Becoming a minimalist has become quite popular as homeowners find themselves drowning in clutter and not having enough time to enjoy life. Owning a large home does not seem to help the matter.
Whether a homeowner wants to downsize or just get rid of clutter to become a minimalist here are five common struggles they face:
1. Not knowing where to start. Oftentimes, when one doesn’t know where to start when it comes to minimizing, is to become paralyzed and not do anything at all. In reality, it doesn’t matter where you start as long as you start. Pick a room in your home or even just a drawer and you will build momentum to keep going.
2. Keeping something ‘just in case’. More than likely, if you haven’t used an item in more than one year, you won’t need it or miss it. When you start to think about keeping something ‘just in case’, remember that you can always borrow something for someone instead of keeping those items.
3. Convincing your family to live with less. This is not always easy to do. It might be that not everyone in your family will be on board with the idea of becoming a minimalist. Realize that you don’t have to convince anyone. Just do your own part and let the rest of the family see how your life has improved because of it. By setting an example, you may bring them to your way of thinking. You may even have some books on decluttering at home laying around. Let your family see what you are reading. They might show an interest first by skimming or actually reading one of the books.
4. Believing that if you get rid of a sentimental item, the memory will be gone. This cannot be further from the truth. But if you still want to have a record of the memory, take a photo of the item so you have a digital memory and find another home for the actual item.
5. Pressure from others to consume more. If you keep your WHY in mind, it will be easier to deal with others that don’t share the same view as you. Not everyone will side with you but you have to do what is right for you. Always remember your ‘why’.Think about why you want to minimize in your life and all the benefits it will bring.
Keeping in mind that there will be struggles when trying to become a minimalist or even just decluttering your home, but knowing how to deal with it will help you along the way.
