What minimalism has taught me?

You generally become more intentional with most aspects of life. And the things that are most important to you become your priority. Minimalism teaches how to live with intention . It helps you make your own choices based on your needs, and on what makes sense to you.

What is the 1 in 1 out rule minimalism?

To keep your stuff level from rising, live by the following rule: every time a new item comes into your home, a similar item must leave. For every drip into the bucket, there must be one drip out ; this ensures that your household won't flood, and threaten the progress you're making.

What is the main goal of minimalism?

In essence, minimalism promotes conscious decision-making about belongings, time, energy, and relationships . Minimalists are authentic, valuing simplicity and rejecting superficial mass consumerism. They aim to highlight the beauty, essence, and true purpose of things in their lives.

Why minimalism is a better way of life?

Minimalism empowers you to prioritize your life goals by being mindful of the changes you want to make by avoiding mental clutter and distractions . It involves investing less on things you don't need but only on what you essentially need, making you more financially stable by avoiding callous expenditures.

What is the 80 20 rule in minimalism?

Research shows that people use 20% of what they own 80% of the time . The rest takes up space, mostly untouched. Consider the things in your home, the clothes on your body, and even what you take in your luggage on vacation.

What is the minimalist 333 rule?

If you want to take the Project 333 Challenge Choose 33 items (or less) including clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories . Pack up and hide everything else and then you don't have to think about shopping or what to wear for the next three months.

What is the 90 90 rule minimalistic life?

Created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists, the 90/90 rule is a decluttering process that requires you to ask yourself two questions about objects you're not sure about: Have you used it in the past 90 days? And if not, will you use it in the 90 days ahead?

How minimalism changed my life?

Living With Less While I've always been a cautious consumer, minimalism taught me to buy less and buy better . I stopped buying things I didn't really need or wouldn't improve our lives. I spend less and save more because I understand what my priorities are and what matters to me the most.

What is the 20 20 rule in minimalism?

Created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists, the 20/20 rule consists of asking yourself two key questions while decluttering your home : Can I replace this item for less than $20, and can I replace this item in less than 20 minutes?

What are the mental benefits of minimalism?

A: Extreme minimalism can improve mental well-being by reducing stress and promoting a clearer and more organized mind . It removes distractions and allows individuals to focus on what truly matters, leading to improved overall mental health.

What does minimalism say about a person?

Minimalism can be defined as intentionally simplifying one's life and possessions in order to create more space and clarity . A minimalist person seeks to eliminate distractions and prioritize what truly adds value and meaning to their life.

How Minimalism Taught Me to Invest in Myself

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Minimalism is often associated with being frugal or “cheap”, but really they are two totally different things. In fact, through minimalism, I’ve learned an important lesson about investing in myself.

Before I got inspired to minimize, I prided myself on saving money. On being cheap. The coupon clipper, deal finder, clearance rack queen.

I bought oodles and oodles of stuff–baby stuff when I was pregnant (and even before), maternity clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes. Craft supplies, scrapbooking materials, DIY things. So many things. Craft stores, Amazon, Target, Kohls…I could find the deals and I thought it was making my life better.

But instead, the clutter was overwhelming, and the dollars added up. Cheap drugstore makeup, nail polish, hair gel. The toxins piled on and the quality of life went down.

When my daughter was a few months old, I melted down into an overwhelmed mess. It had to stop. And certainly, there had to be a better way to live.

Defining “Investment”

Now to be clear, when I say “invest in yourself”, I’m not saying waste money and be selfish. Truly investing in yourself is quite the opposite–it’s a better use of your money (aka, investment), and it allows you to getthe most useout of each item you own.

The downside of a bunch of cheap or clearance deals is that you don’t value them, they’re typically poor quality and they aren’t made to last. Cheap items usually end up broken or are treated as disposable.

In an effort to be more sustainable and take care of our stuff, higher quality investments will return far more value, enjoyment and overall, get more use over a greater period of time.

