I haven’t blogged about it until now, but I am sharing a little about my journey to a minimalist life. I have been working through this in my mind for a couple of years now. As I have gotten older I seem to be more easily overstimulated by too much chaos around me. I feel like I’m a pretty organized person but I’ve realized that being organized doesn’t bring the contentment that I realize I need. I’ve discovered that when there is so much stuff around me there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done. I’m the type of person that pushes myself to get the things done that “need” to the done (the obligations) before I allow myself to have fun. My husband tends to be the same way so it’s all work and not much play when we’re home. We’re just tired of that. If our “things” are keeping us from having fun and enjoying our lives then what good are they?

I think that I started realizing this after stumbling on a Netflix documentary by The Minimalists. Since then I have found helpful books by The Minimalists, Joshua Becker, and Marie Kondo. You can see them here in my Amazon store. I also follow The Minimal Mom and ClutterBug on YouTube. If you find yourself interested in learning more these are all wonderful resources to help you get started.

So, I’m actually ashamed of the amount of clothing, shoes, and accessories that I had accumulated over the years, but I have gotten through the biggest part of that now. I can honestly confirm what I’ve read and watched to be true. Once you start decluttering it gets easier and easier. It’s very empowering to take back your house. I definitely have a lot to do still but I am so happy with how far I (we) have come.

I love crafting but I think that I could be considered a craft hoarder. 😳 Before my mindset shift I would buy any random thing that I thought I could use in a craft project “someday”. Well, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t have a lot of time to play right now because there is always so much that needs to be done around here. So now all these “someday” craft items are just a source of stress, more things to clean around, and a sense of disappointment in myself for purchasing them and not using them. But I’ve worked through a lot of that now, too.

Some tips I have found helpful:

• If I have an article of clothing that I haven’t worn in over a year it needs to go.
• If it doesn’t physically feel comfortable it has to go.
• If it is not flattering – Bye Bye
• Items with stains or holes are outta here.
• If for any other reason I put it on and take it back off multiple times it’s going away.
• Personally, I have had more success selling clothes & shoes on Mercari than on Poshmark.
• Things that I don’t think will sell or I just don’t want to deal with get donated. I have already taken an unbelievable amount of items to Goodwill and other donation centers. There is a local site near me that gives clothing directly to homeless people. I have honestly never regretted donating!

So there’s a little bit about my journey to a minimalist life, but I definitely have a way to go.

Do you consider yourself a minimalist?

If so what have you found to be the greatest benefits?

I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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