Welcome back to The Code of Style, and this feature about 4 Questions to ask before you go minimalist.
But first of all, what is the definition of minimalism?
Simply put, minimalism is all about identifying what is really essential in your life and having the courage to eliminate everything else. The key tenant is that “less is more”, and that by removing all the “clutter” in your life, you will have more time and energy to focus on the things that truly matter to you.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
Leonardo da Vinci
Many people love the idea of going minimalist in theory, but it goes against the grain. It’s a hard thing to come to terms with because you need to declutter your life physically, mentally, and emotionally.
To help you decide, here are 4 Questions to ask before you go minimalist.
4 Questions to ask before you go minimalist.
What possessions do you appreciate the most?
This is a great opportunity to look at everything you have and it gives you the chance to examine your material wealth and if your possessions add to the quality of your life.
For example, you may have a lot of designer handbags, and in reality, you could easily consolidate a handful of your luxury designer handbags down to one or two essential ones. And, of course, the great thing about having the opportunity to declutter means that you can sell a lot of your items for a bit of extra cash. You can find a luxury handbag consignment service that pays for your designer handbags and you can make some money in the process.
What Is Important to You?
You need to decide on keeping items that add to your values. Some of us think that we need to keep items just in case we need them in the future. There are many ways to decide on what is important in your life, and if you are on autopilot, going minimalist is one of the best ways for you to truly decide what matters to you.
When you have less possessions, it declutters your mind from trivial decisions, such as which handbag to take or which shoes to wear, and frees it up to focus on what truly matters to you. It also frees up your time and energy for more important things, such as spending time with people you love, pursuing a new passion or hobby, being creative or simply taking time to relax.
Decide on the physical things first and you can then start to ask even bigger questions later on.
Are you making excuses?
We can all make excuses to not go minimalist. There are downsides to having a minimalist lifestyle, especially because it requires a lot of self-discipline and, even worse for many, honesty, because we have to truly decide what is a luxury and what is not.
When there are so many excuses to not do things in life, we can find ourselves building up the walls between us and the things that will benefit us, but which we don’t want to come to terms with.
Having stuff is nice because it makes us feel like we have more security, comfort and control, but having too many possessions paradoxically makes you more dissatisfied. Research shows that people who buy more material items are less happy than those who don’t. This is because when we are bombarded with too many options, we always wonder whether we made the right decision or was there a better alternative.
Are you really simplifying every area in your life?
We have to look at every part of our lives. If you’re not simplifying each aspect, you could find that you’re not able to get to grips with what minimalism is.
Starting to simplify every area of your life is not easy, but it involves looking at each part of your existence and deciding if something is really worth your while. Because learning how to feel good is about going through difficult moments and understanding that when you are complicating matters, it’s not benefiting your life in the long run.
People talk about quality over quantity, and yet they seldom practice what they preach. In life, quality will always surpass quantity, and this is especially true when you go minimalist.
Minimalism forces you to be mindful about your possessions, your choices, and even your relationships, and by focusing on what’s really important to you, you will be more calm, content and peaceful.
I hope you enjoyed this article about 4 Questions to ask before you go minimalist., and have a look here for more of our lifestyle features.
I’m Julia, the Senior Managing Editor and I can’t wait to share some more articles with you again soon! In the meantime you can find more luxury style, lifestyle and travel inspiration on “The Velvet Runway” .
Thank you for reading
Website: The Velvet Runway
