Definition:
Believing in or seeking a minimal state; seeking to minimize or reduce to a minimum.
Usage: He’s a minimalist: when it comes to formal processes, the fewer the better. (Source)
Shoe Clutter in a Closet
Minimalism isn’t all about getting rid of everything you own, living in a white box with a shaved head, humming soothing Buddhist mantras.
It is a state of mind, a philosophy if you will, and it can be applied in all aspects of your life.
Physical applications of Minimalism
Take a look around your space right now. Is it stressing you out? Do you feel anxious?
Maybe what you need is to minimize or change the visual clutter so your eyes can rest on blank spaces, see defined spaces for all of your different projects and to become more of an organized area.
Minimalism, can help with that because you are minimizing the visual clutter by de-cluttering, organizing and simplifying your physical space.
Mental applications of Minimalism
What about how you work?
Do you always feel like you’re forgetting something, or things just don’t seem to get done because you’re getting side tracked?
What you might need is what others might term “organization”, but part of becoming more organized, is to also simplify and pare down.
Minimalism can help because it’s a way of keeping things simple, removing unnecessary tasks from your To Do list and letting you focus on the main priorities.
Varying levels of minimalism
There are varying levels of minimalism ranging from extremist to light, but without a comfortable balance it will feel more like a prison than a freeing experience, and I am positive you will not be able to sustain that lifestyle.
A Minimalist Camper Bike Home
And it’s true. Some people do take it to the extreme.
We’re talking 200 square foot abodes, one pot, one little Bunsen burner and half a bed that you strap yourself in to sleep. (See image to the right via Kitsune Noir.)
And no one needs to do that if they aren’t comfortable with owning so little. I sure as heck couldn’t fit my entire life in that little camper bike!
While I consider myself a minimalist, I do need more space than that to live, sleep, work and eat in. Also, totally unrelated, but where’s the bathroom? A chamber pot?
I think many people feel that they need to pare down to 5 perfect outfits and 5 perfect little sets of shoes.
Wrong!
That is the most horrific thing I can imagine. Only having 5 outfits or 5 pairs of shoes, is torture for someone like me who loves variety in her outfits. I also happen to love wearing every colour in the rainbow, which poses a whole other problem.
Minimalism isn’t about that. It’s about focusing your efforts on prioritizing what is important for you.
For example, if you have a whole wardrobe, and you know half of it is unwearable, minimalism encourages you (not forces) to pare down on what you have so that what you have left, is what you love to wear and will wear on a daily basis.
The clothes that you aren’t wearing, are taking up precious space in the closet that you are paying for (either in rent, mortgage or sanity)!
I hope that clarifies what minimalism to me, entails. I know what I do, just can’t be sustained by others and what some people do, feels like excess rather than minimalism to me. But ultimately, it should be what works for you and your lifestyle.
Concojones
on Sep 16th, 2009
@ 1:58 pm:
I think we’re on the same page here. I’ll just mention a very simple way to look at minimalism. Minimalism is applying the 80/20 principle. It is paring down to the few things that we use/like most.
Links Around the Blogosphere – Baby Please Come Home Edition
on Sep 18th, 2009
@ 4:45 pm:
[...] New blogger, the Everyday Mininalist, has written some nice articles on minimalism from a different perspective. I quite like her definition of it and this one may make it more palatable to the general public. She has a nice story too, so please check it out. What does Minimalism really mean? [...]
lynda
on Oct 24th, 2009
@ 2:11 am:
This is so true. I can spend my time working and cleaning a huge house, or writing and spending time being a mom to my daughter. I prefer to be a mom, so to do that I have to pare down the extraneous – the less it costs me to live, the more I can be with my kid… the less time cleaning, the more time I can spend doing what I enjoy.. Minimalism is good in that it causes you to look at what is really important in your life.
lynda´s last blog ..Homemade Donuts?
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@ 2:49 pm:
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Minimalism is For Everybody
on May 25th, 2010
@ 12:05 pm:
[...] My form of definition of minimalism is heavily influenced by her. According to her minimalism is about keeping and using only what you truly love and want. [...]