Does Minimalism Require a Higher Investment?

In general, thefocus of true minimalism is getting rid of the distractions and excess in order to focus on the most important things.

That usually means reducing clutter and stress in order to make life flow simpler and with grace and ease.

This is where many minimalists do focus on quality over quantity. It makes more sense to invest in an item that you’ll use for years, instead of a few weeks or months. And truly, the word “frugal” does mean getting the most out of each investment you make, regardless of the dollar amount.

How Minimalism Changed My Approach to Purchases

As I started to donate and sell boxes and boxes (and more boxes) of cheap stuff I’d accumulated over the years, it was a huge eye opener to just how much I’d actually spent, and how little (if at all) most of the stuff was used.

Clothes with tags. Baby stuff new in packages. Books and courses still in shrinkwrap. Unopened office supplies. It was, in many ways, utterly humiliating and heartbreaking. All this stuff was sitting untouched in my house while so many families in our community, and the world, desperately needed items like these.

They could have used them, while I did not.

This realization made me see how wasteful our society is as a whole, and also how consumerism feeds a continuous need for more, without ever giving a thought to truly caring for, repairing and sustaining the items we already have.

With minimalism, I’ve kept the best items, and let go of the rest. I have a capsule wardrobe. A simple kitchen. Curated bookshelves that bring me joy. It’s been a huge focus of mine to look inside my soul and make sure to only keep the things I love and use. Things with meaning and purpose.

All the rest–someone else can use them more than me.

Switching from Disposable to Sustainable

I’ve been a clearance rack fast-fashion shopper all my life. I thought it was about getting good deals. Why pay $40 for a shirt when I can get it for $5?? If only it were that simple.

Two years ago I watched the documentary “The True Cost” on Netflix. It was shocking, sickening and caused me to take a hiatus from shopping. I no longer desired to go clearance rack shopping. In fact, I really didn’t even want to set foot in fast fashion consumer stores at all.

The fact was, all those clearance rack clothes I’d purchased over the years? They’re gone. They stretched out, ripped, stained, or lost appeal.

When first looking into sustainable clothing, I had a common response. It’s SO expensive! I could never afford it…

But over time, I realized I couldn’t NOT afford it.

Self-Care & Body Care – What You Put On Makes a Difference

Hitting the milestone age of 30 has been eye-opening to me. I never could stick with a skincare routine before, and now, my body lets me know where I’ve been slacking. The hormonal acne, wrinkles, and imbalanced energy have made it clear that self-care is vastly important.

In my 20s, I just went along with it, but now, I realize that balancing my hormones and taking care of myself can no longer be ignored. I ditched the toxins years ago, but I didn’t fully implement a natural self-care regimen either.

I thought it didn’t matter. That I couldn’t afford the best products, so why bother.

Only it did matter. A lot.

Learning to understand my hormonal cycle was the beginning, and finding ways to naturally balance them is an ever fluid journey. But the more self-care I prioritize (time to read, write, meditate, pray, exercise, stretch), in addition to proper skin care routines, the more balanced and creative I feel.

After trying many DIY and cheaper versions that didn’t work, I invested in Young Living’s skincare and makeup lines. It’s still difficult for me to remember to follow the steps every day, but when I do it consistently, the results are worth it!

I’m still frugal about it–I use it sparingly and make the most of it, but the high-quality essential oils and ingredients ultimately make it worth every penny to me.

Final Thoughts on Investing in Yourself

It requires a mindset change to learn to invest in yourself wisely and carefully. Seeking versatility over novelty. Looking for action over the price tag.

Researching what works better and benefits your health more, and knowing that the investment into health and self-care is worth it.

Minimalism taught me to spend less on frivolous stuff (I rarely go to stores, especially Target, anymore). Even though I invest in higher quality things, I’m not actually spending more money than I used to. I’m just spending it differently.

I never valued quality before, but now I purposely choose it. Because it matters to take care of yourself.

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