You know you need a dose of minimalism if…

Minimal gets a bad wrap!  Well, to be honest, the word does sound at little scary.  But the meaning of minimal is nothing more than owning what you love, use and need. Nothing too scary about that. In fact, when you are sure that what you have is useful and liked it gives it purpose. Which should make you feel good – at least better – about owning at all.

The opposite is true as well.  When we own out of guilt, or obligation – not really liking something at all – it not only strips the item of purpose but leaves you feeling heavy and cluttered.  Talk about scary…

I love living minimal – making sure what is in my space and my life has meaning and purpose.  It doesn’t mean I don’t own stuff. It means the stuff I own fills my life with more happiness, and not the other way around. I am happy because what I own has meaning and intention.

In the words of minimalist Joshua Becker, at its core, “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentional”.

Do you live like a minimalist?

Here are some signs that you might need a dose of minimalism:

1. You spend more time clearing things and organizing clutter than doing things you love, like being outside, reading or being with your family.  This is perhaps one of the biggest benefits to being or even leaning minimal.  Minimal gives you freedom – free time, and free space – mental and physical.  The constant state of needing to organize only gives you more of a headache.
2. You compare yourself to others and what they own and then in turn want to “keep up” so you buy more than you need, more than you like and certainly more than you might ever use. This I feel is pretty common – happens to the best of us!  The key is to be aware that you are doing it and then question what you bring in, why you are bringing it, and where it will be “housed”.
3. You subconsciously or consciously think things bring you happiness. I am not saying you can’t enjoy or be happy because you bought the latest iPhone but don’t confuse having that new iPhone with true happiness.  Stuff is temporary. Building memories and doing things that truly blow your skirt up – that is the stuff of happiness.
4. You have a 2 car garage and can’t park both cars in them – comfortably. {No squeezing yourself out of the car to avoid dinging the door on something cluttering the space}.  I always tell clients that everything must have a home – a logical one – that makes sense for the item and the way in which you’ll use it.  Food goes in the refrigerator.  Clothes goes in a dresser.  Cars go in the garage. Which means the stuff cluttering your garage has three possible homes: somewhere in your house (or someone else’s!), in a donation bin, or in the trash.
5. If you spend money to rent a storage unit for items that don’t fit in your home – and you haven’t used or needed the items in more than six months – you might need to do a little minimalism purge.

Material possessions will never fully satisfy the desires of our hearts.” (Joshua Becker)

Any of these resonate? The key is to not beat yourself up if they do.  Just consider lightening your load.  Give some thought to what you really want to feel and don’t think of the idea of being minimal as so heavy. It’s just another way of giving you more freedom to do more, feel more, be more.

Grab that donation bag and pick a space that is crowded, overwhelming, and get to the work of removing what doesn’t bring you joy.  You might just find you really can have more with less.

And you’ll see that minimalism isn’t such a bad word after all.