What You Need to Know Minimalism and The Minimalist Lifestyle

 

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You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need. 

                                                    Vernon Howard

Trends and patterns of living has continued to promote lavish and extravagant lifestyle as the way to go. This has led to the rise of many who copy the lifestyle of various influencers leading to the exploitation of people by lifestyle brands and businesses. 

When you look around you, you are bound to find adverts of gadgets, houses, cars, computers and other personal items designed to make life easier. While these gadgets tend to make it easy to live the chosen lifestyle, they also come with huge costs even though there are simpler, not so flashy alternatives that are both effective and cost-friendly. 

This means you can still achieve your desired result, or piece and happiness living the way you love or live a productive life without having to spend all of your earnings  purchasing new products which will end up putting a dent on your savings and you still can not guarantee that it would not it updated soon, as new updates and improvements would require that you buy the updated model.

Minimalism as a lifestyle is a much talked about a topic that resounds differently with different persons, with some dismissing it as a fad associated with a certain class of persons, that is being rich, white, or the lifestyle of a single person who has no care for what it takes to run a family with kids and the constant need to buy toys and gadgets to ensure everyone is happy.

Some others lump minimalism as a lifestyle that does not necessarily require the minimalist to own a car, or a house, and as such should live in a space that is plain and does not have television.

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All these are not  true representations of minimalism.

The life of a minimalist is not necessarily about being frugal with yourself as many assume. Let's look at the concept minimalism from which it is derived 

So, 

What is minimalism?

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist points out that when we intentionally promote the things we value the most and remove these things that us from pursuing the things we value then we are practicing minimalism.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists see minimalism as "a tool to rid yourself of life's excess in favor of focusing on what's important so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.

From these definitions, it is clear that 

the core of minimalism is not about the number of things you own but about the value these things have and how they affect your life's experiences, no matter what you seek, be it happiness, freedom to live just the way you love or financial freedom doing what you love and enjoy fulfillment as you do them.

Also, the idea of intentionally promoting the things you love allows you to focus on those things that you value or matters to you and channel your energy towards ensuring you get the best results from your whatever you value. 

This makes minimalism a lifestyle that anyone whether single or married can enjoy. 

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What does minimalism have to offer?

Minimalism has a lot of benefits to offer mostly due to the fact that minimalists go for what makes them happy and the accumulation of gadgets does not really translate to more happiness, rather happiness is drawn from simple things that enrich life experiences. 

Does that mean having properties, gadgets, and lots of things is bad? 

No, acquiring gadgets and properties which you believe will make life easier is not a bad idea. It is however not the route a minimalist would take. The life of a minimalist is not wrapped around the superfluous acquisition of more when less can still yield the same result. 

It involves assessing the value a possession would add now and in the near future to you and if you would need to keep it or give it away to create space for yourself and add value to some other person especially when you donate it out.

Hence, anyone including you can begin to live as a minimalist by taking small steps that may not look like much but gives a sense of fulfillment.

You can begin by asking yourself these pertinent questions

1. Do you really need all your stuff?

I'm sure there are lots of things you probably aren't making use of now and neither do you think you are going to need them in the next 3 to 6 months, that take up space in your home. Why not declutter your home and give out those items.

You could also sell these items and make some money by the side.

2. Do you live in a big apartment that costs so much to maintain when a smaller place can serve your purpose?

There is no need to stay in a big apartment with so much pressure on your finances for a mortgage, maintenance, and the likes when your family can fit into a smaller apartment and still be comfortable. 

The extra savings you get from getting a smaller apartment can be channeled to something else like an emergency fund or a college account for your kid.

3. Ease of budgeting

It is very easy to budget for yourself and your family when the items to be budgeted for are few. Now ask yourself,

 How easy is it to draw up your budget? 

Are there ways too many items on your list? 

Can those items be reduced? 

Can you live without any of the listed items on the budget? 

The answers to these questions will give you an indication of the need to start letting certain items go and be more open to the idea of minimalism. 

4. Have you considered getting the appropriate possession versus high-end gadgets? 

There are quality high-end gadgets that so much and deliver on such promises. Howbeit, there are low-cost gadgets that can also do the same job but on a low budget. This is necessary as new models and updates keep rolling out intermittently. 

Then, why not get the appropriate gadget instead of buying newer models that end up costing more but do the same thing.

Now, are you cut out for minimalism?

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The answer to this question can only be answered by you and needs to be taken with the right perspective, and frame of mind. While I do not live in a tiny apartment with my husband and four kids, I have started the journey towards minimalism by cutting down on clutter, donating it I do not need, and making use of the available. 

Plus, my happiness is no more focused on what I stand to gain with things but rather how I can use the available to achieve great results. 

This is a journey that will definitely be worthwhile albeit a turbulent one as my spouse likes to get new models of everything. He gives me this look like 'what age are you from' when I remind him that the old one works perfectly. 

Benefits of a minimalist lifestyle 

The benefits of minimalism include the following 

None addiction to technology and consumer trappings

Freedom to discontinue things that do not give you happiness 

The minimalist lifestyle allows you to focus on creating more value while consuming less

You get to do away with excess stuff

You get to focus on your passion

Give more attention to your total well being

You get to add value to others 

You get to grow in areas of your strength 

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