Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
Today we hear from Dan, who carved out his own minimalist oasis in the midst of a cluttered home. Please visit his blog to follow his journey.
Dan writes:
Today, I’m a minimalist living in a family of hoarders and packrats. Everyday, I return home to boxes stacked to the ceiling, piles of unfiled paperwork, and a pantry flooded with expired items. For my fellow minimalists, I’m sure you find this thoroughly horrific! It is.
I’m 22 now so this home environment is already very familiar to me. However, after researching minimalism, I discovered a beautiful aesthetic to immerse myself in. I was inspired to declutter my life, culling my surroundings to the necessities.
I explained this process to my mom and, naturally, she responded with resistance. However, I was not defeated; I realized this minimalist journey was a personal one. I decided that, in the trenches of stuff, I would find a spacious and clear oasis—my room.
I designated one weekend to decluttering. I thought it’d be easy. I thought it’d be quick. It was not. It wasn’t until after I pulled everything from my closet and unburied the corpses under my bed, that I realized how much stuff I had!
Clothes from kindergarten. Dumb doodles. Movie ticket stubs. Crappy pens. Old research papers. Broken headphones. Ugly Christmas sweaters. The list extends on and on. Why I kept all this junk? I don’t know. All I knew is that it all needed to get out of here now. All of it.
It was easy tossing a lot of things. I had bags upon bags of stuff. Each item tossed into the bag was another tiny weight removed from my back and from my mind. Even sentimental pieces were met with a discriminating eye. I asked myself: Do I need this? Is this something I will reflect back on often? Does this recall positive memories? For most items, they didn’t. When I think about it now, I honestly do not remember even 90% of these “sentimental” items I mulled over. This only reinforces how meaningless a lot of this clutter is in our lives. Just get rid of it!
Clear. Spacious. Neat. This is my room today and this is how I intend to keep it. In my room, I am calm and my mind is clear. I feel light and I’ve noticed an increase in energy to activate change. I’ve cooked and exercised more and pursued other hobbies beside shopping, like playing the piano again! Even more exciting, I’ve started my own lifestyle/minimalism blog (www.lifesodandy.com)!
I’m moving out next month so I will finally have the minimalist living space I crave. I plan to write more about the moving process and settling in. Check out my blog if you’re interested!
Enjoy life.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Hi Dan! How great that decluttering has given you more energy for life! Cooking, exercising, and playing the piano will bring you so much more joy than shopping and hanging onto things. Best of luck in your new minimalist lifestyle!
Hi, Karen! Thanks for reading my post. Yes, definitely! Minimalism has freed up pockets of time in my schedule to enjoy new activities and rediscover old hobbies. Thanks, again!
Enjoy life. :)
Bravo, Dan! What a challenge to carve out a minimalist lifestyle for yourself in the midst of all that clutter. Good luck with your move, and best wishes!
Thank you, Alix! Minimalism has become an outlet for happiness and clarity for me, like so many others. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Enjoy life.
You found a good, solid pathway toward fulfillment(piano playing, exercising, etc) so early in your adulthood. Best wishes for continuing success.
Hi there, Gail! Thanks for reading and I’m happy you enjoyed it. I’m fortunate to have discovered minimalism because I truly believe it’s a lifestyle I will maintain for many years. I wish you the best.
Enjoy life.
Thanks for sharing your story, Dan. Very inspirational and I wish you good luck with your move. You are so right to recognise that we cannot change others, we can only control ourselves and set the example.
Well said, Stacy!
Hi there, Stacy!
Thank you for reading. I’ve been moved into my new apartment for about 3 months and it has been a great experience. I finally have that minimalism space I’ve been craving, as mentioned in my post.
Actually, when people visit, they’re both shocked and intrigued by how clean and minimal my apartment is. After previewing minimalism, some are eager to give it a go. Be an example and others will follow. :)
Enjoy life.
I’m already a huge fan of Dan’s and a subscriber to his blog Life So Dandy, so I was thrilled to see him on Miss Minimalist when I received the email this morning.
It’s great to hear your story and incredibly inspiring for those of us on our own minimalist journey. We can learn so much from one another. A wonderful community of like-minded people.
Thanks for sharing your story Dan!
Laura Beth
Hello, Laura! It brings me joy that you’ve found interest in my post and thank you for being such an active follower. I definitely recommend Laura’s blog, How to Get Rich Slowly. She includes some great insights on a minimalist approach to finance. Also, she’s amazing. :)
Enjoy life.
“Does this recall positive memories?” Such a good question to ask when culling your stuff!
Hello, Gaby! Often, we focus on the physical element of minimalism and I feel it’s important to also evaluate the emotional part. After all, minimalism is a new approach to living and ultimately, we all want to be happy. Discard things that weigh you down negatively. Keep the essentials and whatever aligns with what fulfills you and I’m sure you’ll feel a positive shift.
Enjoy life.
Fantastic post, I really enjoyed this. Such an inspiration, showing a strong will and determination.
Thanks, Claire! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I wish you the best.
Enjoy life.
How lucky you are to discovered this at 22. Hopefully your de-cluttered mind will avoid going down business rabbit holes. Wish I could do a mass tossing but can only purge a few things at a time. Good luck in your new home.
I’m glad you learned you can only control yourself. Your parents will probably never be minimalists, or if they do, they will come to it on their own. Best wishes for your future.
After accepting you can’t control everything and everyone around you, life becomes so much manageable. Minimalism not just about letting go of stuff. It’s about letting go.
Enjoy life.
You can see why I follow Dan. He is not just a good writer. He is a good person.
My mother was a champion hoarder. She is still trying to hoard in a nursing home by taking over her roommate’s space. Luckily, her roommate is blind and hasn’t noticed. I wanted to clean my daughter’s apartment with her help. She likes living in a pile of cardboard boxes. She doesn’t want my help so I haven’t gone there in months. The clutter and mess upsets me.Long ago, I came to the realization that I could only clean up after people who wanted my help. I will probably never be a true minimalist because at 66, I like to sit on chairs, sleep in a bed, and keep an extra towel, washcloth, and sheets for overnight guests. Good for all of you who realize there is more to life than shopping and accumulating. At Goodwill, I’ve seen collections of ceramic bears, Precious Moments, dolls, bells, Christmas villages and the rest of the items that fill homes.
Hello, Tina! I completely relate. There are so many instances when I wish I could declutter someone else’s space but you’re unable to help people who don’t want to accept it.
I don’t believe there to be a clear cut definition of what constitutes a minimalist. I wholeheartedly support that minimalism is about keeping the things that you appreciate and you find practical. If you need extra towels and sheets, especially since you have guests, that shouldn’t discourage you from identifying as a minimalist.
Minimalism transcends the numerical value of our possessions. It’s about living life not by having more or even having less but having enough to support your lifestyle in a fulfilling way.
We took some bags of shoes to Goodwill today. They recycle them.
I am packing for a 3 day weekend out of town. Since there will be some dressy occasions, I am taking more clothes than usual. But I still have room in my overnight bag. I have to pack my medicine in my tote bag yet. I will enjoy seeing other guests with giant suitcases or 3 or 4 suitcases.