A little over eight years ago, I started
decluttering my things. I still lived with my parents at the time. I didn't know
much about minimalism at all. I was just following my heart and the longing that
I felt for simplicity. Little did I know, this change would improve my life for the better
in countless different ways. I started learning more about minimalist living and I have been
applying the tools of minimalism ever since. Not only have I been a minimalist for over
eight years, I've also had the privilege of talking and connecting with all of you all
over the world through Simple Happy Zen. And that made me want to sit down and film today's
video. Because I'm going to share my advice for any minimalist, whether you are just beginning
or you've been on this journey for a while. I already have many videos up on the channel
where I share exactly how to declutter your home, how to become a minimalist, all of the things.
So I will leave a few in the description box if you are interested in just learning more
about how to actually start, where to begin, what to do and all of that. But today's video is
going to be a bit different. Because these are actually some aspects of minimalism that I feel
are very important, yet no one really talks about them. And I think that that is a shame, because
I get questions about these things all the time. And I really think that this advice can
be very helpful for a lot of people. So let's begin. Mindful decluttering is important,
but even more important are the lessons we learn from it. I've talked about mindful decluttering
or ethical decluttering on the channel before. And I think most people really try to do their best
to do it. So we look into the option of selling something first, or giving it away, or donating
it, or at least recycling it before we just dump something in the trash. And that is important.
Because it really helps if we can give our items a second life and make someone else happy with
them. But sometimes this can also hold us back. People often let me know that they have trouble
letting go of an item that is holding them back in life, or is making them feel badly, or is just
not providing them with any real value anymore, because of the fact that the option of
mindful decluttering isn't really there. So no one they know wants to have it, and donating or
recycling is not an option for some reason. And so they have trouble letting it go and they keep
it in our home for years and years. If we want to live more sustainable, I think what matters
even more than how exactly we get rid of one item is the lessons that we can learn from it and how
we let those lessons affect our future purchasing decisions. Because if we are lucky, we have years
and years of purchasing decisions ahead of us. And so, if we can let go of one item
now, if that can help us to prevent tens or hundreds of unnecessary purchases in the
future, that can still help us to lower our impact on the world. Even if that means that we
have to throw this one item in the trash now. So my advice, see if you can declutter
something mindfully and ethically, yes always. But if that option is not available to you for
a particular item, and you feel in your heart that you just don't want to own it anymore,
then discard it anyway. And see if you can learn some lessons from it, so that you can be
even more intentional with your purchases later on in your life. What we don't want to happen, is
get stuck in that cycle of decluttering things, so that then we can buy new things, and then we
can declutter things, and buy new things etc etc. So ultimately what it comes down to is increasing
the flow of stuff going out of your home and your life, and decreasing the flow of stuff coming in.
If people judge you for your life choices, it says more about them than it says about you. Over the
last years of doing YouTube, I have had people comment that I am not a true minimalist, because
I still have this or I still do that. I have had people comment that I'm too much of a minimalist,
and I should just let go and live a little. And it's not just on YouTube. In my environment
too, sometimes people ask me about minimalism and they are open and interested in what I
have to say. And others will ask me about it only to make fun of me and maybe tell me that I'm
doing it wrong somehow. So my point here is that people will always have something to say about
your life choices, but it says more about them than it says about you. I find that it helps to be
compassionate and to not take things personally. And it is okay if people have a different opinion
than you about something. And if they feel the need to let me know that, then that is fine too.
So try not to make their negativity your own, because it's not really about you. You know what
works best for you ultimately, and that is enough. And you know, there is no one correct way to do
minimalism anyway. It is not a one-size-fits-all thing. And what works for me, might not work
for you and vice versa. So there is room for color and collections and mismatched items in
minimalism, and it doesn't matter. So basically you do you, and don't feel bad if people
feel the need to comment on your choices. Enjoy the process. Minimalism starts as soon
as you call yourself a minimalist. I know what it's like to feel completely overwhelmed and not
know where to begin. Or to have your decluttering motivation just kind of come and go, without
really knowing where it went or why it's back. So all I can say is enjoy the process. And you
don't have to wait before you are finished with decluttering your entire house before you
can finally start your minimalist life. Your minimalism lifestyle is starting as soon as you
call yourself a minimalist. No matter where you are in your journey or how much clutter you
still have left. Now that I am finished with decluttering, I only have to maintain it. So I
do a quick decluttering round twice a year and that's enough. And now that I'm at this stage,
I sometimes find myself kind of missing it. And that makes me realize that I didn't always
enjoy the process of downsizing as much as I could have. So my advice to you, if you feel yourself
getting impatient sometimes, or you feel that you are not making the progress that you would
want to be making, or you just feel overwhelmed, to enjoy the process and not focus on the end
result so much. And don't feel like you can't start living a minimalist life until you have
tackled all the clutter in your home, because you've already started. It's a lot easier to let
go of things if you have a strong reason to do it. I think with all lifestyle changes, it really
helps if you know your why. And what you want to accomplish by living with less. And
this way you can remind yourself of these things whenever you feel that you are getting
stuck, or you're going through a hard time, or you maybe you know can't make good decisions
when it comes to sentimental or emotional clutter. Is it about creating more space, or saving
money, or reducing your carbon footprint, or is it about spending less time cleaning
having more free time? Or something else entirely? It really helps if you have that
clear in your mind, you can even write it down, so that you can remind yourself of these reasons
and stay motivated along the way. By the way, if you are enjoying this video, it would mean
a lot to me if you could give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel. Because these
things really do help to support the channel, so thank you. And you'll be able to see my
videos every week. I share tips and inspiration for inviting more simplicity, happiness and calm
in your everyday life. Minimalism is supposed to lift us up, not weigh us down. It's funny how
something as potentially freeing as minimalism can still sometimes make us feel guilty. And I
have noticed this in my conversations with you, I've noticed that in my own personal journey as
well, of letting go. That guilty feeling that kind of comes creeping around the corner sometimes.
