For some time, minimalism and being a minimalist has been trending. 

But, for most it means an initial burst of activity to lessen the excess and then a mindful practice going forward, in the acquisition of new stuff.

Less is more. It really is.   

This statement resonates in the minimalism arena as well as the organizing one, but what does this really mean?

Well, let me explain.  

By less, this means less belongings in all areas. Less paper, less clothing, less toys, less stuff and maybe less obligations that are negative. When you have less stuff, it naturally takes less time to maintain everything. Less time to get ready.  

This gives you more time to do what you want. More life is the ultimate goal in this movement. You have more energy because you are not wasting it looking for things and moving things around to consolidate, more enjoyment because you can see and use what you have, more money as you won't be making duplicate or frustration purchases.  All this gives you more living. Time and space in your life to pursue things of importance like volunteering for causes of interest or developing that side business and even opening your home more because you can. This less is more way of life also proves to be incredibly useful when selling your home if you so choose! A home is half sold when it is decluttered and depersonalized!   

So, you want to adopt minimalism.  

The path from where you are now and where you may want to be, can be done in one huge purge or via small goals along the way.  

Simplifying (the path to minimalism) can be having just one of each item or it can mean reducing your stuff by at least 50%. Only you can decide how much is enough and what you think “minimalism” is for you. Some areas for you may also be different than for someone else. Someone that works out a lot may have six pairs of sneakers and they are all used, but someone that doesn’t may have just one or two pairs. I think minimalism is having just enough for you and no more.

Once adopting your “level,” it is important to maintain it and be mindful of what you bring in via shopping, gifts, and free items. Buying something new, should coincide with letting something go, unless of course, it serves a completely new purpose. It takes work to let go and get to the level you want, and it will also take work keeping things at that level. Shopping with a list and sticking to it can help, as well as going through each area once a year to account for the creeping-in of new items.

If you choose to adopt minimalism and simplicity, do some soul searching and list-making to find your comfort zone. Let others know this change so they can support you. Make good choices and hard and fast rules to hold yourself accountable. Lastly, as with everything - interest, jobs and family dynamics drive change in spaces and stuff – realign your goals and expectations when a change does happen so your new state of minimalism works for you.