then here's my advice - Delete the app after use. Re-install when you need and then delete again. By now, everyone knows that the shopping deals (discounts, Buy 1 get 2 free, interest free EMIs, etc.) are a way to sell stuff to people that they don't need. You are not purchasing these things by your free will; you are being made to purchase. There is a systematic manipulation being done using complex algorithms that are not only able to predict your needs, but also your weaknesses. They will make you buy three cardigans, when you actually need only one! and then they know you might need a matching pair of shoes with that. Instead of using the apps, we should try to visit the nearest store to meet our needs as much as possible, trust me the temptation to fall into the trap of deals is far lesser in offline mode. Offline shopping also helps in maintaining inter-personal associations which are more stimulating than the dead online interface.
- Contribute to nature: The more we buy, the more they produce. The more they produce, the more we buy. It's simple demand and supply cycle. And the more we buy, the more we accumulate and the more we burden our mother earth. Fast fashion, trendy stuff, advanced gadgets...We are bombarded with a 'new' in the market every single day. But what happens to the old ones? Do we even have the mechanism to deal with all the trash that gets generated as a result of these new trends becoming old one day? Enough and more stories have been published on the garbage pile up found in oceans and the impact it is having on the other species of the planet who, by the way, can't speak, but have an equal right to this planet. You are educated, please be responsible and respectful to the planet and don't do mindless shopping. Buy products that are sustainable and long lasting.
- Impermanence: We don't take anything with us. One day, all of us will either end up in a box or will vanish into air. None of the stuff that we hold close to our chest and carry every single day of our lives is going to be with us. So why then do we hold on to attachments? Attachments to loved ones is deeper and harder to let go of. But we can at least let go of the attachments to the material tangible things around us. I am not advocating the life of a Yogi here. We need stuff for our day-to-day life to be comfortable and there is no harm in keeping these things. But we should be mindful of not developing an attachment towards these things and make sure we severe our ties with them if they stop serving our needs.
There is so much more that can be done and is being done to embrace minimalism. Minimalism is not an end in itself, it is a means to a more meaningful simpler life. Once you are on this journey, you will be addicted to its benefits. Embrace this and prepare to change your life forever.
Thanks for reading! Always be brave and kind!
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