I’m a minimalist, but in the scope of my life, that’s a relatively new development. I’ve always had a less is more mindset, but it wasn’t until the fall of 2014 that I deliberately began minimizing — clearing physical and mental space for the priorities that I’d rededicated myself to: positive relationships, vibrant health, and continual growth. After several months of decluttering, I decided to play The Minimalist’s 30-Day Minimalism Game. The game was fun and it forced me to critically evaluate what material possessions Ella and I had, and what we truly needed.
During that month, minimizing became an ingrained habit that I’ve maintained since. Although I’m diligent about not acquiring unnecessary items and shedding our excess, a lot has happened since I last played the Minimalism Game (#MinsGame): we have moved several times — including becoming a three-person household, I started a new business (this site!), and Ella’s grown tremendously. Our needs and preferences have changed. An integral part of this lifestyle is continually evaluating what is in our life and removing that which no longer serves its purpose or is essential.
As I’m gazing out the window at icicles dripping water onto our patio furniture, I yearn for the sunny warming days of spring. It feels like a perfect time to do some pre-spring deep-decluttering and take our minimalism game to the next level.
Over the next month, our household will be doing the #MinsGame again! I’m going to focus on one area of our home at a time: starting with clothing, then moving onto personal items, toys, the garage, and finally the kitchen. I’ll do a blog post at the end of the month summarizing the experience. If you want to see the process in semi–real time, head over to Minimal Wellness’s Instagram page, where I’ll post daily photos of, and rationale for, the items we jettison. Looking for some motivation to do the game yourself? Join in by discussing your progress in the comments to the photos, and by posting pics of your journey (use #MinsGame and tag @minimalwellness).
Let’s do this!