What came in
The Minimalism Game was about what went out. Here’s what came in.
Having minimized more than 450 items over the past month, I thought it would be worth looking at what came into our life during the same period. This should be in line with the value of everything being either purposeful or joyful.
One of the things we ousted was a gas canister with a small heating element and an extension pole. The story here is that we’ve wanted a proper three-panel heater for the past two winters and finally decided to make the investment. Only after this, I found that our existing gas canister didn’t fit, so I sold it and used the same funds to rent a larger canister. It proved cost effective, as it is essentially a deposit for the can, and ownership meant little to me when the result is the same — we still only pay for the gas.
A table and chairs came in, and went out, in the same month. Bad decision to buy them without being sure they would work in our space, but fortunately I was able to sell them for the same price.
I bought two new t-shirts, to replace some shrunken ones.
So far, no nett change if we only look at these. But we also got a few new things: a toy car, instantly treasured for its build quality, a pair of speakers indefinitely borrowed from a friend (to be returned when I save for a soundbar), and a luxurious woolen rug for our lounge. The rug was one we found last month, with an aim to spend my small inheritance on it. We shopped around and nothing could quite beat it for value for money. Now our lounge is oh so cozy.
But is that all we gained?
No, not at all. By minimizing every day, we have gained the intangible benefit of clarity. Our little flat is now more firmly under our control, instead of the unruly forces of household entropy. Not totally, I should say. But at least we’re getting towards knowing what we own, knowing where things are, and being able to quickly get to things when we need them. I feel some pressure has been relieved, by the departure of those guilt-laden possessions which were monuments to “one day”. I’ve gained the joy of giving to someone who derives greater value from my “just-in-case” stores. I’ve gained a small pile of cash from selling some things, and am excited to buy a sports watch which will serve me better than my pedometer did.
A clearer space in more ways than one
Along the way, it is difficult not to clear spaces during the minimalism game. These are some of the side-benefits we derived during the challenge:
Taking the straw hat from the top of a cupboard led naturally to clearing the entire surface and replacing only a pair of vases. Removing an online account led to unsubscribing from junk mail, and having less distracted workdays. Taking a few apps off my phone led to more intentional use of downtime, to make progress on some really appealing books. Digitizing my university notes led to organizing my cloud storage. Minimizing some spare screwdrivers led to sorting out my screws.
The Minimalism Game: Conclusion
Perhaps above all, this month has made us want to take better care of our house, so that we can enjoy it more and keep up with our intentions to make it a welcoming environment for our friends. Having less visual clutter means we can sit and face any direction without as much textural stimulation. Having less cupboard clutter means we can get what we need without breaking the flow of what we’re doing.
In reflection, our home doesn’t look all that different, except that it feels like guests are coming around for dinner. That’s a nice state to have as a norm, if we can maintain it. It ended up probably 10% minimalism and 90% general clear-out, but one thing is for certain: this month has been well worth the while.
