The work required

If you think stylish minimalism is for you, there are plenty of action steps already covered in previous posts. If you’ve been working through them, that’s great! Please post your comments about how your life is changing. If you haven’t quite started yet, this post is for you.

As much as we love silver bullets, the journey of minimalism involves work. Just reading this blog won’t change your life. It takes time and effort to go forward. It’s easy to come up with reasons why we can’t start. But all these reasons are just excuses. It’s time to move past the excuses.

What are you waiting for?

No matter the answer, there is always the same response: Do you really want to be a stylish minimalist? If your answer isn’t an enthusiastic YES! then I suggest spending your time on something you do really want instead of reading this blog.

Here are some common excuses and some suggestions on how to move past them.

I don’t have enough time.

• Declutter your commitments. The next time someone asks you to do something, say no. You don’t have to make excuses. Your life is yours to dole out as you see fit.
• Spend less or no time with technology. TV, internet, games, email, phones… they devour time. Turn it off and use the time to declutter for 15 minutes then enjoy that space for the next 15 minutes.
• Rearrange your life. If you’re losing big chunks of time, you might need some drastic action. I was once commuting 4 hours a day. Moving closer to work gave me some time back.
• Where are you spending your time? What can you live without doing? Minimise it!

I’m too tired.

• Get more rest. Make the time (see above) but instead of more activity, go lie down in bed or sit outside.
• Cut out any activities you don’t need to do. The ceiling lamps don’t need to be polished every week. I carry around my children less as they get heavier, saving me some energy.
• Take a sabbatical. Take everything down to zero so your day consists of sleeping, eating, light exercising and resting. Even a weekend of rest can make a difference. Stay home and do the bare minimum.
• Where are you spending your energy? What can you live without doing? Minimise it!

I don’t know where to start.

• You can start anywhere. The important thing is to pick a place and get started. Jump in wherever you are.
• Let go of your perfectionism. If we wait until we have enough time to do the job perfectly, it’ll never get done. Minimalism is a lifestyle, not a destination. Even a little effort will product some results. I try to keep the top of my bedroom dresser minimal, even when the rest of the house is in chaos.
• What place catches your eye and drives you crazy? Minimise it!

My partner doesn’t want to be minimalist.

• Be stylish yourself. Minimise your personal posessions and commitments. Accept that you can’t change others, only your own actions. Realise you’ll have to compromise on some things as part of being in a relationship.
• Check your values. Talk with your partner about why you’re doing this. Discuss your similar values and how minimalism applies. For example, it’s important to my husband and I that we save money for travelling. Therefore we don’t use our resources on consuming more than we need.
• What can you minimise that doesn’t affect your partner? Start there!

What else is holding you back? Leave a comment if you would like some suggestions on how to move forward.