Simplify

I’m not a huge fan of the word minimalism. I prefer, intentional ownership. But I’m also a reasonable blogger, who understands nobody is searching for the term, “intentional ownership.” If you’re new to the concept, or at least to practicing it, these are some easy steps you can take today to start the journey… and it is a journey, not a destination.

If you’re stuck inside like my family, you have a lot of unexpected time to get stuff done. Things like minimizing, decluttering, and the dreaded… cleaning. Quarantine can make you feel like a failure. Don’t let it. You’re not the only one who has had an ample amount of time to get the entire house cleaned and haven’t.

When you think of decluttering, it may seem overwhelming. You have all this stuff. You’re not exactly sure how you’ve accumulated such an absurd amount of things, but you have. All you know now is that you need less stuff.

For three months out of the year, Friedrich-Engels-Bogen, a nursery in Munich, Germany, takes away all of their kids’ toys and leaves them with only tables, chairs, and a few blankets to play with. At first, this may seem cruel, but on second glance, it’s proven to be an effective way to encourage children to make their own fun.

Minimalism isn’t as much a state of being as it is a goal, but really, it’s a mindset most of all. Minimalism is the opposite of consumerism. It’s intentional ownership. You’ll find that most families who lean towards minimalism are slowly downsizing their life — removing the unimportant to make room for the important.