I hear it all of the time. People want to minimize, but they keep telling me “I just can’t get rid of it.” If you truly want, or need, to minimize, you will be able to do it. The toughest part is just getting started.
If you want to make a change in your life, or you are expecting a sudden change, you should start right away. A need to change can come out of the blue, and when it does you may not have time to do it properly at that time. An unexpected change might come in the form of a new job opportunity, the loss of a job and the need to move, or having to go help a family member for an extended amount of time.
When the need to change comes, you will be less able to pick and choose what you keep or get rid of in an efficient manner. By minimizing early, when the time comes you will have less stuff to worry about, and you will be able to make better choices when it comes to weeding out stuff from things. So get started now.
If you are having trouble getting started, take a look at 10 Steps to Embrace Your Inner Minimal. Use these 10 steps to get started. These are the steps that I used to minimize my life. It took a couple of months for me to get everything down to what only fit in my Jeep (The Purge), but I did it and so can you.
Minimizing is not a quick endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, you can pack your Jeep and drive away from the rest of your stuff, or you can do it super methodically and never get it done. In reality, if you follow my steps you can get it done in just a few weeks. You might even find that you can move from that two bedroom apartment to a one bedroom, or a studio, after you minimize (if you’re single). I have a single friend that lives in a three bedroom house, and it’s full. She actually is the one that motivated to write this article. She want’s to minimize, but she just can’t seem to get rid of anything.
All I can do at this point is encourage and support her. It is up to her to minimize her life, just as it is up to you to minimize yours.
If you struggled with this issue or can inspire others on this subject I would like to hear your story. Please comment below.
I wish I could post pictures of progress!! Tons to go, but much has departed. 50+ years of stuff, man
Keep it up. You’ll get there.