Inside: If you find yourself drawn to clear spaces and articles about simplifying your life, minimalism might exactly what you’re looking for. Here you’ll find 5 reasons minimalism might be for you.
Minimalism isn’t a trend. Well, it may be for some and advertisers have certainly jumped on board to convince you their products will help fast-track your way to a clutter free home.
However, while minimalist design may be “trending” right now, minimalism is timeless. It’s a lifestyle that has been around long before you and I ever even took a breath.
I didn’t learn about the concept of minimalism until I was thirty-four years old and three kids deep into my cluttered family life. I’d heard of minimalism but chalked it up to being an unattainable lifestyle for a messy momma like myself. However, looking back I can now spot signs that minimalism, in fact, was very much for me.
Here 5 Signs Minimalism Might Be for You.
1. You Tend to Wear the Same Outfits Over and Over
If you have a closet full of clothing, yet you still find yourself drawn to wearing the same pieces on repeat, minimalism might be for you.
Our culture’s default mode is, more. When we aren’t intentionally paying attention to what we’re purchasing and pursuing, it’s easy to accumulate far more than we need. Perhaps you grew up in a home with closets packed to the brim or maybe you fell in love with Cher’s excessive and trendy wardrobe in Clueless back in the 90s.
Wherever the concept of rows upon rows upon rows of clothing started for you, there’s a better way. A simpler way. A more cost effective and environmentally conscious approach to clothing.
2. You’d Prefer to Stock Up on Memories Instead of Material Possessions
I’ve never been drawn to high-end handbags and fancy scarves. Give me a ten-hour road trip with my family over an abundance of accessories or a kitchen packed with every new gadget any day.
If you prefer to spend your money and time experiencing new things rather than accruing more stuff, minimalism might be for you.
“Stuff” never lasts. Instead, it’s the memories, the brave steps, the moments of connection with friends and family that we carry with us throughout our lives.
3. You Don’t Enjoy Spending Your Free Time Shopping
I thought I enjoyed spending my free time shopping and browsing through stores. Whether I left with new stuff or not, I thought wandering through Target was the very definition of “self-care.” Turns out I didn’t love it at all, it’s just what I was used to.
If wandering through stores isn’t actually how you enjoy spending your days off, minimalism just may be for you.
4. You’d Prefer to Skip the Holiday Gift Exchange
As the holidays near, do you feel an ever growing anxiety in the pit of your stomach every time you think about how many gifts you need to plan for and purchase? I know the feeling. If you’re dreading shopping for gifts and would much prefer to spend time and energy with the people you love rather than stressing over what to buy them, minimalism might be for you.
Prior to minimalism I spent the weeks leading up to Christmas trying to outdo the previous one. I’d work to buy better gifts, bigger gifts and more gifts for both my kids and extended family. Minimalism helps us realign our holiday with our values so it can be a season of joy rather than exhaustion.
If you’re interested in cutting back or eliminating a few unnecessary adult holiday gift exchanges, it’s time to start making a few “Grinch Agreements.” For more read: A Grinch Agreement: What It is & Why You Need a Few This Christmas
5. You’re a Messy Person Who is Easily Overwhelmed When Tidying
I’ve always been terrible at tidying. It would take me forever, left me overwhelmed, and in the end, never actually felt tidy. I’d visit friends and family who managed to always have tidy counters and wonder how in the world they consistently pulled this off. It always felt out of reach for me.
Turns out I’m not actually terrible at tidying my home after all, I just spent decades of my life trying to manage more stuff than I could care for. If you’ve always considered yourself to be rather terrible at keeping home, minimalism may be for you.
Once I let go of the excess clothing cluttering my dresser, the overabundance of kitchenware taking up all my cabinet space and the endless supply of bedding, towels and “back-ups” crammed into my closets, everything I did use found a home. Funny how that works.
On top of that, I’ve been able to pass my new minimalist mindset on to my children as well. If your toys are too difficult to pick up and put away, perhaps you have too many. If you need a nap after folding and putting away your clothes, you probably have more than you really need.
Bonus:
One of the most obvious trail markers on my journey to finding minimalism was a nagging feeling that I was headed in the wrong direction. I just couldn’t put my finger on where exactly it was coming from.
Looking back, I can now see I was just slowly waking up to how misaligned my priorities had become. I no longer wanted to spend my days picking up stuff and shopping for more of it. I didn’t want to dedicate my weekends to redecorating and reorganizing. I’m forever grateful for my first encounter with minimalism. It’s helped shift everything from my faith and family to my calendar and home.
Minimalism vs. Spring Cleaning
When I say “minimalism might be for you,” I’m not referring to a good old fashion declutter weekend. I mean, the practice of minimalism.
Minimalism: The purposeful practice of pairing back both our material possessions and commitments to create a greater capacity to invest ourselves in the things that matter most.
Growing fed up with our cluttered homes, then rage decluttering until it feels right and eventually accruing new stuff isn’t minimalism. That’s simply decluttering or spring cleaning and it’s an activity most people do at least once a year. Minimalism, however, is a lifestyle of actively and intentionally avoiding adding too much to our lives in the first place.
For more information on Messy Minimalism head to MessyMinimalism.com
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