We have all heard and read about the virtues of minimalism and how it frees us from consumerism. But other than minimalists, very few people know how it feels to be a minimalist. How it feels to be a minimalist will largely depend on how far along in minimalism you are. So, we will look at how you will likely feel as you progress on your journey as a minimalist.
Realizing you need to get rid of stuff
For most minimalists, the journey starts when they realize that they need to get rid of stuff. This often happens because things are getting in the way. It can be a room that is too cluttered to use, or a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear. This stage often feels frustrating because you know that you are being held back.
Making the decision to reduce useless stuff
The next step is when you decide to do something about it. Once you have a plan to get rid of useless stuff, the next step is to commit to it and follow through. Once you start doing this, you have now become a minimalist and the rest is a result of this. This feels like your life has taken a new direction because it has.
Seeing your quality of life improve as you reduce stuff
The first and most important step in decluttering is to stop getting things you don’t need. When you stop buying things you don’t need, you will notice that you have more money available. This will give you more financial freedom.
The next step in decluttering is to remove things that you don’t use. When you do this, you will notice that you have more space. In fact, for every useless thing you remove, you add its volume of space back into your home. This will make your home more spacious and it will feel more tranquil.
Having fewer things in your place means that your home will be easier to keep tidy. This means that you will save time and effort. This will increase your freedom and will give you more time to relax.
This stage will make you feel freer because you are. Having more money and more time will add to your freedom. You will also feel more relaxed. This is no surprise considering that you have more space and that it will look better and less cluttered. This all contributes to a tranquil feeling.
Realizing that you have everything you need
All these positive changes will improve your quality of life. This means that your quality of life is improving as you get rid of things. It’s because the things you got rid of were useless to you.
After you have disposed of enough useless things, you will no longer have too many things. Instead, you will have everything you need. If something needs fixing or replacing, you can fix or replace it. You are then back to having everything you need. This realization brings a level of satisfaction that is unknown to many. This feeling of satisfaction and contentment leaves little or no room for envy or greed.
The emptiness
If you treat minimalism as a goal, then it is easy to feel empty when you think you have achieved it. This empty feeling can happen if you think there is nothing more to achieve. The key to overcoming this emptiness is realizing that minimalism is not a goal to achieve. Instead, minimalism is a tool.
Knowing that minimalism is a tool
Understanding minimalism as a tool means that you don’t try to achieve it. Instead, you should use it to achieve something else. Minimalism is a tool for making your life simpler and easier. As a result, you will have more time, space, money, and energy. This will make it easier to pursue the things that are important to you. Realizing this will give you a feeling of clarity.
In summary, how it feels to be a minimalist will change as you progress. In the beginning, it will feel frustrating because you have too many things. When you decide to do something, you will feel like your life has taken a new direction. As you gain more space, time, money, and energy from getting rid of stuff, you will feel more free and relaxed. At some point, you will realize you have everything you need. This will lead to a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. Now if you see minimalism as a goal, then you will feel empty when you think you achieved it. When you realize that minimalism is a tool to simplify your life, this will lead to a feeling of clarity.