My First Step to Becoming a Minimalist
By Spella
@Spella (32)
United States
November 18, 2015 6:33pm CST
My life goal right now is to become a minimalist.
If you don't know what minimalism is, it's a lifestyle where the belief is living with less stuff equals higher quality of life, in a nutshell.
I have started this lifestyle change about a year ago. I was totally stressing out about how many clothes I had and never wore, how much room was taken over by stuff I never used or even seen for years, and I was nothing but stressed when I would see something I thought I needed, but knew I had no room for it.
So with some research I began my quest to simplifying my life. First was my closet. So what did I do to my closet? Ever hear about the 10 piece wardrobe? Hold on to your seat, if you're a clothes junky, this will blow you away.
I separated it between donation and keep. With the keep pile, I had a "this season" pile (winter) and a "out of season" pile. I tried on EVERY piece. Any ill-fitting piece I wasn't going to fix, I threw it in the donation box. That's right. All of my "goal" dresses and swimsuits, all of my pants that I promised myself I was going to fit into again, all of my loose clothes that I saved from my heavier days I kept just in case I gained the weight back, all of it in the donation box. I was merciless. Everything that fit, I separated it according to season.
Now, here's where it gets real crazy... I had to choose only 10 pieces to keep in my closet and ONLY wear those 10 pieces. The pieces I chose were as follows: a set of PJs, 2 sweaters, 2 tops, a pair of jeans, 2 fashion scarves, a dress and a coat. And that was it. That was all I was allowing myself. Everything else I threw into the out of season pile, stuffed into a box and stored it in the closet.
Then spring and summer came...
I changed out my sweaters, my coat, my fashion scarves for cooler items like a swimsuit, shorts, that type of stuff, as long as it stayed only 10 pieces. That was it.
And I love it! So much freedom with a beautifully small wardrobe! Going this long with this size of a wardrobe, I'm slowly finding my style. And with this new found style, I plan of replacing some items with more unique pieces, like donating my blah looking pullover sweater with something more personal, maybe from a boutique or etsy. Heck, maybe I can make a sweater with the time I'm saving not stressing about my closet!
With this monster taken care of, the next step of becoming a minimalism can begin...
13 people like this
14 responses
@yukimori (10148)
• United States
19 Nov 15
That sounds kind of similar to what I did after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. My first step was to tackle my closet and get rid of everything that didn't fit and wasn't something that I loved and wore regularly. I think I ended up with only five shirts when I was done.
Isn't it an amazing feeling when you get down to such a small selection? I would have thought that cutting down that much would make me feel like I have no options to choose from, but really I feel like I have more because everything in my closet now is something I love. 
I find it's made things so much easier to buy, too. I know just what I have, and that means I know what I need, too. I don't have many duplicates anymore.
What's next on your list to cut down?
I find it's made things so much easier to buy, too. I know just what I have, and that means I know what I need, too. I don't have many duplicates anymore.
What's next on your list to cut down?4 people like this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
19 Nov 15
I had heard about this book from Bubblews days and @ElizabethWallace wrote there about getting tidy and organised.
I have never been a big clothes buyer, but I don't like throwing things out, so have hung on to stuff I never where, just in case.
It is great to have more space. Will work on my books again next!
1 person likes this
@Spella (32)
• United States
9 Dec 15
I've heard of Kondo's book from a Youtube video some time ago; I should read it, since so many people keep talking about it.
The next on my list is the living room coat closet. It's where all of my seasonal and holiday stuff, games, taken apart furniture, and random stuff seemed to have been crammed in. I did take everything out once, shocked by how much actually fit in that little closet, but it's back to being a beast. I have to find a system for it so it can stay in better shape.
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
19 Nov 15
I am heading back in that direction. Reduce, reduce, reduce! There was a time when I had two pants, two shirts, enough undergarments and socks for a week and rotated each day and at the end of the week washed everything in one load along with my towels and bedding.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (342146)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Nov 15
@1hopefulman It's good not to have too much stuff in wardrobes, isn't it?
