One thing that keeps people from pursuing minimalism is this assumption that there's
these strict rules and guidelines that everybody has to follow, and nothing could be further
from the truth.
Let me try to break that myth for you.
♪ Minimalism always looks different from person to person, and I want you to find a
lot of freedom in this reality.
Minimalism looks different both in practice AND in process.
In practice, think about it this way: somebody who lives in the city is going to have to
own something different than someone who lives in the suburbs, or someone who lives in the
country.
If I live in the city I might not need a mode of transportation, because I have a train
or buses nearby, but if I'm in the suburbs, maybe that's not a possibility.
If I'm in the country I'm even further away from getting to a store, and so I'm going
to have to own even more, or different, things.
So minimalism looks different based on where we live.
Minimalism looks different based on our family or our household.
A single person in their twenties is going to own something different than a young family
with young children.
They're going to own things different than a family with four teenagers or six kids at
home.
Empty nesters - another stage of life.
Based on the household that we live in, the things we own are going to change.
Also, I think minimalism looks different based on our careers, our work, our job, the good
that we bring into the world, the way we contribute to society.
A minimalist writer, such as myself, is going to own something different than a minimalist
dentist, or a minimalist architect, or a minimalist schoolteacher, a minimalist farmer.
I think that everyone regardless of their occupation can pursue minimalism, but what
we actually end up owning, is always going to vary, and always is going to look different.
As well it should, by the way.
So minimalism looks different in practice, I've also discovered over the years that minimalism
looks different in process: how we get there.
There are some people who hear about minimalism, rent a dumpster, and throw out everything
over the course of a weekend.
There are some people who do that but they are very few and far between.
For most people it takes a little more time, a little more intentionality, a little more
thinking, a little more emotion that emerges, and it tends to take a little bit longer.
For us it took about two months, two to three months to go through the lived in areas of
our home.
It took about nine months if you want to count basement, and garage, storage shed in the
backyard.
We moved to a smaller house three years later and we got rid of even more things as well.
Some people can read a book and that's all they need, other people need a little more
help, someone to come alongside them in the process.
So don't get worried about how long it takes you, what things you're struggling with.
Some people struggle with books or sentimental items, things from their childhood, or their
children's childhood, or their yarn stash, or their hobby stuff.
Different things are harder for different people to get rid of.
Look, minimalism looks different both in practice and in process.
I want you to find freedom in that.
That you can still pursue the lifestyle.
Your life will benefit from owning less.
And as long as you're moving in the right direction, you're moving in the right direction.
♪