Live with Less

Minimalism is about leaving with less. I’m sure you have read books, listened to podcasts, watched videos about minimalism and how it can change your life for the better—leaving, with extra time to work on personal relationships and space for happiness in it.

Minimalists, is the philosophy about getting rid of excess stuff and living life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions. Keep with you only the essentials, save money for the very important things, get rid of clutter that doesn’t add value to your life, spend more on experiences rather than stuff.

Be happier and less stressed, measure your needs with yourself. Belongings are not always a sing of a wealthy life, most of the time they are actually a sing of a empty existence filled with stuff.

I’ve started since I was 36 years old, at that time I was moving from one place to another, packing my life in many boxes was very stressful, looking at the things I was collecting was mind blowing. Most of the dresses that I’ve used only twice, many glasses and plates in my kitchen that I  even didn’t liked, books, 3 pair of sandals, why? I’ve questioned myself about what I really needed to bring with me. That was the first time I’ve experienced the happiness of making room in my life. I brought most of the items for sales in local second hand shops, not always they were positive about getting them, so I’ve also gave stuff to friends, unfortunately I had to threw some of them.

Since that time, now when I buy something I evaluate carefully if I really need it or if I can use something I already have instead. I like when something gets used so much that it is time to replace it. It means it was worthy and it means I really enjoyed and used enough to justify its presence in my file.

The second lesson I learned was about travel light. Most of the time when I travel, I travel by bicycle, so you can easily imagine how important is to keep it light, carry with me only what I’d really need during my journey. Select cloths that get dry very fast, so I can easily wash them when I need to. Carry only item one per type, this is a very important rule, if I travel I’d need most probably one short and one long trouser but why on heart would I need to have 2 shorts and 2 long trousers?  We only have to  dress one body, we don’t have 4 legs! This is the idea of travelling light, have with me what I need, be ready for rain and cold weather, but also for a warm and nice sunny day. Have with me something that I like to wear and that I’m sure it’d make my tour comfortable, makes me feel safe and ready for everything I’ll face.

So if you want to start to live with less, you should start writing it down. List what you love and what is really important for you in your own present, then and list all your constrains, ether if they are physical or emotional.

Walk through your home with a box and fill it with duplicates. If you have two sets of plates, put one of them in the box. Copies of the same book or 2 black training shoes, nearly the same,  put one in the box. You only need one. Once you fill the box, label it “duplicates” and put it out of sight for 30 days. If you don’t need anything or don’t remember what was in the box, sell or donate it.

Dress with less, select what you’re usually wearing and put in an “surplus box” whatever you have worn only twice in your life. In the same way keep it for 30 days and If you don’t need any of the items selected, sell or donate it.

Declare your home a clutter-free zone. Think twice before buying new things, same money for experiences. Buy less junk food, go for something that will make you feel well, organic and healthy food will strength your body but also your mind. Select sustainable products, plastic free goods, reduce your waste, make your life easy.

Just try and after 30 days let me know, what do you really think?