Minimalist Mondays are dedicated to finding love, adventure, and joy in everyday living through the pursuit of a more simplistic lifestyle. By allowing only what is useful and meaningful into our lives and letting go of that which ties us down, we are better able to live a life of purpose, both for ourselves and for others.
“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.” – Plato
Happy Minimalist Monday everyone! It is the first Monday of 2014 and my garage project is underway. My first car load of things has been taken to charity. Yay! This first trip was easy for me because I took things that had already been cleared from my house and marked for charity. However, I did not load as much as I had originally intended into my car because it was a 5 degrees outside and I was freezing. Even so, I was able to fit about 30 smaller items such as coffee mugs and VHS tapes into my trunk. Because this project will take months, I may not post pictures every Monday but I will report on how I am progressing on my number one black hole. By keeping you up to date on the progress of my garage I hope to both hold myself accountable and inspire you as you pick areas of your home that you would like to free of excess stuff.
On my last Minimalist Monday Post, Minimalist Monday: Here’s My Garage! ( and my front entry to compare) , I suggested that if you are starting a de-cluttering/simplifying project to start slow. One great way to do this is to pick one item a day to clear from your home. Choose just one little object that you never use and doesn’t hold any meaning to you. If you look around I bet you will be surprised at how many objects are in your home that you never take notice of. If you are not sure that you can part with your possessions, pack them up for a couple of months and see if you ever need them or even think about them. If you go six months without giving the items a second thought, it’s time to donate (smile).For extra tips on this process, the blog 365 Less Things at http://www.365lessthings.com/ is a great motivational resource for trimming down possessions.
Because it is the 1st week of the New Year and hundreds of after holiday sales are going on, I should add a second suggestion. I challenge you not to purchase anything new to bring into your home. We all have things we need to purchase or we will be wearing shirts and socks with holes in them. What I am talking about is stuff we all are tempted buy because it is cool, the latest and greatest, or because it is on sale. Everything we purchase will one day end up in the trash and in landfills. If we don’t put it there ourselves, one day someone else will. Things don’t last forever, but the non-biodegradable materials such as plastic that they are made of pretty much do. Becoming more of a Minimalist and living a more simplistic lifestyle will not only help us live more meaningful lives by having fewer possessions to tie us down, it will also ease the impact we have on the environment for future generations. How’s that for a Buy One, Get One deal?
If you are interested in more reading on the true cost of purchasing an object you may enjoy this blog by Leo Babauta http://mnmlist.com/the-true-cost-of-stuff/.
If you have any stories, thoughts or ideas on how to live a more simplistic and Minimalist lifestyle, I would love to hear from you!
Until next time enjoy the freedom of living a simpler life,
Laura
The Next 50 Years 