Go Minimalist in 2021!
Minimalism. We’ve heard a lot about minimalism in the last few years. Marie Kondo has become a household name with her take on minimalism via organization through decluttering and only keeping meaningful items. Many of us utilized the extra time spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic to purge and organize. On the flip side, we also accumulated more items like puzzles, crafting supplies, toilet paper, wine, etc.
Here we are in a new year! With the new year come the resolutions:
Are you planning to eat healthier?
Will you read more?
Is exercise and moving your body more your goal?
Have you made self-care a priority?
Will you spend less time on social media?
Are you drinking more water?
All of these are great goals, respectable resolutions, attainable changes. But let’s return to the topic of this post: minimalism! There are many benefits to minimalism and it’s something that you can work on when you have the time. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change, but it is something you can incorporate into your life to help you stay focused and organized throughout the year!
Minimalism is defined as intentionally living with only the things that you absolutely need. Minimalists spend less time and money on things they don’t need, thereby allowing them more money and energy for actually living their lives.
Different Ways to be a Minimalist
There are many different ways to be a minimalist, and you can choose how you want to focus your efforts. Here are a few types of minimalism:
Reduce the number of items you own. For example, you may choose a capsule wardrobe in an effort to own fewer clothes.
Downsize and move to a smaller living environment.
Declutter your home. Keep what you need; donate or sell the rest.
Determine who are the most important people in your life and focus your time on them.
You get to decide what type of minimalism is best for you!
Easy Steps for Getting Started
1. Throw away the trash! Start simple: get rid of things that are broken or don’t fit or are never used. Cancel magazine and newspaper subscriptions that you never read.
2. If you haven’t used something in a certain period of time, let it go! (You choose how aggressive you are with the amount of time: in the last year, twice over six months, in the last three months, etc.)
3. Organize and declutter! Some people like to organize and declutter by room. If you are really trying to be a minimalist, you may try to organize and declutter by category. This will show you the number of the same item you have in different rooms!
4. Ask yourself these hard questions. Keep the item if you answer “yes” to any of the questions and discard the items if you answer “no” to any of the questions:
a. Is it useful?
b. Is it the only one I have?
c. Does it bring me joy?
5. Choose items with multiple uses. For example, a can opener that can also be used as a bottle opener.
6. Minimize space. This can be as simple as hanging a paper towel holder under a cabinet, or as time-consuming as scanning old family photos instead of holding onto photo albums.
7. Bring in less. If you buy a new item of clothing, try to find one to donate or give away.
Minimalism and Taxes
When you organize and declutter, go through your files as well! This Checklist will help you know what you need to save for tax time. This article clarifies which tax records can be thrown away.
If you keep what you need and shred the rest, you will be better prepared when it is time to do your taxes.
Go Minimalist! Get buttoned-up! Stay caught up and organized in 2021!