A huge misconception of minimalism is the be- lief that you own one thing of everything. One pair of shoes. One shirt. One pair of pants. One fork. One spoon. One knife. One bowl. However, minimalism is the idea of simple living and prioritizing what brings value to you.
Before diving headfirst into the world of minimal- ism, I would feel overwhelmed with the societal pres- sure of materialism. We pressure ourselves to have the latest item whether it be a car, a phone, or shoes. We place our happiness onto inanimate objects and still have our problems present.
Simple living is about the belief of less is more and more is less. You don’t need dozens of shoes or mul- tiple pairs of pants. Being effective and functional is what’s important. For example, in one week, we wear one outfit for each day. When you’re someone with an enormous wardrobe selection, deciding what to wear takes time. The minimalist approach would be to have three versatile bottoms, a solid dozen selection of tops, and about three pairs of shoes to vary the styles excluding jackets and accessories. This allows you to save the energy from making decisions because you al- ready have a preconceived idea of how you’ll be dress- ing up. Once you’ve used up that pair of clothing, you get the same one and continue. Of course, you can get a pair of Jordans if it is effective and functional to your wardrobe and your desired style.
What brings you value? Value is the regard that something is held to deserve; the important, worth, or usefulness of something. When it comes to spending, as a society, we all compulsively spend on things that we want rather than what we need. There is nothing wrong with wanting something. However, there is a time and place for everything. When we NEED some- thing, we must place more priority towards that. This concept isn’t strict. In no way is the minimalist ap-proach perfect. It acts as a guide to be responsible is all.
In conclusion, Minimalism can be explained in many ways. Two important takeaways from this article is that minimalism is about simple living while avoid- ing compulsive spending and finding value in what you own and spend. In the next issue, I’ll be covering the topic of Slow Growth and the importance of a slow burn.
Photo: Christian Ochoa-Diaz