Why did I become a minimalist?
I jumped on to the organising bandwagon pretty soon. The moment I googled the word organising, I began to drool over the flawlessness of all the magazine worthy homes. I drenched myself in Pinterest and Instagram to find the cutest and the brilliant way to organise my home.
Eventually, I became a hoarder. I bought innumerable organisers; files, boxes, racks and holders of all size and shape. Days passed and my apartment started to look like an abode of organised junk. My planners were filled with gigantic wishlists, whooping project plans and my Pinterest was full of organising ideas, yet I wasn’t happy and peaceful.
By this time, our marriage was a year old and we moved to Bangalore. it was time to bring in more stuff as we set up a full-fledged home.
My interests shifted to learning photoshop online. In a matter of 4 months, I was able to handle Prabu‘s projects. My days were packed with work – cooking, cleaning, organising and editing. I felt I had no time to entertain or even to just relax. I tried to infuse a lot of system around the house and split chores, but still, I was overloaded.
One rainy afternoon, I was editing a complex picture. Since Prabu didn’t teach me photoshop, I had my own way of handling a project. Seeing me struggling with it, Prabu for the first time saw how I edit.
‘First, make a grid(partition), remove what is unwanted and then start fixing’, he told.
This method was ridiculously easy. Earlier I was just all over the image at once. This methodology gave a new perspective on life. I began to tackle real world situations the same way.
I set up a grid for my day. Listed all what I like doing and what I don’t. I got into every detail.
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The want list was just a few and simple ones. What I understood from the grid is that I was caught up perfecting my routines than being creative, which is what I love to do. The answer to all my frustrations was minimalism.
What is minimalism?
Doing only what you extremely love to do.
Eliminating unwanted thoughts, actions and stuff.
Possessing things that are an utmost necessity.
Why do I need four knives that are almost similar, when I am the only person cooking at home? Why do I need a bread knife when I have stopped eating bread? Even during those days, I had only bought pre-sliced loaves of bread. Like this, we possess so many items that do not find any purpose but take up a lot of our space, time, money and energy to buy and maintain them. I discarded about 50% of things when I realised this.
What Minimalism has done to me ?
* I love myself.
* I live a life of Contentment.
* Minimalism has brought in radical changes in my mindset, habits and actions.
* I lead a life, driven by passion and not materialism and consumerism.
* There are only very few things around. Thus, organising and other chores have become way too simple and easy.
* Gained more time, to do things I love to do.
* Extreme gratitude for people around.
* Connected with a lot of people like never before.
* My vision is clear and achievable.
* My family’s health has improved.
* Wishlists and to do list are lot less and simple.
* I read more, see more, laugh more and live more.
* Respect, love and admiration for Mother Earth intensifies each day.
Action steps:
Want to feel the same way as me?
Make a grid. Make a detailed list all that you like to do and don’t like to do. This will make you aware of how many things you do in a day that you don’t like doing it. We do a lot of activities/work without even knowing if we like it or not. Reflect on this thought as you do each activity.
‘Being aware of your fear is smart. Overcoming it is the mark of a successful person’ – Seth Godin
My version:
‘Being aware of your dislike is smart. Overcoming it is the mark of a successful person’.
In the coming weeks, you will get to read how I reduced my dislikes list….. no definitely no…How I completely wiped off my dislikes list.