And it can really make it more difficult to enjoy the benefits of minimalism to their fullest. Life
is too short to feel guilty about getting rid of things. And life is too short to hang onto
things in your home, your own personal space, where you are supposed to feel safe and
comfortable and be surrounded with things that spark positivity, inspiration, confidence,
just because we feel bad about letting it go. If you would feel secretly relieved if one day
you woke up and the item is magically not in your home anymore, and there's no need for feeling
guilty because you're not the one who did it, then that is a clear sign that you can feel okay
about letting go of it. And this also works the other way around. So don't feel guilty if you
are kind of straying from the minimalism path. And you buy something that is clearly just
a want and not a need. Or you keep something around that you are not using, simply because you
want to keep it around. That is 100% fine too. Be excited to share, but open to compromise. One of
the questions I get asked the most is how to deal with living with non-minimalists. And that is
very understandable. Because you share a space, you might share some things, and it can be tricky
to maneuver. I found that we can't make people do things they don't want to do. And another thing
that I found is if you want to inspire people, the best way to do that is by being open and positive.
So making someone get rid of something is just not gonna work in the long run. And also, they don't
have to. Because just because minimalism is right for you or for us, doesn't necessarily make it
right for everyone. So be excited to share all the amazing wonderful benefits that minimalism has
to offer, and maybe invite people to help along, make it a game, turn it into something fun. And
maybe you will inspire people to follow along in your footsteps. But also be open to compromise.
And we've talked about this on Patreon as well, where people shared how their significant
other eventually also started decluttering some of their things, because they got
inspired. So that is always possible. But also try to be open to compromising, because you
will most likely be able to find some kind of middle ground that you are both comfortable with.
Minimalism is about a lot more than decluttering or the physical items that we own. Sometimes
decluttering a certain category of items can be about a lot more than just the items themselves.
Because it's also about what these items represent in our identity. And so, this can be very scary
and uncomfortable to work through sometimes. Because what does it say about us, if we
decide to let certain items go? Or what subconscious beliefs about ourselves do
we need to work through and be okay with, in order to be comfortable with this whole thing?
If you recognize this, I talk about this more deeply in a video called how to get rid of things
you don't need, I will leave it in the description box plus right there in the card. Another thing
is that we can apply the tools of minimalism, not just to our physical belongings but to our
life as well. So we can be more intentional with our commitments, our energy, our time, our
relationships, our projects. And if you ask me, these things are even more worthwhile than only
being intentional with the physical belongings. I could not live the life that I am living right
now and that I absolutely love, if it wasn't for minimalism. So see if there are areas in your life
that feel crowded or stagnant or overwhelming. And how can you apply the tools of minimalism to that
area of your life? Minimalism is not a magical solution. It is not going to solve all of life's
problems. It is a philosophy, it's a mindset, it is a tool, it's a means to an end. But if
you ask me, it is not the goal in and of itself. Because minimalism makes room in our life for
the things that truly matter. And what exactly those things are for you, that is up to you to
decide. We can declutter all we want, and make our home look absolutely perfect, like a pinterest
photo or a magazine, and still feel like there's something missing. And that can be a sign that
it could be good to think about what you want to achieve by living with fewer possessions. Because
minimalism is the thing that focuses on less, and it frees us up to create more of what we love.
And what lifts us up and what ultimately can bring a lot of fulfillment and happiness. I would love
to hear from you which things you now currently have more space for in your life, through the
process of downsizing in the comment section. So let's inspire each other. If you take away one
thing from this video, let it be this. That is that minimalism can look however you want it to
look. And sometimes I'll look at people who are more on the extreme side, and they are living as
digital nomads from a backpack or from their car. And while I do think that looks really cool and
I admire people who do that, it's not necessarily what I want out of life. I like to be comfortable,
I like to have furniture. I like to have all my favorite studio ghibli movies on blu-ray,
because they're my favorite movies. And yes, they're on netflix, but netflix might
take them off again at some point. So it's okay. You can have 50 items, you can have
500 items, you can have more items, it doesn't matter. You can still live a minimalist life. A
life filled with happiness and purpose and joy. So let it be your journey. Click here for tips for
how to get started with minimalism. And click here for tips for dealing with sentimental clutter. As
always, thanks so much for being here. Questions, comments, conversations down below. Have a
wonderful day and I'll see you next week. Bye bye.
