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Big changes are happening here at The Millennial Maven HQ!
Namely, we’ve moved out of our quaint, 500 square foot apartment and into a much larger house. More on how that happened is coming up, but for now, let’s talk about the first unexpected side effect of moving into a larger space… I’m jumping head first into the minimalism lifestyle! Now, this isn’t to say that I’m going full-on minimalist, and I’m still learning, so bear with me.
These are just a few simple things you can do to streamline your life, right now. None of which include throwing anything out just yet. We’ll save that for next time. Check back next week for Part 2 of this post where I’ll talk about where to actually start decluttering your home!
Being more “repurpose-minded”
Most items in this world can be used for more than one purpose, and yet we are constantly purchasing additional items for simple tasks that can easily be accomplished with things you already own. I am nowhere near being zero-waste, but I am working on reducing my environmental impact by repurposing and recycling as much as possible.
The next time you want to buy an item that accomplishes some sort of specific task, challenge yourself to think of any item in your home that can do the same thing. Also, think about what you could possibly do with an item before you toss it the trash.
Focusing on quality over quantity
Would you rather own 10 items that you moderately like, or one item that is super useful and brings you joy every time you look at it? The answer to this posed question seems obvious, but in real life it isn’t always so simple.
Create a short list of items you would really love to own, but that feel out of reach. The next time you go to purchase a random thing because it’s cheap or convenient, pull out your list and think about which item you’d rather have instead. Note down the prices of all the items you decide on walking away from. When it all adds up to the price of your aspirational item, you’ll feel good about spending that money because you’ll feel like you earned it.
Only keeping items I can remember in my home
What I mean by this is to avoid owning more items than you can keep track of in your head. You don’t need to be able to name every pair of socks you own, but aim to be able to visualize the storage spaces in your home and know at least what type of items are housed there.
It’s totally possible when your storage is organized and uncluttered. When storage spaces are so packed that you can’t see what is in the back or underneath, then you’ll forget what you have and end up buying new things when you need something, so you might as well have not kept all the old clutter in the first place. See the endless cycle starting here?
Clearing out and simplifying my digital spaces
I’m talking my iPhone, iPad, computer desktop and files, iCloud, Google Drive, email, and all the other random online accounts we accumulate over time. Earlier this month I went through all of my files and deleted anything that was no longer relevant. While I was there, I created a new organizational system so I can keep future additions from getting out of hand.
Start with your cloud storage or external hard drive. Those tend to hold the oldest files that are the easiest to part with. Put on some entertainment of your choice for motivation and be especially ruthless with your photos!
Curating my subscriptions
We subscribe to so many different things we often can’t even keep them all straight! I’ve got digital products, physical products, and entertainment and coming at me every month and I am definitely not getting my money’s worth.
I have easily cut my subscriptions count in half. It’s astounding how many things I was being charged for every month that I didn’t even realize! Take a thorough look at your credit card and bank statements and cancel any subscriptions that aren’t adding value to your life.
Distancing myself from consumption ideology
I used to spend hours on YouTube watching shopping hauls featuring clothes and designer handbags, 11-step skincare routines, makeup looks that included glitter eyeliner I didn’t have, and cleaning routines using 17 products from a certain membership website, which obviously sponsored said video. Watching these videos put into my brain that my collection of stuff was perpetually inadequate. If I bought one item of clothing, they bought three. If I used three eyeshadows, they used twelve, because more is more. (“And that must be why she’s prettier than me,” I thought.)
We subscribe to ideologies based on who we follow and consume content from on social media. The answer is simple: unsubscribe from content and ideologies that no longer serve you. For me, this meant anything that was pushing me to purchase items I didn’t need and making me feel inadequate when I couldn’t.
You know that saying, “You are what you eat”? Well, what about this: “you are what (content) you consume.” #DeepThoughts
Saying “No” to others, and “Yes” to myself
There’s nothing “minimal” about being codependent. And there is nothing “streamlined” about allowing the worries of others to hang out in your consciousness; you have enough of your own.
Set aside a comfortable number hours each week that you’ll spend focusing on the needs of others. Be as strict, (or not strict) as you like, but be mindful of falling back into the same bad habits. Lessen your time spent caring for the needs of others so you can devote more time focusing on what makes you happy to exist in this world.
Like this post? Check this one out too >> NEW Spring Minimalist Makeup Routine for Everyday!
That’s all for today!
If you find this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments below! And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!
Till next time ♥︎
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FTC- Not sponsored by any brands mentioned. I purchase all products myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.
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