On the track of being a minimalist.

Amrutha Viswanath
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read

Though I can’t call myself an ideal minimalist, I know I’m on my way. Here are the things I followed slowly over the period of last 12 months that has helped to create more declutter zones in my living space.

I was a person who had always ‘space’ problem and it took a good amount of time to realize space wasn’t a problem but the amount of ‘stuff’ I had was.It not only created enough space but also simplified the way I go about traveling,clear off small debts and improve my decision making with regards to discern what kind of stuff is important and is worth spending money on.

Write down the intellectual and emotional reasons why you feel the need to incorporate Minimalism into daily life. This could serve as a good start for motivation.

Start by focusing on your stuff alone ( if you live with your family).Make a draft list of everything you want to get rid of by walking around your room,your study space and your wardrobes; the longer list, the better.

Recognise the fine line between essentials and things.Your priority must have essentials over things.

Start by separating things which are more than one, while you can actually manage by having only one of those. Keep all the extras in a cardboard box and forget about it for about 30 days.

Discard duplicate copies of your documents by keeping the originals aside. Scan and make an e-copy of all necessary documents and upload it to your drive.

Experiment by using lesser accessories to dress up.

Eventually, you’d be happy about managing fewer but necessary things on your body and carrying a smaller luggage for traveling around. If you want to be and feel light, then you have to let go.

Every time you feel like giving up go back to step no 1.

If you happen to need any stuff from the cardboard box, reach for it. If you happen to not think of the items in the box at all for about 30 days,give it away to the people on the streets or to someone whom you think those stuff would help them see the light of the day.

Repeat steps from 1 to 9. Experiment and optimize as per your own pace.Add more steps if you feel you need to. And you could apply the same to get rid of belief systems that no longer serve you, while making you create more mental space for yourself.

Getting rid of the unwanted stuff not only made me happy but also created space and time to discover what means the most to me.The above things could be tailor-made to your requirements and I urge you to do so. Realize that it is a choice and the less you own, the less that owns you! Would be glad to know how it worked for you.

Amrutha Viswanath
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