Minimal; is that a “dirty” word to you? Does it make you picture someone with no possessions -or- a house that’s barren?
I totally understand, it’s taken me a long time to figure out what it means in my life and there will be a time that it’ll click for you too.
The beauty of a word that big is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. So, first things first, what does that word mean to you? “Minimal”.
Your personalized definition should be true to who you are and who you’d like to come with no filter, no excuses, no comparison. If you’re sitting there like “Jen, but I don’t know where to start?”, I get it.
Here’s my loose definition as your brainstorm kickoff.
My definition of minimal is living and loving my life with only essentials to make me be a happier, more satisfied, and an infinitely healthier human by getting rid of the unnecessary, unwanted, unneeded and discarding anything that isn’t authentically me.
My quest with minimal (-ism, -ize, -ist) started when I was a little kid. I’ve always liked order and things in their place (my way of controlling my environment); however, fast forward 30 years and adding 2 small-ish kids in the mix, my anxieties around “stuff” was heavily getting to me.
Every day I felt like I was drowning… in “stuff”, both tangible and non-tangible.
ALL the stuff that comes with multiple kids; the toys (for the bath, their rooms, the basement/playroom, outside, papers/artwork from school, and etc.), a house full of clothes and laundry, and the stuff that’s paraded around social media – you know “the viral product of that day that will change your life”.
I would come home from work and feel an explosion (enter work-life “balance”/mom guilt). I couldn’t wrap my head around how social media people lived in these houses that were immaculate and I was living in a literal mess.
Yes, I know it is all a filter. A filter they use on their followers to make us want what we don’t have.
A filter – not showing what their house really looks like daily, rather than just photo day. Using the allure of the perfect to sell us stuff and to make us feel less. Well, I’m calling it out. It’s bullsh!t.
Minimalism is more than just getting rid of the tangible stuff, but the intangibles too.
I’m putting a stop to the guilt of putting my family and my (mental) health first, before work.
I’m continually learning to not compare my house/life/career to others.
I’m going to regain my personality, individualism, and enjoy the ride without caring about the potential for criticism.
Some questions to ponder as you think of your definition and after reading my story…
How many times have you endlessly wandered aisles at a store and you bought more than you expected (looking at you Target)?
Are you “over” consumerism and how every holiday has turned into a gift-giving holiday?
Are you happy with what you have in your life, here and now?
What would one small minimalist change for you look like?
How do you like to come home (or out from the office) from work?
If you didn’t buy another piece of clothing from Amazon, Shein, or Target, what would that look like?
Do you have high goals for yourself learning something new, buy all the items, and then never do it?
It’s time for all of us to take back our power and own our personalities! Turn off the filters, unfollow the influencers or people that make you feel less than, stop defining yourself by these unreachable utopias that society says we must strive to, and dare to be different and yourself.
This journey is not going to be a cake walk BUT you will feel so much better once you’ve kicked it out of your house (and brain) for good!
Remember your mission is minimal, not perfect. This week, explore how simplifying just one thing would impact and improve your daily life! I’d love to hear from you and be a part of your process as much as I want you to be a part of mine.
Simply Tamed 