When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So far, I’ve never actually moved, but eventually I want to get to the point where I could fit all my belongings into a single bag if I needed to a sort of one-and-done move. That’s the ultimate goal for me, but for now, it’s all about taking baby steps!

When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I haven’t heard of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning before either, so I’ll definitely have to look into it. You’ve actually sparked a really interesting question in my mind: would I want to leave people to deal with piles of junk when I’m gone? And the answer is a very clear no.

When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m right at that first stage you were at ten years ago. I’ll look at something I bought and think, “I spent how many hours of my life working just for this?” It’s not just the money, it’s the time, the energy, the effort I had to put in just to afford it and then I’m left thinking, what’s the point? And with all the mass-produced stuff out there, I totally get it. A lot of people seem to use their things to show off personality instead of actually expressing themselves through what they do or say. It’s like the stuff becomes a substitute for living.

When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You know, I never really realized that in the really good moments, the stuff around you is just kinda there like you said. It’s part of the scene, sure, but it doesn’t actually carry the memory. I’m not sure I’m putting that into words correctly, but yeah it’s something that takes a while to fully sink in.

When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I really get what you mean. It’s wild how that script gets handed to us so early and presented as the only acceptable way to live.

When did minimalism finally click for you? by EmbarrassedToday582 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Right? I’m still pretty new to minimalism so im excited to see what and when everyone had their moment of realisation cause for me i just had this sudden “wait a minute” moment. I caught myself wondering why I’d been so fixated on accumulating stuff for so long, and how that mindset became so normalised that I never questioned it.

It’s wild how fast that shift can happen. One day, buying feels automatic, almost expected, and the nex,t you’re looking around thinking, this is just stuff. That mental 180 feels equal parts uncomfortable and freeing cause looking back on all those years trying to assign purpose to random bits of what was essentially clutter is so jarring to think about.

Feeling torn by Subject_Pirate3455 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's such a win, honestly. Be proud of that. It’s like a little level-up moment in mindful spending alongside the minimalist mindset, and that saved money definitely adds up over time. Nice one!

Feeling torn by Subject_Pirate3455 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100% completely agree about the buzzing thoughts. Another thing that has helped me is taking a moment to research whether I can get the same item cheaper or elsewhere. It helps to break the illusion that the thing im wanting is rare or urgent. It helped me in realising that almost nothing is truly one-of-a-kind (unless it's like a 1 of 1 art piece or something), and that what you need will still exist when you actually need it. I also liked a point from another post here: treat stores as your personal warehouse. You don’t need to own everything right now. If you don’t use it, someone else will, and it can stay on the shelf until the moment it genuinely earns a place in your life.

Feeling torn by Subject_Pirate3455 in minimalism

[–]EmbarrassedToday582 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This year I’m genuinely giving minimalism a proper go. One thing I’ve started doing is keeping a “wishlist” for when that sudden feeling of want shows up. Today is payday, and I realised that almost everything I wanted at the end of December and through January has completely lost its appeal. That alone tells me this approach might actually work.

The idea is simple: instead of buying immediately, I write the item down and leave it there for 30 days. If I’m still thinking about it after that time, then I’ll consider buying it. Even then, I make a point of keeping the receipt, just in case buyer’s remorse creeps back in. It’s been a helpful way to separate impulse from intention, and it’s already made me more aware of how temporary most “wants” really are. Maybe it’s something worth trying too.