“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.” —Richard Holloway
Spring is a season where we start to welcome the warm airs of summer and enjoy sunny days with friends and family but wait that’s not all.. it’s time for spring cleaning!
If you’re anything like me then you know having a clean house is nice but sometimes you just don’t know where to start. Let’s start with the basics such as sweeping, mopping, and dusting but what about that clutter? How about starting with your belongings instead? But wait, you need them right? You already spent how many years collecting these items which probably just became an addition to those other things that you will find handy one day. Sometimes deciding what should stay and what should go gets tricky but the key is minimalism.
Minimalism isn’t just about keeping things simple and living in a simple way. It’s about disconnecting from the consumer culture and creating a sort of freedom for yourself. How could having less belongings help you be free you ask? When you stop focusing and creating meaning out of your belongings then you allow the chance for yourself to open up and grow as an individual. Think about it: everything you own is worth some sort of value whether it be sentimental, cash, or just economical. When you stop relying on items and belongings to make you happy then that’s when you learn that you are the creator of your happiness. What could be more empowering than understanding that you get to choose to be happy??
Minimalism allows you to take away any distractions that could lead you away from the things you want most in life. You free up space, save money, and create less stress. It allows to a chance to value things like relationships, our health whether it be mind or body, and experiences.
Start minimizing by creating a plan of where you can start such as a room. Work on one area at a time and if that is too much then start somewhere smaller such as a cupboard or a drawer. Some other great areas to go through are:
- Clothing is another great place to downsize since there is pretty good chance that you don’t wear everything in that closet. I like to turn my hangers backwards and when I wear an item I’ll face the hanger the correct way. This way I can see in a month what I don’t wear and remove it because if I don’t wear it now then odds are I probably will never wear it. This is a great tool to downsize your closet.
- Toys! Odds are children don’t play with all of the toys that they have. Take note of what toys they don’t play with anymore and minimize that toybox! Show your child the importance of giving back to the community by donating those toys; it is amazing how many kids find gratitude in giving.
- Hey good lookin’ whatcha got cookin’…in the kitchen?! Are there any utensils that you don’t use anymore or haven’t been touched in decades? You know what to do next. Take those things and pack them up to give away or sell them!
- Decorations are another thing that can be minimized. Start with the nic-nac items. Keep what is only super meaningful to you.
“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu
Don’t worry, minimizing can be a tough thing to do but once you start then it only gets easier. You didn’t just gather this stuff over night so it is going to take more than one day to clear it out. When I started downsizing it was difficult because I found a reason to keep everything but then discovered I didn’t actually need any of those items. I started saving money and focusing on what really mattered most to me. Once you start downsizing then you’ll realize it how many opportunities really present themselves when you have less distractions. There’s no better time than now since that’s what spring is all about, right?! Cleaning out the old and bringing in the new clean space and enjoying the simplicity of life!
