Why Are You Not Adopting a Minimalist Lifestyle?

I encourage a minimalist lifestyle with all of my clients because most of them have become slaves to their own possessions. Minimalism allows them to take control over their own lives. This really isn't about organizing, its about maintaining sanity and spending your money the way you really want to.

The benefits of a minimalist lifestyle are both financial and psychological. For my clients who have a problem with compulsive shopping, I ask them to look back 90 days at the non-essential purchases that they have made by going through things like their Amazon shopping history and credit card statements. I ask them to consider that anything that was not a food purchase or utility as non-essential. Most are shocked to realize they have spent several thousands of dollars a month on items outside of these two categories.

I encourage you to try this exercise as well, you will likely have the same reaction. My next question for them is always

"Is there something better you could be spending that money on?" There is almost universal agreement that the money would be better spent on investment, travel or meaningful life experiences.

Decluttering is most of what I do as a professional organizer. When I spend an entire day at a house and fill up the bed of my truck 2-4 times with donations and trash, my clients start to buy in very quickly to the idea of a minimalist lifestyle. Like any addiction, attachment to possessions and shopping for the sake of shopping starts to overwhelm anyone when space begins to run out.

For anyone considering a minimalist lifestyle, I recommend a few simple questions to gauge how prepared they are to make the change. First, how many of (fill in the blank) do you actually need? Minimalism doesn't mean living with less than you can fit in a 500 square foot studio apartment. It means keeping no more of a given item than you can reasonably use. A single person doesn't need more than two bath towels, one in the bathroom and one in the closet or the laundry. Why would you need more?

The other question is, when was the last time that you used (fill in the blank)? People hold onto items for years that they have never used. The answer is always "someday I will use this because..." and someday never comes. Save your sanity and your space and roll the dice that you may have to spend $40 to buy it again later.

Another questions that is critical is an either/or question. Would you rather have these 7 (fill in the blank) that you never use or would you like the cabinet or shelf that they're in to be clean, beautiful, and functional? The answer to that question should be easy.

If there is hesitation with this approach, I ask my clients to try a test run with this lifestyle change by starting with one area of the home like their office, garage, or a large closet. Clear out the space, donate or throw out everything but the bare essentials and give yourself limits, like keeping no more than 1 or 2 of a given item in that space. My clients usually find after a few weeks that the space has become their favorite in the house because its existence doesn't cause any stress or anxiety.

It can take a leap of faith to adopt the minimalist lifestyle, but I've found that the majority of my clients are glad they did. Start with one small area of your home, ask yourself the questions in this article and stay disciplined with your purging. I think you'll be glad you did.