As long time readers of this blog will know, I have always believed in Minimalism & I strive to incorporate it in my daily life. So when we moved to our new house, I decided it was time I let go of things that do not bring me joy & only stick with things that do.
I may not be a hardcore minimalist, but again Minimalism means different things to different people.
Here I am taking you guys on my room tour. I hope you enjoy it. Any suggestions are welcome!
Welcome to my little corner!
Love,
A xo
Our Smart phone has become our most beloved & constant companion in our day to day lives. We spend more time with it, than we do with our families, friends & associates. It is an amazingly useful device for sure, but it is also the greatest distraction of all.
For me personally Minimalism is about allowing only those things in your space that add value to your life.
My Smart Phone certainly was adding value to my life, it served as a phone, Alarm clock, Calculator, iPod, Camera, Shopping Device etc etc etc, but it was also a source of constant distraction. Because of the number of Apps I had on it, every single moment I had to myself, I would spend on my phone. Check Facebook, be tempted by the constant amazing offers on various shopping Apps or replying to the numerous messages I would get on my Watsapp, Wechat, Viber & every other app there is in the world. I would not spend a minute doing nothing!
(It is very very important to have time to yourself where you do absolutely nothing).
So. Once I was done dealing with my clothes, books & almost everything that did not add value to my life, it was time to Minimize the Apps on my SMART PHONE!
I decided to delete Applications that took away most of my time,
Social Networking Apps
I love Facebook, but the App had to go from my smart phone. It took away too much time. Whenever I had nothing to do, I’d take my phone out & scroll through latest updates from Friends. It was happening almost unconsciously, which ain’t good.
I continue to use Facebook, but now, its only from my Laptop or Tablet. Since deleting it from my Smart Phone, my use has come down from once every two hours (from my Phone) to once every two- three days, from my Laptop, Tablet!
Instant Messaging Apps
The Instant Messaging Apps I deleted happily! Watsapp, BBM, Viber so on & so forth ,were actually taking away joy from my life & adding stress instead. The trouble with them is that an immediate answer is expected. The person sending it is even made aware of whether the message has been read or not.
I am a Lawyer, so there are times I cannot get back immediately as use of cellphones in Courtroom isn’t allowed.
A lot of people other than my close friends & family would complain about it. I was perceived as distant & not wanting to connect. That was far from true!
Now that I have deleted these applications, peace has returned! Now the only way to reach me is through phone calls. And I prefer connecting over a phone conversation or ever better, over a cup of coffee, lunch or dinner! It is actually catching up in the real sense instead of mindless everyday messages, sometimes sent to kill time.
Shopping Apps
Amazon is my go to shopping site. As an App on my phone though, it was making me spend too much money on things I did not need. I would just click on the frequent updates on the Latest deals, Great deals most times & shop away! Sometimes I would buy things because I was bored. That is what happens when things are available at the touch of your fingertips.
The App had to go. I am still loyal to Amazon, & almost always buy from them. But now its the things I really need.
Accessing the site from my Laptop. Less frequently.
Needless to say, I save a lot of money these days!
The Apps that you will find on my phone now,
WordPress, Twitter, Instagram & Photography apps. Those that support of my blog.
Blogging adds tremendous value to my life. I use them mindfully. Maximum two- three times a day. I read the amazing things that people write on their blogs & I learn so much from them.
Use the time you spend on Social Networking/Instant Messaging/Shopping Apps mindfully. I use it now to connect with the person sitting next to me Or by looking around & taking in the moment, reading a book, or just closing my eyes & relaxing for a moment.
As I always say, Minimalism is different for each individual.
For me I like my Smart phone now with fewer apps that contribute & add value to my life. You may feel the apps I deleted add value to yours!
Either way works! As long as it adds value to your life.
I’d love to hear your views, as always!
Leave a Comment down below!
Love,
A.
Hello Everyone!
As promised, I am going to give you guys a tour of my Minimalist room in my new apartment.
So this is what you see as soon when you enter my room.
To the left, you have a mirror & on the right you have two other shelves. The one on the bottom, I use to place the books I am currently reading & the top shelf I use as a shrine for the gods.
My bed , the Ac & a small side table.
The only painting in my room.
I have always loved this one & wanted to have it in my room. Its a copy of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh named Blossoming Almond Tree.
My Cupboard-
It contains everything I own. Literally everything. From clothes, handbags, Make up, Laptop, Documents, Hair Dryer, Iron, Hair Straighteners, all of it. All my worldly possessions in one place. (Except Books)
Night Lamp-
The light above the Mirror turns into my Night lamp. I got rid of my Night Lamp & the table it came with.
That is all there is to my room. Please leave any suggestions you might have in the comments section down below! I look forward to hearing from you guys!
Love,
A.
Today was the day I packed all my belongings here at the old house.Tomorrow, I will be moving my things over to the new apartment.
I am exhausted beyond words!
This experience has made me want to take my Minimalism journey all the more seriously. It baffles me, the amount of stuff I own. Most of it, I have because I can afford to have it, not because I need it.
In spite of the fact that I have given away so much already, so much still remains!
