Minimalism was never a given for me.

I didn’t have a lot of things growing up but there was always a yearning for more. Particularly more clothing.

I had a desperate urge to keep up with the Joneses at a very young age.

I remember a friend of mine having a leather fringe jacket and I was so envious. Even though I loved that jacket, I knew that wasn’t in the cards for me but I would beg my mom for all kinds of clothing that I figured she could afford and a lot of the time I got my way.

I’m not sure how she did it but apparently I was a big enough brat that she somehow found a way. Goodness, I hope that I have made it up to her by now.

As I got older and had more resources, I accumulated so many things, both material and experiential.

I look back now with a touch of disgust at the amount of time and money spent acquiring so many things. And, for what? It was all an illusion. A house of cards.

None of it mattered.

Did anybody really care about how many pairs of shoes I had? About the kind of car I drove? About the restaurants I ate at or all the movies I saw?

It’s funny what a few years of perspective can offer.

But, I try not to regret things. Instead, I look at them as poor decision choices that were made when I lacked less knowledge and I try to learn from past mistakes.

But as I tell my children, nobody is perfect and mistakes are a part of being human. Perhaps they’re the things that make us most human.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, minimalism was never a given for me. It took me a lot of years to get there. And by the time I arrived at it, I was the mother of two little ones.

Our stuff was overwhelming. I was overwhelmed.

It took one too many times of me getting upset about misplaced pillows on my bed that I finally had an epiphany.

We had too much stuff. Particularly pillows. Those damn pillows.

That was the turning point. The point at which I had had enough. It has been a little over three years since that pivotal moment.

Maybe I should stop lambasting those pillow, and instead view them as a awakening.

Over the past three years of this journey towards minimalism, I have come to a few realizations. Specifically, there are 7 which stand out in my mind.

7 Benefits of Minimalism

1. Find your own way.

There is a lot of great literature out there. Read it. Take what you can from it. But at the end of the day, this is your journey.

It’s very unlikely to look like anyone else’s.

As an example, I identify as minimalist, who is a mom of two, with a 3000 square foot house and 3 pets. I also have empty cupboards and closets. How many of those do you know?

At the end of the day, we have to figure out what works for our unique situation.

2. Things do not define who you are.

Your identity is not a bunch of stuff that you think makes you look cool.

Your value as a person comes from within you.

Nobody is hanging out with you because of your 500 books. They are hanging out with you because you have attributes that they admire.

If your book collection disappeared tomorrow, you would still be the same person. Or if you started wearing the same outfit over and over, they wouldn’t care, and probably wouldn’t even notice.

We give our possessions way more importance than other people do.

3. Chances are you won’t even remember those things you get rid of.

Just think back to the times that you got rid of some books, or clothing. Can you remember specific items that you discarded? Me either.

But what you will remember is how overwhelmed you used to be by your stuff.

4. The gift of time is what really matters.

I think you would agree that at the end of our lives, we hope our loved ones remember that we were there. That we were present. That we were engaged in their lives. That we cared.

They will not remember the material things that we gave them.

5. You will save money.

When we start thinking about the items that we are purchasing and whether they add value to our lives, we naturally cease to buy the latest trendy top, or that extra spatula when we already have a perfectly good one at home.

As a result, we stop spending money on useless stuff which leaves us with more money for the stuff that really matters to us, whatever that may be.

6. You’ll choose to spend your money more wisely.

When you buy things, do you think about where that item came from? How it was made? The material that it is made from?

One of the many benefits of minimizing our possessions is that it frees up time and energy to think about our purchases.

It gives us the time and desire to choose the things that will add value to our lives and the time to find the best possible option.

7. It’s a never ending ride.

When you start removing all of the excess things from your house, the feeling is indescribable.

There is more room. More calmness in both space and mind. More enjoyment of your space.

But that first clean out leads to more decluttering, and of other things besides your material possessions. It naturally leads to reducing the clutter in other areas of your life as well, such as your commitments.

I feel like I have come a long way, but I also feel that there is still room to grow. As I’ve gotten rid of things, I’ve continuously looked at ways to further improve my life.

I continuously evaluate if there are areas of my life that can be further minimalized. I’ve dabbled in zero waste living, and have adopted practices where I can.

I have become more cognizant of the things that I choose to bring into my home.

It’s hard to imagine where my life would be right now if I hadn’t discovered minimalism. And at the same time, I don’t see a path where I could not have discovered it.

It has become such a huge part if my life and who I am at the core. It has changed my priorities and how I wish to live my life.

Without a doubt, it has changed my life for the better.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on minimalism. Is it a lifestyle you embrace? Is it something that you are interested in but you’re not sure where to start? Let’s get the conversation started.

And don’t forget to check out my post on getting rid of stuff or decluttering your book collection. It might be the nudge you need.

Until next time,

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