Not to give myself a label, but this makes sense to me.

Not to give myself a label, but this makes sense to me.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like what I like.

I always reach for the same cup, have an intense preference for my ideal coffee mug, and repeat outfits over and over again until they are worn out. I have bought the same jacket 3 times now and always wear the same pair of earrings for months at a time. These truths make minimalism a natural fit for me. I only recently removed all of the unwanted things from my life, and boy has it made a difference.

I never had an “aha moment” or a tipping point where I realized I needed minimalism and I honestly feel like I didn’t even make a conscious decision to become a minimalist. It sort of just happened to me (how is that even possible?) It’s as if a spirit guided me to donation centers one trip at a time.

At the beginning of 2023, I decided instead of a resolution I would pick a word that would guide me through the year. The word I chose was “balance”. I didn’t set any goals or metrics to be more balanced, but had a general hope that I would be able to manage my time and efforts better (I have manic tendencies towards things I am into. 2022 was a year of manic quilting). At that point, I noticed that I was spending a lot of time and energy on some things and not enough on other things.

I started by minimizing my screen time and simplifying my phone. Once I had more time and space to think I decided that it was time to let go of a job that didn’t serve me as well as it once had. With the end of my job in sight and some seeds planted by my husband, I started to prepare my home to be ready to move at any moment. I have lost count of how many times I have moved in my adult life, but it used to be in my nature to make myself at home quickly and pack up to leave even quicker. We lived in this house for 2 years longer than any of our previous homes and it was our first time owning, so we had accumulated more than I realized.

A picture of my old home before we sold or rehomed over half of the things in this picture.

It snowballed from there. I kept removing things from my home and marveled at my extra space and ability to feel organized. I found more time for my hobbies and also started exercising consistently for the first time in a decade (I can do pull-ups now!!). I felt energized as I threw away craft projects I had abandoned, finally accepting that they weren’t for me, freeing up physical and mental space.

Things finally started to feel more balanced for me and I started to be able to understand more of who I am and what I want out of life.

I started to feel more like myself.

As I approach the end of my year of “balance”, I for once in my life truly feel balanced. I did it. And I think it is mostly because I cut so much out of my life this year — possessions, and obligations. So, I guess I am a minimalist now because I have absolutely no interest in accumulating lots of stuff again. I’m committing to a life of living lighter.

Defining myself as a minimalist feels like it might be a trap of some sort. I know myself well enough to know that I have a tendency to singularly focus on things and pursue things perhaps too passionately. I could lean so hard into being a minimalist that I deprive myself of surrounding myself with useful and beautiful things. But like I said before, I like what I like and I am starting to figure out who I am.

So, I guess I’m a minimalist now.

I’m still deciding my word for 2024, but I’m thinking either “believe” or “focus”. Either way, I’m sure there are lots of good things in store for me in 2024.