I read an article the other day which said Minimalism was for the rich, the poor do not have a choice, they have very less to begin with. And to be honest, I agree with it. If I did not have the money, I would never own some of the stuff I own.
I think the first thing one needs to do when moving towards wanting to be a minimalist is curbing the urge to spend mindlessly.
My friend Debbie ( check out her blog here ) gave me some really good advice about spending & being a Minimalist. She said, If you have the urge to buy something just because you have the money. Put the money in a jar & watch it grow instead. You can put the same money to some good use later ( which does not include buying useless crap from the mall that you don’t need )
The second advice is, before spending your money on something big, sleep on it for a day or two. Sometimes, we buy things in the spur of the moment & regret it later. The sleeping on it part will save you a lot of money & guilt as well!
These are words I live by now! Thanks Debbie!
Regards,
A.
Hi guys,
I finally got down to Minimizing my clothes. It was kinda easier for me to go through my clothes because unlike books, I am not completely obsessed with them.
While sorting the clothes, I would hold each one in my hand & decide whether it fit me well, when was the last time I wore it & does it spark joy. If I had not worn something for the past 6 months, I’d put it in the give away pile.
I really like Marie Kondo’s ‘Kon Marie’ method of folding clothes. In her book ‘Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ she describes the best ways to fold various pieces of clothing right from socks to Tees to trousers, its amazing how much space her method saves you. You can find her folding video’s on Youtube. Just search for Marie Kondo’s folding methods for clothes.
My wardrobe now consists of around 10 T shirts/Tops now, & 2 Jeans, 5 Leggings & 4 Trousers & 4 Shirts. I gave away almost 2 bags of clothes to my maids daughter who has just recently started with her college & will appreciate the fancier clothes so much more than I will.
With Clothes I would say, go for it all at once & not space it out like I suggested with Books. However, if you don’t wish to go through all your clothes at once, just go category wise. One day deal with your Tops, next day your jeans/trousers, your home clothes the third, jackets the next etc. For me personally it took me around 4 hours to go through all my clothes & sort them into throw & keep piles. It all depends on how many clothes you own.
Another golden rule I am applying with clothes is, if I am buying a new piece of clothing, I will give away 3 in return. At no given point should my wardrobe overflow with clothes.
Also another thing I might add, if you want to own a set of stylish yet minimalist clothes. Stick with neutral colors. White, Black, Gray & a Little Blue. everything will go well with everything & you will be a little stress free!
I am not saying eliminate color from your wardrobe completely, I have not myself, but somehow I have noticed that I take lesser time to decide what to wear & don’t have to buy additional pieces of clothing because something doesn’t match with something. The Ladies will relate to this struggle!
I really like Marie Kondo’s ‘Kon Marie’ method of folding clothes. In her book ‘Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ she describes the best ways to fold various pieces of clothing right from socks to Tees to trousers, its amazing how much space her method saves you. You can find her folding video’s on Youtube. Just search for Marie Kondos folding methods for clothes.
I would like to hear from you, are you a hoarder when it comes to clothes? What techniques do you use to decide which clothes stay & which go? Let me know in the comments section below!
Regards,
Arpita.
Hi guys,
I honestly think moving house has been a blessing in disguise for me, in my journey to becoming a Minimalist. I have been forced to have a good look at things I own & decide what stays & what goes.
I am trying to get rid of things that don’t bring me joy, than pack them & carry them all the way to my new apartment & clutter the new place.
If you have lived at a place for a long time, ( 14 years in my case ), you will obviously end up accumulating a lot of stuff. So decluttering all of it is not only going to be a lot of work, but also a time consuming affair. However once you are done with it, I can assure you it will be deeply satisfying.
As I go through my stuff & pack my bags, I think it is time to pause & reflect & really ask myself, ‘What is it that I really need’? ‘What is it that I really use’? ‘What is it that I really love’?
As I try & find my answers, I ask you. If you were to move today, what would you take with you? What is it that you really need? What is it that you really love? What is it that you really use?
Let me know in the comments section down below!
Regards,
Arpita
Hello Friends,
For me the biggest challenge when it comes to Minimalism was always going to be Books. I am a Book lover to the core! I read around 2-3 books a month on an average, so you can imagine the amount of books I must have accumulated. Some books, I’d get on read & return basis. But if I did enjoy the book a lot, I’d end up buying it & adding it to my collection.
I am somebody who prefers tackling the hardest tasks before the easy ones. So when it came to Minimalism, I started with Books! Marie Kondo in her Book, ‘Life Changing Magic of tidying Up” suggested that we should handle it all at once. But come on. It hard enough to give up things you really love. So I am going to say, don’t do anything drastic.
I have around 5 bookshelf’s in my house filled with books. In the first round I checked out all 5 bookshelf’s & took those books out that did not give me joy & I knew I was never going to read again & put it away in my give away pile & gave them away.
Another method I used when it came to selecting books to give away was, will I find a kindle version of the Book, should I ever wish to read the book again in the future. ( I have stopped getting Paper copies of Books, since I got myself a Kindle & get my e-books from Amazon now.)
