Minimalism is all about living with less. This includes less financial burdens such as debt and unnecessary expenses. … For many minimalists, the philosophy is about getting rid of excess stuff and living life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions.
Why do I have so many things… ? I looked through my stuff and I had 2,3,4,even 9 of the same things… staplers, notebooks, jackets, pairs of shoes, jeans, bags… you name it I had many, many of them. Excess. Too much stuff. Finding a place to put this stuff.
According to a recent IBISWorld report, there is no shortage of us paying for extra space, with Australia’s $1.1 billion self-storage industry already growing.
Whats the answer? declutter, live more with less, give it away, donate, sell it, let someone else get pleasure from your excess. Enjoy the space. Less to worry about.
Is that all? why did you collect this extra stuff? consumerism, the ads looked good, I needed it, it’s the latest phone, gadget, thing, its all shiny and new, trending, too many things, so easy… buy online…delivered this week..
Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus help over 20 million people live meaningful lives with less through their website, books, podcast, and documentary. https://www.theminimalists.com/. They have a documentary you can watch on netflix.
Joshua Becker https://www.becomingminimalist.com/. Joshua is a pastor who decided one day that he was spending time cleaning and organising stuff instead of spending time with his family. Now he teaches how to declutter.
LifeEdited shows that you can live large in a small home or apartment. By applying smart concepts and technology, you can have a compelling, fulfilling life that allows you to live within your means financially and environmentally. https://lifeedited.com/
Tiny Houses and the movement of Tiny Living offers not only cost effective and simplified living solutions, but also provides an opportunity to create personal and financial freedom. https://aussietinyhouses.com.au/
Leo Babauta https://zenhabits.net/on-minimalism/ a leading simplicity blog and his minimalism blog https://mnmlist.com/. Leo’s take on minimalism is to Lower your Life’s Requirements.
He was walking through an airport in the early morning, and wanted to get a cup of coffee to wake him up. But then he saw a long line at the Coffee shop, and decided he didn’t need the coffee to be awake, happy or alive.
When something becomes a need, a requirement, it locks us in. We have to have it, which means we start structuring our lives around it.
For lots of us, it’s more than just coffee: we need a glass of wine (or beer) in the evening, we need some quiet time alone, we need things to be neat, we need to watch some TV to unwind in the evening, we need the Internet for entertainment and news. There’s nothing wrong with any of these things, but soon the requirements for a happy life start piling up.
What are your requirements, things you can’t do without? For some people, it changes depending on the circumstances: you need a travel pillow on an airplane, a soft bed and nice pillow in order to sleep, music in order to run or do a workout, some alcohol in order to socialise.
What happens if you can’t have these things — does it make you unhappy or stressed out? Is the trip or social occasion or run less enjoyable?
What happens when we let go of these needs, and just keep them as a “nice-to-have” option?
The fewer requirements we have, the less of a burden these requirements become. The more often we have the same thing every day, the more likely they are to become a requirement.
Which harks back to spiritual teachings.. no expectations- no suffering. If I want/ need a coffee and I can’t get one, I will feel annoyed, angry, sad, pissed off… changing to accept that a coffee would be ok to have, if I can get one. If I can’t get one now, I will get one some other time.
It then translates into so many other things. This coffee doesn’t taste good. Next time I won’t have this coffee. It is what it is. No big deal.
