While I have been talking about the uniqueness and serenity of a minimalistic lifestyle, it’s also pivotal to shine some light on how things can go in the wrong direction when it comes to this lifestyle. These points might help in guiding you towards continual contentment and happiness when adopting this new way of life. One of the easiest ways of getting sucked in too deep is the obsession to declutter. At first, when you have umpteen number of objects, decluttering will start feeling like liberation, something that takes the weight off your chest. Do not allow yourself to become habitual to this feeling because there will come a point where the routine of decluttering will slow down and if you do not define the fine line between what’s important and what’s clutter, you will end up throwing out useful stuff too, just to feel the liberation of dumping things. Recognize what’s really a need and not an option or luxury.
As I said, once you have stepped into transforming your lifestyle the minimalistic way, the routine will slow down after a few weeks and that is when boredom can start to set in. This will only happen if you focus more on lack of consumption and less on appreciating this transition. Do not confuse minimalism with being a shackle that keeps you away from all the stores where you want to go shopping. Again, all you have to identify is what’s truly your need, or even go splurge out for things that are 50% a need and 50% a hobby. Minimalism is not about not owning things; it’s about not hoarding things. It is an extremely flexible lifestyle, you just have to mould it into one that fits into your own unique way of life.
Nothing in the extreme is ever good, and that brings us to our third and final way how you can start to feel tangled in what would start seeming like a web of minimalism. In the beginning, the idea of doing something totally extraordinary and jumping to the extreme end of a minimalistic life by practically letting go of every single possession of yours may look like an interesting idea but give it four weeks in this state (tops) and your life will start to feel bland, as a consequence one may frantically fill up space around them to feel differently. Either way, you will realise that finding the right balance is crucial. It’ll take time, effort and a lot of experimenting to figure out what works for you. But, it’ll all be a growing and an enriching phase of life. Just keep picking up things along the way that work out for you and leave behind what doesn’t.
Comments