Keys to My Minimalism

I’d define minimalism as the everyday practice of letting go of what does not serve you, and bringing in only the things that do. I am referring to both physical items, like clothes or makeup, and intangible items, like relationships.

There is no one way to be a minimalist. However, if you asked me what the keys to minimalism are, I’d share with you the three below. I don’t follow them perfectly all the time. Sometimes I don’t follow them at all. Keeping them in mind, though, has helped me feel more grounded and grateful.

Giving ourselves compassion

The most consuming clutter I have, and you have too, is our self-criticism. It’s not extra coffee mugs, or stained t-shirts, or books we won’t read again. It’s the anxious thoughts that race through our minds, hurting us. Think of how much mental space you’d gain if you took away the judgement you give yourself every day. Compassion is the key to this mental declutter.

I’m not talking about self-esteem. We all have things we are good at, that boost our confidence. We also all have things we are average at and things we are terrible at. Self-esteem fades when we fall short, self-compassion prevails.

Compassion is essential when decluttering physical things too. If you decided tomorrow to go through your home and discard what is taking up space, you may feel guilty for how you previously spent your money. These feelings may prevent you from dealing with the clutter, even though you recognize it as not useful and even though it causes you pain. It may even compel you to order something online you don’t need for the dopamine release that comes with shopping as a quick fix. Clutter begets clutter. Giving ourselves compassion helps us let go.

P.S. Please read Kristin Neff’s book on this topic (and then talk to me about it!)

Prioritizing our resources

There is a reason I did not use the word “less” in my definition of minimalism. Since I began practicing minimalism, I don’t feel like I have less. Rather, I have better prioritized my finite amount of resources so that I feel like I have more. More time, more energy, more of what I value.

For example, I still have the same amount of time after work, yet instead of cluttering my evenings with unwanted commitments, I have time to read and run this blog. I still earn the same amount of money, yet instead of spending it on new clothes or makeup, I can put it towards my debt or savings, leading to more financial freedom (a privilege, I know).

Accepting that we are flawed

I will always have acne. There is no need to buy another skin cream. My curls will always frizz. I won’t try another hair gel. Workout leggings will not make me want to workout, so I will refrain from purchasing.

The self-compassion that I am building helps me accept these flaws. My newly defined priorities help me reallocate the money and energy I would have spent finding and buying the “solutions” to them, and then the stress and guilt I would’ve felt when they didn’t work.

We are given messages every day that if we just had that one more thing, we’d be perfect, or close to it. That’s a lie. You’re human. You’re flawed. You can’t buy or self-criticize your way out of it.

In conclusion

I hope these concepts help explain why I really like this mindset of minimalism. I’ll dive deeper into all three of these topics throughout the year, so keep checking in!

Please subscribe to get notified of next week’s post, where I will share how I got started in minimalism, and where I am now.