Minimalism: Declutter Your Life

It's been a few years since the words #minimalism and #minimalist were poppin' in the social media. A lot of Youtubers and Instagramers started posting empty and decluttered spaces as it's one of the latest trends.

Since my husband and I were planning to move out of our current home by the end of April, I needed a way to reduce/remove a lot of stuff to facilitate our moving process. It was somewhere between that 'minimalism' came across my mind. I was never a hoarder and always loved organizing stuff, so I guess it was an easier start for me.

1. Gather Information

I started by taking in a lot of information by searching Instagram, watching Youtube videos, and listening to podcasts. Everyone had different lifestyle but they all focused on one thing: removing extra stuff from your life so you can focus on what's most important in your life.

By removing clutter from your space, you surround yourself by items that sparks joy in you. You'll also be able to focus on important tasks than constantly being distracted.

These are some of the contents that helped me get started.

_{Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, Source: The Minimalists}

• The Minimalists Podcast - Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
• goodbye, things - Sasaki Fumio
• Spark Joy - Marie Kondō

2. Visualize Your Destination

Before you start decluttering process, start by first analyzing how much stuff you own. If possible, count every piece of clothing before and after. Count how many emails you receive. Take pictures of your wardrobe, desk, drawers, laundry room, and kitchen. By this way, you can monitor your progress objectively and can feel accomplished in the end. I started recording the progress in the middle of my journey and I wish I had known this from the beginning.

_{Our closet after initial decluttering process}

My closet is already well-organized but I'm planning to leave only with favorites. This isn't all. I have a drawer that's right beneath the wardrobe and shelving closet on the other side of my room. My goal is to leave less than 200 pieces including all seasonal clothes, underwear, socks, shoes, and bags.

I am not touching my husband clothes because there's not much to begin with. Nearly 80% of clothes in this home are mine...

3. KonMari Method

Kondo Marie is an organizing consultant famous for her "KonMari" method. She states that the bottom line of cleaning up starts from throwing out things perfectly so you never have to do them again.

Quotes from her book <The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up>

• Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.
• I have yet to see a house that lacked sufficient storage. The real problem is that we have far more than we need or want.
• In the end, people are unable to discard things either because they are attached to the past or afraid of the future.

Marie Kondo suggests you have to do this at once, and by categories (not by room)

1. Clothing (shoes, bags, jewelry)
2. Books (phonebooks, magazines)
3. Papers (bills, notes, receipts)
4. Miscellaneous (kitchen, decor, garage, etc.)
5. Sentimental Items

Gather up everything in one place so you can get an estimate of your possessions. Ideally you should take 1-2 days each for each categories. Some might require less time, and some more. There are bunch of guidelines you can get online.


I will share my progress on Steemit whenever I get a chance. I did not decide to follow KonMari's suggestion to finish tasks within short time because it felt like a burden for me. This will be more effective on me when I enjoy the progress rather than taking it as a burden.

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