Going Minimalist without getting rid of everything

People adopt minimalist lifestyles because they want to cut all the clutter from their lives and focus on what’s important. The minimalism idea is to rid your environment of everything that doesn’t serve a purpose and concentrate on the essentials. 

In theory, it sounds like a good idea. You take away all of the distractions in your life and just strip everything back to basics. But getting to that point is a challenge. Sometimes you don’t want to get rid of family heirlooms and pictures your kids painted. Clutter is a record of your life – a history of what you did, so to speak. 

Minimalism And Your Life

So how can you combine minimalism with having stuff? 

Think carefully about what minimalism really means. It’s not about having nothing. Minimalists still need to have all of the paraphernalia of life, like food in the kitchen and clothes in their drawers. It’s about getting stuff out of the way to concentrate on the rest of your life – your goals, aspirations, and having fun. 

Minimalism, therefore, attempts to keep everything out of sight into cupboards, drawers, and the attic. You can still have important things in your home – you just need to find ways to accommodate them in a way that doesn’t intrude on your life. 

Minimalism Solutions

Renting a garage or storage unit is a great way to achieve this. You manage to preserve your existing living space while getting a ton of extra storage. Compared to other minimalist solutions – this one offers the least amount of impact on your current lifestyle.

Another excellent example of this in action is organized pantries. You still need well-stocked cupboards if you’re going to live healthily and get the body you want. But you don’t need packets all over the place. Minimalist pantries declutter by placing foods in similar tubs that they can just pour out when they need them. So, for instance, you could have grains, nuts, seeds, and beans in jars and then baskets for tins – you get the picture. The more you can label and organize, the better your pantry will be. 

Is it For You?

Minimalism is a trendy lifestyle choice right now. But before embarking on it, it’s a good idea to think carefully about whether it’s the right thing for you. Some people who get stressed out by clutter find that it helps them tremendously in their lives, making it much easier for them to organize themselves and focus on the essentials. Other people, however, actually like having lots of stuff in their environment. The cognitive overhead isn’t that high. 

Which is right for you depends heavily on your personality. Some people find it a tremendous benefit to live with less. It helps them feel less stressed and allows them to keep more of the money they earn. Others find it difficult. Having possessions is an integral part of life. It’s not easily given up. 

Being tidier could help you get the best of both worlds. Just organizing your stuff can mimic minimalism effectively.