Chapter, Fashionably Light
Dec 17 2013
Andria blogs about seeking adventure over at Anchors and Freedom. Her post on “How Living Minimally is Helping Me Live Minimally” caught my eye. Here’s her de-clutter story and some pictures of her minimalist apartment!
The idea of minimalism has been something I’ve been attracted to forever.
The problem is that what attracts me doesn’t necessarily run in my blood. My blood is more of a hoarder.
The honest answer is money – I’m in my last year of school and I’d rather be able to still afford plane tickets to wonderful places than have an apartment full of things I’m going to have to move/sell when the semester ends anyway.
The couch was definitely my first step, but now I’m kind of addicted. Currently I’m in the stage of de-cluttering rather than actually paring down, but it’s making a huge difference in how I see things already and I’m excited to keep going. I hate to admit how hard it was to throw away my five years worth of Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, but now it’s like I can do anything! Also, I don’t have a microwave, come to think of it… or a toaster…
I think the difference lies in getting rid of things that society has us believing are mandatory to our happiness vs. getting rid of things that we simply have no use for any more. I would say, for example, that me getting rid of my microwave is parring down, where as me selling all the books I will most likely never read again is de-cluttering.
The thing that attracts me the most about living with less is that you become more self-sufficient. Less baggage (physically and emotionally) means it’s easier to move forward and embrace change. Not to mention it’s a swift kick to the consumer capitalism that is apparently going to drag us all under one of these days, and Anchors & Freedom is all about breaking free from the chains. Take that, H&M commercials, I don’t need that dress! (But yes, I’ll admit, you kind of made me want it.)
Evaluate why you value material things in the first place – is it because you’re “supposed to” and that the Kardashians have the ultimate happy existence, or is it simply because you haven’t thought about it before? My experience is that once you step back and consider why you’re putting value on material things, that value loses its power and lessens. If that’s the case, there’s no need to put your TV on Craigslist immediately, but If you haven’t looked in that box in the corner for two years, it’s time to throw it out. Start small!
P.S. Have a de-cluttering story to share? Get in touch and you could be the next Declutter Queen/King: xandra@fashionablylight.com
