5 Things People Won’t Tell You About Being A Minimalist

If you thought being a minimalist was easy, I’m here to say that it isn’t. In fact, it’s on my top list of toughest life decisions I’ve ever made. Being a minimalist is like having an empty room and trying to fill it with three essentials.

Here are some real truths about living life with less:

1. Becoming a Minimalist Isn’t Easy

With any major lifestyle change there’s going to be some rough patches. Think about New Year’s resolutions. Every year you scroll down your Facebook timeline bombarded by endless rallying cries of “this year, I’m going to (some profound personal improvement)”. But when the month passes by and the excitement surrounding the new year goes away, you stop seeing the weekly fitness update photos your friend was posting religiously.

Just like with those resolutions, being a minimalist takes commitment to see the change through.

2. Minimalists Aren’t Perfect

For some reason, when I first became a minimalist two years ago, I had this idea that they all lived these super zen stress-free lives. I figured if someone has less stuff, what could they possibly be worried about? In reality, that couldn’t be any furthest from the truth.

People are people regardless of their lifestyle choices. We all go through pain or struggle the same way. If you are a minimalists you’ve learned to have less to focus on what’s important, but that doesn’t mean everything in your life is taken care of. Minimalist are not immune to the overwhelming nature of life.

3. Minimalists Have Kids and Families

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist is a father of two children and a husband. He has an awesome list of ways to get the family on board with de-cluttering their lives.

15 Clutter Busting Routines For Families

This proves that even if you are living with less, you probably still have to try to get your family on board and implement functional strategies to fit everyone’s needs.

4. Not Everyone Will Be Supportive

The harsh truth about being a minimalist is that not everyone is going to be on board. I actually had a family member recently visit me and he couldn’t stand the fact that I had such a small array of clothes, furnishings and decor. Everything to him felt bare and to me it felt complete (there’s even some things I still need to get rid of).

Don’t worry about trying to get others to see it your way. When people see you’re comfortable in the decisions you’ve made, they are more likely to support you (even if they don’t agree).

5. Being a Minimalist Is an Ongoing Journey

My grandmother would always tell me that nothing worth having comes easy. Minimalism is an ongoing journey of clearing room in your finances, relationships, house, wardrobe and everything in between to make room for what matters most.

Thanks For Reading

I’m Charmaine, minimalist blogger at HelloCharmaine. I believe we can all have an amazing life when we choose to live life simply.

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