Pretending to be a Minimalist

By nature, I am a sentimental collector. But seeing the impact that unedited collections have on my organizing clients motivates me to slow my roll. So, I am pretending to be a minimalist. I could say I am becoming a minimalist, but those who have seen my photograph collection, my pottery collection, my memorabilia collection… would question that. And rightly so.

So, I am making small but consistent steps, pretending to be a minimalist. Unlike organizing, minimalism does not come naturally to me. So I am treating myself like a would an overwhelmed client who wants to declutter and get organized so they can lead a simpler life, entertain more often and travel more easily. Because I too want to lead a simpler life, entertain more often and travel more easily.

Those are goals I am intentional about, so minimalism is a good fit, because it is all about intentionality. I intentionally address both items and spaces, pretending that I am a minimalist. I start with observing what is already in my home; both the spaces and the inventory.

Focusing on areas and objects from different angles and various perspectives helps me see where I can minimize. Does this shelf look crowded? Do multiple items have to be moved in order for it to be cleaned? Are there items here that I am no longer passionate about? Could someone else use or love any of this? If YES, then I minimize the inventory in that area.

I find it even easier to pretend to be a minimalist with items that are not yet in my home. Putting the “bare necessities” hat on, I ask myself if the item is truly essential. Have I lived this long without one? Does it only serve one purpose? Will I have to find space for it? Does is distract me from my goals? If YES, then I just walk away (or put it down, or close that browser window…) .

And, if another person is offering an item to me, I smile, happy that I am claiming boundaries that get me closer to my goals and say “no, thank you, I am pretending to be a minimalist!”