Why You Shouldn’t Wait for the Perfect Time or the Perfect House to Embrace Minimalism

Why You Shouldn't Wait For the Perfect Time Or Perfect House To Embrace Minimalism
How many times in your life have you said:
“I’ll do that when…”
I’ll do that when… I have a nicer house
I’ll do that when… I have money to buy nicer dishes/furniture/decor/cooking supplies
I’ll do that when… The kids are grown
I’ll do that when… I have free time
I’ll do that when…
I’ll do that when…
It seems like it would be easier to declutter when you are planning to move, or when you purchase your dream home or decide to move overseas.
The reality is, if you don’t do it now, you won’t do it when.
There is never going to be a perfect time. There is no time where decluttering will be easy.

If you long to embrace minimalism, take Nike’s advice, and just do it.

Aside from helping you become more focused and giving you time to invest in your life purpose, minimalism means you can enjoy the time you spend at home. No more packing the schedule to avoid dealing with the stuff at home. No, your home can become a haven of rest – and not just for you, for others who you invite over as well.

Minimalism isn’t easy. At least not at first.
At first minimalism can be terrifying….
After all, why would anyone want to get rid of most of their stuff? We work so hard—often 60 hours per week—to get all this stuff. So why would we throw it away? That stuff is so important to us because we’ve spent all our time accumulating it.
And yet with all that stuff you know that you are not happy. And that’s why you are here. ~Take The Red Pill: Embrace Minimalism – The Minimalists

Possessions had become the great distraction in my life. And the most effective way to fully recenter my life on the things that mattered most was to remove the excess physical possessions from my home and life.  ~6 Reasons To Embrace Minimalist Living – Becoming Minimalist

Minimalism has a way of removing our excuses. You know the things you’ve always wanted to do, or felt called to do?
When you pare down the physical items that surround you, it takes away the harried to-do list that tends to hang over your head. Instead of always having things to occupy you, your mind is able to focus and seek out what you truly desire to fill your life with.
Don’t allow the term “minimalism” to deter you. It doesn’t mean your home is going to be stark white with 2 chairs and bare walls.
 
Want some lovely minimal home tours?

And tours of our home (yes, these are a few years old- I need to do more!)

Minimalism is going to look different in every home and situation. It’s not about the amount of possession or the way you decorate.

Isn’t minimalism boring or too sparse, with nothing in your life? This is a misconception about minimalism — that it’s necessarily monk-like, empty, boring, sterile. Not at all. Well, it can be, if you go in that direction, but I don’t advocate that flavor of minimalism. Instead, we are clearing away all but the most essential things — to make room for that which gives us the most joy. Clear away the distractions so we can create something incredible. Clear away all the obligations so we can spend time with loved ones. Clear away the noise so we can concentrate on inner peace, on spirituality (if we wish), on our thinking. As a result, there is more happiness, peace, and joy, because we’ve made room for these things. ~ mnmlist

At the beginning, you may define minimalism as cleaning out your junk drawer. When you start to unclutter, you immediately see the benefits of living with less. This benefit may be something as simple as always being able to find that one thing you used to spend time looking for. As you start to enjoy the benefit, you look for ways to live more simply. What starts out as an external journey (giving things away, cutting the cable), becomes very personal, intentional and more meaningful. You start to think of “stuff” as not just things but obligation, debt and stress. Then you see how this “stuff” is getting in the way of your LIFE and decide to make a bigger change. It’s at this point that minimalism becomes more about who you are, instead of what you have.  ~Be More With Less

Now is the perfect time to declutter your home and embrace minimalism. It may not be easy or fast, but the important thing is starting. Doing something every day that moves you closer to living simply.

Is it ever too late to simplify your life?
Technically, no. You should start today.
But practically speaking, there will come a time in all of our lives when we stare into the eye of a storm with one hand holding down the fort and the other distracted by the insignificant clutter and demanding tasks because we’ve put off simplifying one day too long.
It’s that moment when suddenly the world stops you in your tracks and reminds you how little you control. The world hasn’t stopped though and now you have to manage a crisis while managing the consequences of overconsumption, overwhelmed homes and calendars, and the important buried under the immediate and you realize you’re spread too thin.
Simple living is more than creating space and joy in your life; it’s also preparation for life’s inevitable storms that require our full attention. It’s removing the sideshow of distractions and unnecessary fluff which steals our ability to handle the important and necessary with clarity. ~ Lisa Avellan of Creative Holistic Home

Are you ready to start?
Start small, take action every day, focus on one room at a time, only require yourself to sort one drawer, one shelf, or one surface.
I always recommend starting in the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home, it’s more utilitarian, (which means there is less sentimental baggage to wade through as you sort) and it’s a place you have to be frequently, so seeing those clean and clear areas gives a great boost of confidence.
Remember to celebrate the small victories. Any forward movement is what is important!

 

About Rachel Jones

Hi there! I’m Rachel Jones, and I founded Nourishing Minimalism in 2012 at the beginning of my minimalist journey. If you're looking for encouragement in your journey, I created a FREE Facebook Group - feel free to join me there: Nourishing Minimalism Facebook Group and I share videos each week on YouTube

7 Comments

  1. James Mendoza on 08/23/2016 at 11:18 pm

    I’ve been following your blog for a few months now. I’m a single dad of three kids. 9-10-11. Before my divorce my house was packed with junk. I’m now at close to one sheet full of things I have gotten rid of and I started another sheet for my kids. Now they are on board. Today I sat through a seminar for work called How to earn and living and still have a life. The whole time I wanted to teach a class on de cluttering and what I have learned by following your guidelines. Would you allow that or do you have a pre-built presentation that others can use. I would be very interested in helping…thanks..

    • Rachel on 08/31/2016 at 5:07 pm

      Just emailed you James. 🙂

  2. Dawn, The Minimal Mom on 08/25/2016 at 11:13 pm

    Oh yes!!! Such good encouragement! Getting the ball rolling is definitely the hardest part…but way less hard than organizing…yuck 😉
    Thanks for the link back to our home tour!!

    • Rachel on 08/31/2016 at 7:02 pm

      Absolutely!

  3. sheryl at providence acres on 09/20/2016 at 12:09 pm

    Wow! This is one of the best posts on minimalism that i have found! it says it all. your possessions really do own you. to be bogged down by possessions is almost as stressful as being bogged down by debt. both prevent you from being truly free.

  4. Emma on 04/24/2019 at 1:25 pm

    Thank you for the reminder! 🙂

  5. PurpleSlob on 05/25/2019 at 2:44 am

    We just moved into our own home, not a rental. So glad I had already been decluttering! I still need a love seat, but I love sitting in the living room, just enjoying the quiet, and looking out the window.
    The kitchen had not lots of cabinet space, but all we need was a pantry cabinet for the food. Everything fit, because we had been sifting thru things! So wonderful!!
    Now, the porch!! My husband, my grown daughter, and the 2 grandkids need to get rid of some more!
    Soon!

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