If you want to see how something affects you, try removing it from your life and check the results.
I’m several years into my minimalist journey. At my worst, I was drowning in excess. I thought I just needed to organize my stuff, but I was suffocating in it.
I had even gone through a couponing phase where just for fun, I would see how far I could stretch $20 and coupons. I ended up with a binder full of them and stockpiled with tomato sauce I didn’t love and shaving cream I didn’t need.
Yikes.
It wasn’t just the stuff I acquired.
I worked too much, spent too much, consumed up to four coffees daily, and sometimes woke up on Sunday mornings with a hangover.
It’s taken years to release the burden of too much. Moving twice in the last few years has helped immensely with my minimalism journey, but I have a long way to go.
I’m not a minimalism expert, but rather someone who craves a simple life and is willing to sacrifice to achieve it.
I want peace, I want fewer things, I want to feel lighter.
One of the first decisions I made was around clothing. Having healed an eating disorder over the last decade, I needed to simplify my clothing choices.
I started by putting my things away and leaving only about 30 items in my closet.
(not counting lounge or workout clothes) loosely following Project 333.
After not seeing my things for a season and not missing them, I sent a few boxes to Thred Up, a consignment sales website. This allows me to see a little return on past purchases. I highly recommend the out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach, and I’ve been able to cycle through my clothes like this purging over 75% of them. I love how easy it is to get dressed in the morning. There is little to consider when you only have a handful of outfits.
I also decided to give up alcohol and…gasp…coffee.
I know I know…this is not for everyone. But after evaluating the anxiety it was giving me, I decided that coffee and I needed a break, maybe permanently.
Please know that I am not advocating that if you’re genuinely spiritual, you’ll downsize your belongings, and purge your body of substances.
We’re not starting a cult.
Being spiritual doesn't mean giving up your stuff.
It’s taken years to pair down the caffeine and go from 3-4 coffees a day down to half a cup, then a quarter of a cup, and now, finally, almost three weeks caffeine free. To help with this, I started drinking Rasa (again, totally not for everyone). My kids say it smells like grass clippings, but I do like it.
Alcohol was a much easier decision to make. I very rarely drank the last couple of years. When I did, I would usually wind up with at least a dull headache and low energy from minimal consumption. Then there was this article that I read.
I thought, why would I ruin the morning after every social event or special occasion with a mild hangover? So, to simplify, I’m giving it up. This means fewer decisions I have to make, less I consume, less money I spend—more energy. I’m just over the 70-day mark, and it’s been surprisingly easy.
Here is my favorite mocktail (it turns out a little sugar and bubbles are all I need for a good time)
Ingredients:
a handful of strawberries and blueberries
mint
lime
simple syrup
club soda
Instructions:
muddle everything together except the soda water
add ice and club soda, and enjoy!
To keep track and stay motivated, I downloaded the NOMO app and set a clock for coffee and alcohol. You can use this free app to track anything you’d like.
It takes years to transform and ditch the excess, but getting started can be simple.
Here are some easy ways to start:
Lighten your inbox and unsubscribe to ten emails.
Fill one box with clothing and put it out of sight. In a couple of months, take a look, and if you haven’t missed those items, donate them.
Give away ten books you’ve already read (to a friend or a little free library).
Try a spending freeze for a month ( don’t purchase anything unessential). This is a great tool to evaluate what you need.
Put the contents of a junk drawer (or another cluttered area) in a box. Leave it for a month. If, at the end of the month, you don’t miss it, toss it out.
Throw away all the old bottles or products in your bathroom that you haven’t used in six months.
Throw away any expired cans or condiments in your kitchen cabinets.
If you spend a lot on books, consider using the library again. Download the Libby app to access free ebooks and audiobooks. You’ll save money and the environment.
If you have a cluttered car, throw away ten items from your car. Repeat as necessary. Even a clean-ish car might have ten random papers and a water bottle or two. Or maybe that’s just my car.
List all the simple pleasures you enjoy and commit to enjoying them more often.
Unfollow ten accounts on social media, especially the ones that make you want to buy more things you don’t need.
Thanks for being here.
I hope something magical happens for you today 💫
Sheryl
P.S. If you’re looking for more ways to connect…
Here are more ways to work with me
you can still get a signed copy of my book, Uncovering Intuition, here
This is so helpful. I appreciate your perspective and that it’s so balanced as opposed to the idea of just clearing everything out and living completely minimalist, which is not attainable for many people!