My Minimalism Journey: Decluttering Progress

This post is the first in a series that will document my progress of incorporating minimalism into my life. I am very sentimental when it comes to objects, so I have taken a gradual approach with minimalism. My hope with minimalism is decluttering my home to a place where I feel stress-free in my space. Ever since I discovered minimalism, I’ve been so fascinated by it. What really got me interested was the lives these people appeared to be living. People living in vans or who’s entire belongings can fit into a suitcase really put in perspective how little we need to live a good life. They all seemed so happy and free. My reason for starting this minimalism journey is to find that feeling of freedom and to come to a sense of peace with my possessions.

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is basically reducing your possessions to only those that add value to your life or that serve a purpose. Clearing the clutter in your home is supposed to clear your mind and reduce stress. Having less possessions around stressing you out and taking up your time and energy gives you the freedom to focus on the things in your life that are really important to you. You can also take minimalism to a deeper level by minimalizing what (or even who) you choose to spend your time and energy on.

Minimalism is more of a mindset than an end goal, so it is something I think everyone can benefit from! Minimalism teaches us to be mindful of what stuff we decide to bring into our homes. It teaches us to understand what adds value to our lives and what we want to focus our energy on.

How I Got Here

I have always felt weighed down and trapped by my possessions. I’ve been decluttering my things for years, but never making much progress. I never really understood why I felt so stressed out by my stuff until I discovered the concept of minimalism. Seeing examples of people living with less made me realize how overwhelming it is to live surrounded by mess and clutter. Having too many unnecessary things can distract you from the things that you actually love and enjoy.

My first step towards serious decluttering was when I discovered Marie Kondo’s book, The Lifesaving Magic of Tidying Up. I remember reading about her philosophy of thanking all the items you declutter and thinking, “Wow, maybe this will finally be the decluttering method that works for me.” I get very attached to my possessions, so the idea of decluttering with gratitude really spoke to me. I tried it out and I really got rid of a lot, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully immerse myself into the process enough to feel “done” at the end of it.

I know that I am capable of being minimal in at least some aspects of my life. I’m a minimal traveler. I was able to live out of a carry-on suitcase for an entire month while traveling through Europe. That experience really inspired me create a capsule wardrobe, which is a goal that I’m starting to work towards now. I have a lot of clothes, so I’ve got a long way to go.

My Latest Decluttering Progress

My partner recently moved in with me in my family’s house. That means that I am now sharing my space with a second person. Before he moved in, I took the opportunity to do another round of decluttering with a goal of making enough space for his belongs. To help myself declutter, I created a list of questions to ask myself when I was having trouble deciding whether or not to keep an item, which you can read here.

My Results

Here is how much I was able to declutter! Everything on the table in the photo below was decluttered.

I was able to declutter enough clothes to give my partner a dedicated section for his clothes in the closet. Through decluttering and rearranging my miscellaneous items, I was able to reallocate two drawers for him as well!

Once my partner moved in, I wanted to keep my decluttering momentum going. I decided that the best way to feel motivated to minimize was to feel the positive effects of minimalism during the process. To do that I’ve started with the spaces that I use most frequently, like my desk and my bathroom cabinet. I’ve also been reducing the visible clutter in my space but creating better organization solutions. I hope that having these spaces be minimal will help me feel less stressed out. Below are some before and after pictures of the spaces I was able to declutter and organize. I wasn’t able to show proper before and after pictures for the closet because my partner’s clothes are already in it so it still looks full.

Before and After Decluttering

Overall, I am very proud that I was able to make so much progress so far this year. I still have a lot of work to do, but the fact that I was able to fit my partner’s possessions into my space without it feeling overcrowded is a huge win! If you’ve been following along with my health journey, you’ll know that decluttering is one of the steps I’m taking to help increase my energy levels. (You can read more about what I’m doing to improve my energy in my February Health Update). I don’t feel like I’ve done quite enough to feel the reduction in stress that I’m hoping for, so that will be my goal going forward. I know there is still so much progress I’m capable of making!

Conclusion

I hope that my minimalism journey will inspire people to keep going on their own decluttering journeys, even if their progress is slow! I believe that reducing our possessions is a mindful process that doesn’t need to be rushed. Any progress towards your goals is good progress!

Are you on your own minimalism journey? Leave a comment about your thoughts and reasons for becoming more minimal. I’d love to learn about your experiences!