The start of a new year is a great time to step back and evaluate. A time to create new projects and goals to work towards over the next twelve months.
I always find myself really inspired to de-clutter at this time of year. My partner and I have recently turned 30, and we moved into our first owned house just over two years ago so we are in the phase of having lots of accumulated stuff. We still have boxes of school work, remnants of various teenage hobbies and lots of ‘useful’ things that have been given or donated to us to help us set up our home.
Now for the first time in many years I feel ready to say good bye to lots of our stuff. I have been really inspired by two people who call themselves The Minimalists.
Childhood friends, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus both embraced minimalism after becoming disillusioned with their paths to reach to the ‘American Dream’ . They had everything that many of us dream of. Great jobs, big salaries, nice cars and houses full of gadgets and clothes and trendy objects but they still felt unfulfilled and unhappy.
This realistion led Joshua, and Ryan soon after, to the practice of minimalism in the broadest sense. Over a few years, the pair began to declutter their homes and assets and through the process they gained physical and mental space, time and a true sense of happiness.
Joshua and Ryan now use their experience to help and inspire others to adopt minimalism into their own lives. Through their books, podcast and two documentaries, the pair share their story along with others and also give advice on how each one of us can simplify our own lives.
If you have not come across The Minimalists before then I highly recommend checking them out. I would begin by watching their documentary, Less Is Now, which was released on Netflix on 1st January 2021. The documentary looks into the physiological, environmental and financial implications of the current addiction that we all hold for accumulating things and our constant yearning for more. A range of experts share their knowledge and regular people who practice minimalism describe their experiences. Together this gives the documentary a really great balance between theory, research and real life examples that are approachable and achievable.
The Minimalists Podcast features a really interesting array of discussions between the pair and other featured guests. Topics vary from how to declutter particular items such as books or sentimental items, but also how to simplify your digital world and your mind.
Since watching Less is Now yesterday, my partner and I have already decluttered our living room. We have found approximately thirty items that no longer bring us joy or serve a useful purpose, so these items will now be sold, donated to charity or given to friends or family to be reused and re-loved.
Reducing the amount of stuff we have feels awesome, it literally makes me feel lighter and less stressed. I cannot wait to get started on the next room. Let me know if you watch the documentary or listen to the podcast, id love to hear if you are as inspired as I am. Heres to a simpler and less cluttered year ahead!