One of our most popular posts here, on Living The Life Fantastic, is our How to Begin Living a Minimalist Lifestyle post, which includes tips on how to get started on a minimalist lifestyle. The second most popular post is “What Do You Really Need? Thoughts on Decluttering Your Home“.
I’ve been amazed by the number of people who are searching for tips and answers on getting started on the path to a more simplified life. It tells me that people are trying to figure ‘minimalism’ out… the how’s and the what’s of it all.
There’s a lot of y’all out there!
Uncovering the Reluctant Minimalist
But one of the things I’ve also noticed through the search terms, and just listening to buzz on- and offline, is the reluctance and struggle that people show in getting started on the minimalist journey.
I get it. I’ve been there.
I’ve struggled to toss out things that I’ve been emotionally attached to. I’ve been afraid to throw away something that I was so sure, without a doubt, I’d need within weeks of it being sent to the thrift store, even though I hadn’t used it in over a year (or more).
I hate clutter, but I hate regret more, and I was just so sure that I would be filled with regret over and over again, every time I reached for something that I no longer owned and suddenly needed.
My Own Struggle
One of the areas in my life that I struggle with (in a big way) and need to declutter, is my digital world. I have accumulated so many digital elements over the years, in my line of work, as a web/graphic designer.
And it sloooooows me (and my computer) the heck down.
Frankly, it drives me nuts. Keeping these elements organized in a way that allows me to quickly and easily find all of the cool vectors/patterns/backgrounds that I’ve purchased, is usually an exercise in futility and takes far longer than it should.
So I’ve started purging.
I’m doing it slowly. I’m sifting and sorting, even placing things in a ‘holding spot’, if I’m not sure or I’m on the fence about whether to keep or get rid of.
It, also, is a slooooooow process, but the process is a huge step for me, and is keeping me on the path of decluttering and creating a more minimalist lifestyle across the board – in all areas of my life.
My Challenge For The Reluctant Minimalist
My challenge for you, if you are a reluctant minimalist, is to break the process down into manageable chunks. Consider, as I’ve done with my graphic elements, to make a holding spot, as you determine if it’s a stay or go.
Not everything is worthy of space in your mind/closet/hard drive. Take the time and sift through it. Have you used it recently? Do you see yourself using it in the near future?
Think on these things.
Allow yourself to let go.
You’ll be amazed by the things you never miss.
You’ll be even more amazed by how good it feels when you get rid of the things that are cluttering your life.
