Recently, I decided to try living minimally. I thought maybe if I decluttered my spaces, maybe my life itself would be less cluttered. These are a few of the tips I have used to bring down the number of my belongings.
1. Go through your closet.
Look at every single piece of clothing. Ask yourself, "Have I worn this in the past three months? Will I ever wear it again?" If the answer is no to both questions, then it's time to give the article of clothing up. A good trick to see if you actually wear an item is to organize your closet and over the course of a month, if something goes through the wash, face the hanger in the opposite direction. At the end of the month, you should be able to tell what you have and haven't worn.
2. Have a "Goodwill" pile.
When going through everything, regardless of if it's clothes, shoes, bags, etc., you should have a pile that will be donated. If it's not in good enough condition to be donated, then throw it away. Otherwise, put it in a pile, box, or bag that you will eventually bring to a donation center or a thrift store. Some thrift stores even give you store credit for donating items, so if you want, you could get more clothes. But would you truly wear them?
3. Give everything a proper place.
I know I have always had a lot of my belongings just in random places and never really had a spot to put them. As you go through your stuff, think about if you really use it at all or if you have a place you can always keep it. If not, throw it out.
4. Figure out exactly what you need, not want.
Look, truly look at everything you own. Have you used this item in the past month? The past three months? The past year? Then you don't need it. The trick to living a minimalist life is to only own what you need and use. If you don't use it, why do you keep it?\
5. Try not to buy anything new.
Unless it's something like toilet paper, in which you actually need to replenish your stores, don't buy it. That really cool hair straightener? How many times will you actually use it? What about that blender that you keep eyeing? Will you really make all those smoothies you think you will? Only buy something if you think you will use it regularly.
6. Try to keep it up.
Once you have decluttered your space and have broken it down to only what you need, it can be hard to keep it up. I am having trouble doing it myself. You just need to believe in yourself, and keep up after yourself, and you should be okay.
Living a minimalist life is a way to keep from being cluttered. To be able to keep your room clean. To not have to clean up in a rush if you hear company is coming over. It may not be for everyone though. Live your life the way you want to. If attempting being a minimalist is for you, there's no hurt in trying. Figure out what's best for you.
