Minimalist Disagreements

 As I've mentioned previously, there are quite a few 'rules' or 'instructions' regarding minimalism and simple living that I really disagree with, for me personally but also for the minimalist lifestyle in general. I wanted to discuss a few of them here just to give you an idea.

Source

Take this image as an example (there are some good points on this list too, but I'll bring up the ones I think aren't that great).

1. Make a list of things you don't need.
This is something KonMari touches on and something I discovered was true for myself. When you sort by category instead of by room you must gather everything within that category together from every nook and cranny of your home. I found things I didn't even know I had or hadn't seen or used in months (even years). By making a list of things you don't need you are bound to forget something. Say you've written down "payslips" on this list - do you then spend hours or days searching your entire house for all your payslips? This would get quite frustrating. Personally, I'd get hung up and stressed wondering where I've put them all and if I've gotten rid of all of them. This is where the KonMari method would work extremely well -the entire category is sitting in front of you and you can decide then and there what you don't need.

5. Simplify mealtime.
Yes, this is a good idea by all means but I pretty much disagree with it because I love cooking and I feel that 'simple meals' can too often sound like 'bland, same old meat + veg' and you'd get bored pretty quickly. I think the challenge here is to find recipes that you love and you deem are worthy to be in your regular rotation of meals - they might not necessarily be 'simple' - but if you love them enough they will fit your lifestyle because you won't mind the time and effort required to make them.

6. Downsize.
Good for some things, not for other things because size does matter! Downsize clutter, downsize your stress and anxiety and downsize your list of obligations that you don't give a f**k about. But, downsizing your car or home may not make your life more simple. Downsizing your home can mean you don't need as much stuff to 'fill it' but that's not the goal we are trying to achieve and I don't think this is good motivation for wanting to de-clutter or live more simply. To me, I'd prefer downsizing to mean de-cluttering - downsize unnecessary clutter. I always thought we needed a bigger home and more storage but after de-cluttering just a few categories after discovering the KonMari method I realised our home had become a storage shed and with less stuff it didn't get as messy and I found more room.

9. Embrace the 'one in, one out' rule. 
This one is a bit here and there - I've found when I've gone shopping and found something I like I do think about things like "Where will I store this, do I have room to store it, do I want to store it, can I get rid of something else I don't want/love/need as much as this?" So not quite as simple as buying a new sheet set and getting rid of another sheet set because I may not want or need to get rid of one. Its a good starting point to get you thinking about what you already have and what is the reason behind wanting to buy/bring home this item.

xx Emily

Discovering Minimalism

What is Minimalism?
I came across this wonderful website that I think describes Minimalism perfectly:

Remove what isn’t adding value to your life, to make room for stuff that is.

LESS clutter, time commitments, negative thought patterns and toxic relationships and MORE time, space and energy for things that really matter to you.

I started my journey after reading "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying" by Marie Kondo. While going through my de-clutter process and looking for inspiration I discovered Minimalism and really liked the principles of it. I wanted to stress less and actually enjoy my life. I didn't want to be concerned about things that ultimately didn't matter to me personally.

As the above website notes, starting with sorting your 'stuff' is a good jumping point. Our stuff represents us and our lives and our attitudes. Our stuff is our memories, our goals and aspirations and our habits and values. Our stuff can show our personalities better than we can explain sometimes. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I have for a very long time felt like my mind is just a disorganised mess of thoughts, goals, self-doubt, little confidence and insecurity. 

This post alone speaks to me on so many levels. 

Minimalism isn't a numbers game - doesn't matter if you have 100 things or 1000 things - its your life.

It can mean different things to different people - this blog is my own interpretation and minimalist process - yours might be completely different to mine and that's ok - its whatever works for you and your goals.

Its not just about reducing or having less - its about removing bad stuff so you can add the good stuff in. You will add stuff in but don't fret that this is going backwards or not what minimalism is about - if you have figured out what good stuff is worth adding and what bad stuff is worth removing you can live simply and much more happily.

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xx Emily

Clothes - A Warning

Well this isn't really a warning but more just me pointing out where a lot of "Minimalism" blogs, articles and Pinterest ideas say one thing and how my interpretation of Minimalism and simple living contradict these.

Disagree:

If you haven't worn it in the last 6/12 months get rid of it - this isn't what KonMari would tell you either. Just because you haven't worn it in several months doesn't mean it automatically gets thrown away or donated - although this is a good starting point as you can ask yourself why you haven't worn it in this time period. Would you throw out your wedding dress after 6 months? Personally I don't think I would if I had one.

Throw out half your stuff - I don't think this should apply to anything in your house as it is such a general 'rule'. What if you just can't get rid of 'half your stuff' for whatever reason - maybe you already are living with minimal things - does this 'rule' make you fret about what else you could possible get rid of?

If it's 'last season' get rid of it - well no. If you love it, does it really matter if it's 'last season'? I really don't care about what is and isn't in fashion or having a 'perfect capsule wardrobe'. I want clothes I like, I feel comfortable in and that make me feel like I look good - whether or not they are 'in fashion'. 

Dress with less - again, well no. What if you like layers and patterns and colours?! Dress whichever way you feel like because this is what is going to make you happy and comfortable. As you can probably tell, I don't like being told how to dress unless its for a wedding  or fancy dress party!

Minimalist Wardrobe Staples - again, NO! I will decide what my wardrobe staples are, not anyone else. I don't need to have a specific style of watch, cardigan, jeans, shoes, handbag etc. to be a 'minimalist'. Minimalism is not a fashion trend or style - it is a way of living and I will chose how I am going to live simply myself thank you!

Agree:

Does it have a hole/missing buttons - I used to keep all the clothes that lost their buttons, as well as the buttons, in my wardrobe waiting to be repaired. After reading KonMari's advice, I realised if I didn't fix the piece of clothing straight away it mustn't have meant too much to me so why am I still holding on to it?

Does it fit you - if it doesn't fit you right now and you aren't currently pregnant (like me) why are you holding on to it? If its a motivational piece of clothing that is actually motivating you to lose/gain weight/get fit etc. then by all means hold on to it (in my opinion) but other wise isn't it just wasting space in your wardrobe? It could also be causing you some distress if it only brings bad memories about skinnier/fitter/larger times in your life (and that is the opposite of Sparking Joy!)

If I saw it in the store right now, would I buy it I - personally I have found this a very useful mantra when I was clearing out my clothes for things I was a bit 'umm and ahh' about. I don't usually follow whats currently in fashion as I prefer to buy basic and comfortable items so asking myself if I would buy this top or skirt right now when it happened to be 'in fashion' a few years ago has helped me get rid of quite a few items that I just haven't worn recently.


xx Emily