What started as a fascination with the French capsule wardrobe evolved to looking into things like project 333, and eventually an overall infatuation with simple living. Being a hoarder and the ideal consumer (advertisements easily convince me I need things in my life...(-_-) ), this transition into minimalism is definitely taking a lot more time and is yet to become second nature to me.
A lot of TED videos, blogs, Pinterest searches, and youtube videos later, I'm ready declutter and simplify my life! Of course, being unemployed, broke, and traveling back and forth has definitely been conducive to this transition. It's so liberating to be able to fit all your things in your suitcase when traveling, not tied down by your possessions, free to just get up and go at any time.
(I thought this was pretty funny)
Definitely check out his channel for more videos, I love his channel and his unique take on life and "unconventional living". This is just the trailer for his channel.
No, it's not that I'm turning to a hippie. And it's not about getting rid of things. It's about owning only what you use, need, and love. Cleaning out my room I realized I owned so much JUNK! A lot of it just accumulated and I never ended up using or even touching them for...months, years, or even ever. It's wasteful, it's not eco-friendly, bad for my wallet, and I really do believe a cluttered space creates a cluttered mind.
The first thing I decided to target was my closet. As mentioned before, I loved the French's take on fashion. Investing more in core items to mix and match, rather than flooding your closet with more cheap items that wear and tear faster, most of which probably won't be worn anyway. I loved that they were willing to wear the same things over and over, unapologetically, with that...je ne sais quoi, carefree...elegance that they have. It definitely forces you to get more creative with your wardrobe to get the most out of your existing collection, and helps control those impulse buys from the sales rack.
I haven't reached Project 333 status entirely... maybe 66..oh god, well I meant double the items for half a year rather than every season. So no more haul videos, no more favorites of the months, haha.
Lucky for me, I traveled back and forth between the US and Japan three times in the last few month, so it forced my to narrow my possessions down to the bare essentials. Each trip back home I'd realize I didn't need the things I left, making it easier to purge as I went.
You can start by packing all of your things as well, in boxes like Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus recommend, and only unboxing what you need and donate/throw away the things that remain boxed up.
Another one I liked, and would have liked to do if I had more time was another challenged they proposed, and is more of a gradual process to help you to not get overwhelmed by the big changes. You would start by getting rid of only one item the first day, then two the next day, three on the following day and so on.
However you decide to do it, it's not going to be entirely easy. Like all lifestyle changes, it requires patience, persistence, and some work. The benefits, however, are sure to extend to all areas of your life and be worth it. I can't wait to see where this journey goes ~
Make sure to check out some of these sites for more inspiration and in depth looks at minimalism and simple living!
The Minimalists
http://www.theminimalists.com
Project 333
http://theproject333.com
15 Minimalist Hacks to Maximize Your Life
http://www.buzzfeed.com/morganshanahan/minimalist-hacks-to-maximize-your-life#.gpyLw5zP
The Minimalist Mom: a Rich Life with Less Stuff
http://www.theminimalistmom.com
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