I would repeat the same process once every week. I did not want to be in a hurry to give things away & wanted to take my own time, so that by the end of the process, I do not end up remorseful.
I am happy to report that I am down from 5 book shelf’s to about 2 book shelf’s of books. ( I am a Lawyer, & I do need a lot of reference books so can’t get rid of them, that limits my giving away )
Because I went about this process slowly, giving away a few books at a time, I could actually do it. I might get down to further reducing the Books I own eventually. This is just the start of things.
The reason I went with giving away of books in installments is that, If I were to give away my books all at once, well that would never happen. I’d probably have a breakdown or something & put all the books back. When you love something its going to be hard to part with it. And for me, Books are the only things I have free hand with when it comes to spending my money.
So my suggestion to you is, Take your time.
Somehow its the first give away that’s hard. It gets better the second time onward’s.
Another thing, ‘There is No Minimalism Police‘ which keeps a track of exactly how much is Minimalist enough. We can all have our own version of Minimalism.
Minimalism should basically be about keeping just about enough things. Things that you value. Keeping only the things that give you joy or have a utility value for you. You have a choice.
Do share with me in the comments section, how you guys tackle de-cluttering & Giving away things! Can’t wait to hear from you!
Regards,
Arpita.
I have been hearing about this book for the longest time, both on Youtube & Blogs alike but somehow never got around to getting it because I was not so much into the organizing & decluttering.
It was only after I was I watched the Tedx talk by the Minimalists & really got thinking about how I wanted to live my life, that I almost drew this book to me. I was discussing Minimalism with my friend Estee, & she recommended that I read this book. I had seen a lot of difference in her space for sometime now, so I finally went ahead & ordered my own copy of this book.
I must say the book offers some really good advice when it comes to tidying up & is a great book to read if you are about to start your decluttering journey.
Marie has some great advice to offer. Here are some of them.
Marie advises that instead of going step by step when it comes to tidying, a better approach is to get it done once and for all. Like if you plan on tidying up just do it all.
Also instead of tidying up location wise, it is better to go category wise instead. Example – Instead of sorting things going Room my Room it is better to pick a category, say Clothes & sort out all the clothes you own. Move on to the next category, say Shoes, in which case you Sort out all your shoes at once.
When she is goes to a clients home to help him tidy his possessions, & when they are Tidying category wise. Say, they are tidying Clothes/Books. She insists that the client bring out every single piece of clothing/Book that they own & place it in front of them & go through them all at once.
(In fact she mentions that if anything is left out after that point, will go straight to the give away pile, which i think is drastic!)
Marie encourages the owner to use their intuition to sort the things they own. ‘Does an item Spark Joy’ is the question the owner should ask oneself as he holds each item. If it does, it needs to be kept, If it doesn’t they should let it go.
( That really makes sense to me. We all know the stuff that really brings us joy & we wont hesitate for a second to keep it. but there are stuff that we have in our possession just because we paid money for it. Its a technique I now use when I have to decide on what to keep & what to give away)
I also liked the suggestions she gives on how to fold our clothes in order to make more space in our wardrobes.
I am going to try that out as I move my clothes into my new wardrobe soon. Its really something useful.
Marie also insists on not letting your family see what you are giving away!
( Golden words I say, I never ever clean when my family is around because whenever I am about to give things away, my mother always finds things from the pile which she thinks might be useful to her, but honestly never makes use of even once! )
Another thing Marie insists upon is not making your parents house a place to store the stuff you don’t need. We usually give away things we don’t use to our parents, thinking they might put them to good use, but it seldom happens & we end up cluttering their house in the process!
There are very few instances where I don’t agree with Marie’s ways. Say for example each day when she gets back home, she empty’s her hand bag & places its content ( train pass, wallet ) in places she has assigned to it!
(I mean, Its great if it works for her but I need almost the same things in my handbag everyday. My travel pass, Money purse, Id cards, So it saves me time in the morning to just have it in there at all times)
Also when it comes to mementos, we all get a little sentimental & keep somethings that have memories attached to it. And I would want to keep them. So giving them away is not something I can do. Its okay to be a little attached to stuff, we are human beings.
Other than the above, I did like the book a lot. Marie writes about how tidying affects our lives positively. It sure does, I feel it since I have started the process of Minimizing my possessions.
She has given examples of how people have lost weight, changed careers, found their passion in work & life alike after organizing & tidying their spaces!
I liked the structure of the book & also the ways of the author, she seems like such a kind & gentle soul as she shows respect towards her things & possessions. Its endearing.
I do recommend it & can finally see what the buzz about the book is really about! Overall a great book to start if you are looking for ways to declutter & Tidying up your space.
If you have read the book, do let me know how you liked it in the comments section below.
Regards,
Arpita
As you guys know from the ‘Coffee time with Me‘ post, I am trying to simplify my life & begin my journey towards being a Minimalist.
I would like to begin the series of Posts with the Tedx talk by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus that inspired me to be a Minimalist.
I hope it inspires you as much as it has inspired me. Lets live more fulfilling & simple lives and focus on whats really important.
Do leave your thoughts about the Talk in the comments section down below.
Regards,
Arpita.
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