By: Lauren Bedair
As a mom, overwhelmed by obligations and the toys that are taking over my home, one trend keeps appealing to me – MINIMALISM! I don’t think it is something you take on overnight, but it’s a process and a mindset change. It is a movement that can impact every facet of your life and, for that reason, I find it so interesting.
Challenge 1: All The Stuff
The first thing that comes to mind with MINIMALISM is minimizing “the stuff”. Assess and purge — that sounds wonderful to me! I’m not one for clutter and knickknacks so I’m always happy to fill up a bag and make a donation (I really am the anti-hoarder). The trick here is to divide and conquer. Picking a spot to start and tackling the junk. I plan to start with my kitchen junk drawer. A small feat, but a constant source of frustration so simplifying this will make my day-to-day a little more pleasant.
Other areas to consider:
- Clothing
- Home décor/Household items
- Toys
- Bills
Challenge 2: Manage Your Obligations
With a full-time job and a full calendar, sometimes it is KEY to be able to say “no”. I’ve been practicing this for years to help make my family, and family life, a priority. While we still have things that fill our evenings, we don’t let it take over our lives. With our growing family, we’ve taken another step back, reevaluated our obligations, and did another quick time cleanse. There is nothing more satisfying to me than to have an occasional weekend where I can honestly say we have no plans! Our time is a commodity, so being minimal in what we allow to use it up is just as important.
Challenge 3: Set Goals and Expectations
As a society we tend to put a ton of pressure on ourselves. Whether it is to be a Pinterest mom, an Instagram-worthy chef, or a Houzz-worthy designer, we let unimportant “goals” take over and predetermine priorities for us. Part of minimalism is being minimal and reasonable in our goals — and focusing our precious time on the goals that truly matter in our real lives.
Minimalism, however, isn’t just about getting rid of stuff and clearing your calendar. It’s about living INTENTIONALLY. It’s about living on purpose so you can focus on what is actually important. Minimalism. How could it impact your life?
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