2 people like this
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
19 Nov 15
I am working on reducing too. This autumn one friend, who loves reducing and order helped me a lot and I gave away clothes and yarn and threw away lots for recycling. It helps to have someone with a fresh view of things to have the courage to get rid of things.
I am working on the habit of reducing, as I would like to be able to move when I wish and avoid all the work with clutter.. 
1 person likes this
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
19 Nov 15
@Auntylou - Yes!! having much more space is like making it much easier to breath.. and it reduces stress too!! 
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
19 Nov 15
I have recently given lots of clothes that I really do not like much to the charity shop up the road, and have lots more space.
I have sorted through my shoes and got myself a proper shoerack.
I am nowhere near done but I must streamline my life
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 15
Glad you found a method that works for you. I am interested in the minimalist concept of living but not really ready for it yet since with two kids at home it seems a bit hard to do. 
I do try to sort out the stuff every now and then, though.
I do try to sort out the stuff every now and then, though.2 people like this
@moffittjc (121729)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Nov 15
You and I sound like we are on the same path! It was about a year ago that I decided the same thing! I've already been able to downsize to a smaller (and less expensive) home. Next up is selling my large pickup truck and downsizing to a small, super fuel-efficient vehicle.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121729)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Dec 15
@Spella I live in an apartment too! I've switched apartments four times in my complex since I've been here, moving to a smaller unit each time! I think the management is tired of dealing with me! lol
@Spella (32)
• United States
9 Dec 15
I have lots of hobbies (arts and crafts, mostly yarn lol) so a large closet is heaven with a capsule wardrobe. My yarn and craft stuff is kind of everywhere at the moment (with the holidays coming up, had to pull everything out) so I hope to be able to organize it and find better spots for them in my side of the tamed closet lol
1 person likes this
@Spella (32)
• United States
9 Dec 15
Go ahead and fill it! As long as you love what you have! I still have quite a few things I don't "need" but they hold memories, and I still need to display them, so that they are not in a box, hiding that memory from me. With minimalism, I can have cake and eat it too! So can you!
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
19 Nov 15
I dont know that I could do this, but I do want to go through the house clean and donate much
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
24 Nov 15
@Spella sometimes I take one corner or a shelf and get a pitch and donation box going
@Spella (32)
• United States
9 Dec 15
@Jessicalynnt That's great! I started out like that, before I moved out of my dad's. Growing up, I was kind of a hoarder, so many toys, gadgets, souvenirs, and it was too much to take with me. So, like you, I took it one shelf at time. My sisters were there too so they could get what they wanted, so that helped too :)
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
19 Nov 15
If this works for you, great. Since I have retired, I have switched to all casual clothes. I now regret that I did not keep one or two "fancy" outfits that I had. Now I need a holiday sweater.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
9 Dec 15
@Spella I only buy quality clothing. It lasts forever that way. If I get tired of it, I give it away.
@Spella (32)
• United States
9 Dec 15
I have found I needed to replace some things, like sweaters, seasonal appropriate clothing, and the such as time went by. So I go to the Goodwill or other thriftstore and I can find a little something for pretty cheap until I find something better quality to last more than a couple years.
1 person likes this
@Bella128 (2471)
• United States
19 Nov 15
I'm actually doing that myself! I've been selling off a lot of things, including my entire video game collection, on eBay because I found things are just stuff and stuff doesn't make me happy. I am happy for the future and will be less stressed when all of the clutter is gone.
@JudyEv (342146)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Nov 15
While I don't think I'll be joining you, I'll be following your progress with great interest. I have cut down on a lot of stuff but not to the extent you have. Go for it.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
19 Nov 15
I downsized my home, and bought so!ething much smaller. My kids and I had to trim our wardrobes and belongings to accommodate smaller closets!
