Journeying with minimalism
Over the past few years, my relationship with shopping and stuff has undergone some interesting changes. When I first moved to China, I was super excited and bought a ton of things I'd always wanted. But guess what? I hardly used half of them. Every time I went home, I gave away the stuff I had bought, only to buy even more when I returned. Eventually, I realized I needed to calm down with all this buying. In 2018, I moved from Beijing to Shanghai, a significant change I needed more time to prepare for. Along the way, I started feeling like something was missing, though I didn't know exactly what. I started to feel even more lost and unfulfilled. I stumbled upon Marie Kondo and her whole idea of removing things that didn’t spark joy in your life. I wasn’t entirely enticed by it, but it did have me start thinking about decluttering my life, minimalism. I was more interested in the idea of minimalism as a way to simplify my life and focus on what's truly important. I became more drawn to The Minimalists and their philosophy.
Contrary to what many think, minimalism is not about having as little as possible. It's about being intentional and focused. A minimalist chooses what they allow in life: stuff, people, tasks, or ideas. Minimalism aims to have more of what matters and less of what doesn't. This can be a challenging goal to achieve, especially if you've been used to living a cluttered and chaotic life. Changing habits and ways of thinking that you've had for a long time can be difficult. You may want to make a change, but you're not ready to let go of everything you've accumulated. Even something as simple as getting rid of an old dress can feel strange, and sometimes it's easier to stick to your old ways.
This is what I experienced when I first started exploring minimalism. I was intrigued by the idea of living a simpler life, but I wasn't sure where to start. I tried decluttering my belongings, but I quickly found that it was hard to let go of things that I had spent money on or that I had sentimental attachments to. I also realized that minimalism was about more than just decluttering my physical possessions. It was about decluttering my mind and my life. I had to start thinking more intentionally about what I was doing with my time and energy. I had to let go of commitments that weren't important to me and focus on the things that were.
I started by changing my shopping habits. I stopped buying things impulsively and started to think more carefully about what I needed. I also adopted a "new in, two out" rule, which meant that I could only buy something new if I got rid of two old items. I also started to focus on experiences instead of possessions. I realized that I got more joy out of going to new restaurants or traveling to new places than I did from buying new clothes or gadgets. It's been a few years since I started my journey to minimalism, and I've learned a lot along the way. Here are a few of the biggest lessons I've learned:
Less is more. Having fewer possessions has actually made my life more enjoyable. I have less clutter to worry about, and I can focus on the things that are truly important to me.
We compare ourselves to others too much. Minimalism has helped me to break the habit of comparing my possessions to those of others. I've realized that it's not a competition, and that everyone's journey is different.
Decluttering is an ongoing process. It's not something you do once and then forget about. I still have to declutter on a regular basis, but it's become much easier over time.
Minimalism is about living intentionally. It's about choosing what's important to you and focusing on those things. It's not about depriving yourself of everything you enjoy.
We're not defined by our possessions. Our worth is not tied to the things we own. We are so much more than that.
I'm still a work in progress, but I'm committed to living a more minimalist life. It's not always easy, but it's definitely worth it.
