How Minimalist Are You?
A common misconception about minimalism is that it in order to be one, you have to own very few possessions. That is only true for extreme minimalists who like to count their stuff (and anyone else whose life circumstances prevents them from owning much). However, minimalists all over the internet, especially ones with families, would argue that “it’s not about the numbers”. Hmmm, at least not the number of physical items in one’s possession.
A minimalist lifestyle is actually 100% about the numbers: the numbers on the calendar.
Let’s take two extreme examples. First, there’s the minimalist who carries all her worldly possessions in her globetrotting backpack. She uses 100% of her things, 100% of the time, and probably within a weeks’ time. We assume this person feels very “light”.
The second person is a hoarder who has a shopping problem. She has possessions that haven’t seen the light of day in decades. She uses maybe 5% of all of her possessions within two weeks’ time and 90% of her possessions within 20 years. We assume that there are possessions she never had the chance to use and that she probably feels the “heavy” weight of her clutter.
So, let’s determine where you are on the scale of possessions and their use.
2. What percentage of your possessions do you actually use within a week, a month, a quarter, a year, or longer?
How did you do? Are you a minimalist yet? You can get there, my friend.
Time for minimalism
When I began my journey to minimalism, I was a frustrated stay-at-home mom to 2 boys, an infant and a nine year old. The mountain of stuff that comes with having a new baby, plus the avalanche of stuff that comes with the start of the school year, coupled with a revolving door of people who wanted to meet the new baby, in a house that we had recently moved in, made me feel like I was suffocating in my own home. I simply could not keep up with daily demands.
I knew how I wanted to live, but it felt miles away from where I was. And that’s when I came across minimalism.
Minimalists, as it was presented years ago, were people who eschewed consumer goods and only had a few possessions, which allowed them to basically float through life. Floating instead of drowning? Where do I sign up?
Over the next few years, I wrapped my head around minimalism, both in principle and logistics. I discovered the true basis for minimalism and how my family’s consumerist behaviors affect our personal environment. I realized that making the leap from unconscious consumer to minimalist required a change in thinking patterns. And that is what I am here to share over the next year – how to wrap one’s mind around the concept of minimalism and apply it to life.
Time For Minimalism 