How To Be Minimalistic
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
Hans Hofmann
The more the merrier. Although this may be true for some parts of life, having “more” may not always be the best. Possession of many things can be a burden in life. And our wants are never-ending. It’s human nature to want more even after getting what we want. But this is a vicious loop of constant wants and longing for what’s not yet ours, and this can make us quite unhappy.
This is where minimalism comes into play. Minimalism is to intentionally cut down what’s unnecessary or distracting so we may focus on our goals to the maximum effect. It involves simplifying our lives by reducing what’s not needed.
The main objectives of minimalism are improving the clarity of thought, having a clutter-free environment, redefining goals and needs of life, freedom from materialism, and achieving contentment in one’s life.
Although many think that minimalism is cleaning up your room or house and having fewer things, it’s only one aspect of minimalism. Minimalism is a way of living itself which leads one to be happier and at peace in life.
Here are 8 approaches to be minimalistic:
1] Identify Your Goals & Priorities
The first step to minimalism is to define what your personal goals in life are. These goals must be made a priority.
Make a list of your goals in life. These goals can be of any kind, like a lifetime goal or something you can achieve in a week or two. The main purpose of defining your goals is so that you can define what is necessary in your life. And when you’ve found out what is necessary, it would be easy for you to remove what is unnecessary.
Another way to prioritise is to figure out what you value the most apart from your personal goals. These can be relationships, experiences you would like to have, promises you’ve made to someone, responsibilities towards others, etc.
Don’t create goals to derive material possessions. Rather create goals that mean something to you personally and emotionally.
2] De-Clutter Your Environment
This is one of the best ways you can feel the power of being minimalistic, instantly. The environment you create and live in plays a big role in your moods and mindsets. Having a clean and organised space can elevate your sense of calm, and help you think and work better. You will also find that many of the things you have are unused or of no utility to you.
Start by removing all the things that you don’t need and keep only the things that truly add value to your life. After, you can tidy your possessions and organise them neatly. This will give you a sense of order and control over your environment.
It’s best practice in minimalism to keep only what’s necessary. Having too many possessions can be a burden to keep. The fewer things you have, the less you have to maintain them.
3] Digital Minimalism
Most of our free time is spent on digital devices. And it’s become a major part of everyone’s lives now. Our devices have become a space of their own, where you can access a wide range of content, information, tools and even other people.
Digital minimalism is useful to prioritise the necessary. Reduce the usage of apps and websites that distract you from your goal. Unsubscribe from channels and newsletters that you barely view. Organise the files and apps on your device, and delete those apps or files that aren’t of true value to you. And curate the social media content you follow to align with your priorities.
An ideal practice of minimalism is to minimize the use of devices, digital tools, social media, streaming websites, etc. And instead spend time outdoors, play a sport, engage in non-digital hobbies, socialize with loved ones, etc.
4] Master The Art Of Saying No
To focus on what is essential, you have to learn to say no to all that is not essential. Minimalism requires one to partake in the essentials of life and leave aside the rest.
Since you have identified your priorities, you can also identify what is not part of your priority list. Avoid those activities that are not part of your priority list. When you’re faced with a choice of doing what is aligned with your priority and doing what isn’t aligned with your priority, choose the former.
It may be difficult to not be distracted and to only focus on what is essential to achieve your goals and dreams. Although failure to choose the former is a part of this process, it’s extremely important to know when to say no. Don’t be disappointed if you fail. It’s part of the process.
Saying no to what is not necessary to you will simplify your life and make your goals clearer to you.
5] Practice Gratitude
Being thankful can help us appreciate what we have in the present. Practising gratitude can be useful in curbing our future desires while focusing on what we have in hand.
Contentment with what we possess is a necessary quality of minimalism. A minimalist tends to focus on what they already have rather than what they can get. Make the best of what you already have and do not yearn for what is not yours.
It could also be said that a minimalist’s basket is already full. Full with what they need. And wanting more would mean removing something that is needed.
You can practice gratitude by telling yourself what you are grateful for in your life. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t just say it but also truly feel what you say. You should truly be thankful to have it. You can say it to yourself or write it down a few times. It would be ideal to practice gratitude throughout the day, especially when you’re not feeling the best.
6] Financial Minimalism
Minimalism when applied to finances means to use our money to purchase only what is necessary and of value to us in our daily lives.
It is to be smart with the investment of our finances. We can either spend the money on what helps us achieve our goals, or on unnecessary purchases that do not help us in achieving our goals.
What you invest in will eventually grow. When you invest in something that brings value to your life, it can be termed a good investment as what you value will eventually grow with time.
Refrain from investing in things that don’t bring value to your life. When you practice this, you’ll realise that you didn’t need those things in the first place and that you’re better off without them. It is also the first step to achieving financial freedom. Remember that you get rich not by earning a lot, but by keeping a lot of what you earn.
7] Minimalism In Social Life
The desire to have many friends, social status and powerful acquaintances is inherent in most humans. Socialising can be very time and energy-consuming. Especially when one knows a lot of people. We have to keep up with everyone’s lives, make sure that the words we speak are fine by everyone, and show an interest in everyone’s lives even though it can be very hard to do at times. Although socializing is needed for human beings to thrive and bond, it can be very tiring and unrewarding.
Minimalists prefer the quality of companionship compared to the quantity. They are very careful in picking the ones they hang out with regularly. They do not believe that the more people they know, the better. Minimalists value quality friendships with people they truly bond with. Rather than socializing with everyone to form a relationship.
8] Enjoy The Small Things
Minimalists enjoy the small pleasures of life. They enjoy pleasures that are easy to come by as well. Big possessions and pleasures do not attract them. They know that the pleasures that come with having big possessions are impermanent and materialistic.
Enjoying the small things, the things that are easy to come by, the things that are most likely to already be in your possession is an amazing practice. Go for a walk in the park, cook the food you love, meditate every day, go for a jog, spend time with a loved one, read a good book or watch your favourite movie.
Just make sure that you are truly present in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing. When you start to do this, you’ll realise that you don’t need more to be happy.
Thoughts that can help you on your journey
- We only have a limited amount of energy throughout the day. So put that energy into what you value the most in life.
- Whatever you put your energy into, grows. Make sure you put energy into what you want to grow.
- Wanting everything is the easiest way to be disappointed. Desire is the root cause of sorrow. The less you desire, the happier you are.
- Everything is possible, but everything is not necessary — Arvo Part
- Understand what your needs and wants are. Prioritise the former.
Special Thanks To Einzelgänger For The Inspiration
