“When you let go, you create space for better things to enter your life.” -Book of Prosperity
The thought of living simply with minimal clutter is a relief to many. The act of removing said clutter is a whole other undertaking. Getting rid of material things can seem like a daunting task to undertake. Nonetheless, if you want to live a life of location independence, then minimizing is a must. This is the perfect way to start since I am currently on the path to this way of life. Let me share some tips that I use to remove extra baggage. Here are 5 ways to minimize your life of clutter.
1. Give-Away, Sell, Throw Away
First, start by grabbing three boxes or some other containers so you can make three divisions. You are going to give, sell, or trash items in their appropriate box. Give away items that no longer have value to you. Sell things that are in a fairly good condition or might be worth a little cash. Throw away any items that are worn out, ripped, or broken.
2. Garage Sale
The next step I took in the decluttering process was having a garage sale. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I hate to get up at sunrise to host a garage sale. On the flip side, I love purging all those little things and making some cash to boot. For two weeks I made a huge pile of things that our family no longer wanted or needed. Interestingly, my 5-year-old son loved it because he made some money from his old toys. As a matter of fact, once the sell pile was there, the kids loved adding more things to the growing heap that they no longer wanted.
3. Donate To Charity
Certainly, it can seem overwhelming to try and find things around your home to donate. Try to take it one room at a time. Or, try one category at a time, such as: books, music, and paperwork. You will be surprised by the number of things big and small you can part with. Not only will this benefit someone in need, which will bring up dopamine levels in the brain (the feel-good hormone), it will shed some unwanted baggage you’ve been lugging around from home to home.
4. Digitize your Life
This was a tip from Madeleine Olivia and her Minimalism Series on YouTube, 15 Hacks to Declutter Your Life. She has some absolutely life-changing tips, but these next two categories will really apply to digital nomads and those living location-independent lifestyles.
Use online banking and bill paying, digitizing photos, document storage, notes, etc., should be put into an Excel or Documents sheet. Simple advice, but after time this should reduce the amount of paperwork that physically needs to be filed and stored.
5. Experiences Over Material Things
Madeleine Olivia does it again with this great tip, that any nomadic family can relate to. Instead of spending money shopping for clothing, trinkets, souvenirs, etc., why not use money in a more practical way? Rather than bringing more stuff into your life, use that money to pay off debt, take a trip somewhere new, or treat the family to a nice meal. By choosing experiences over material items your life will be rich with joy and a sense of fulfillment, rather than a longing for more stuff.
My heart feels lighter already. I hope these tips help to bring some direction and a new way of looking at routine habits that may be negatively affecting your life. By minimizing our lives and the clutter we carry, we can live a more purposeful and content lifestyle.