2016-01-07

After reading through the responses from my reader survey at the end of the year, I realized there were quite a few people wondering what to do after downsizing and embracing the minimalist lifestyle.



In particular, one person asked the following:

What do I do after the decluttering steps of downsizing possessions? Minimalist blogs talk about all this free time they have now and living an intentional life but I just feel bored!

First of all, I love the honesty in this question. I’m sure minimalism comes across as boring and uninteresting to many people (and even I tend to find minimalist blogs a little uninspiring), and it’s not surprising that those who embrace it end up getting bored at one point or another.

If you’re someone who’s feeling a little stuck with this lifestyle or you’re not feeling like it’s what you hoped for, I have a few tips up my sleeve for you!

So You’ve Downsized…Now What? How Minimalists Can Avoid Boredom
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How Minimalists Can Avoid Boredom



Shift Your Mindset

We often embrace minimalism the opposite way than we ought to. We think about what to get rid of, rather than focusing on what to keep. If we all started our journey focusing on the positive space and what we wanted to keep and even add to it, the process would be a bit different. Obviously we can’t go back in time and start the process again, but it really does help to shift your mindset to think about what you want in your life rather than what you don’t want.

I’ve pointed this out a few times because it’s a common misconception about minimalism, and I’ll say it again: minimalism is not about getting rid of stuff. Decluttering is a tool that can bring you closer toward a minimalist lifestyle, but decluttering is not equal to minimalism. Just remember that minimalism is about making space for what’s important, yo.

Assess What You Kept

Once you’ve started to downsize and are on the road to a more minimalistic lifestyle, it’s so important to also evaluate and recognize the things in your life that were valuable enough that you kept them. We often forget to look for the obvious signs that indicate our passions and purpose, and we spend our whole lives wondering if we’re headed the right direction.

Did you keep art projects from school, exercise equipment, old journals full of memories? These can all be indications of your passions and things you should pursue further. Of course there are the material possessions you keep out of necessity (or if they sparked joy à la Marie Kondo), but you want to also look at the people and activities you decided to keep in your life.

After downsizing, take note of the things that were valuable enough for you to keep
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Add In Some Goodness

Have a brainstorming session to think about what you want your life to be filled with. Maybe you want to travel, learn new skills, volunteer, read more, do more yoga, or spend quality time with your family. You might even want to add more friendships into your life, so try finding activities that would support that (volunteering, meetups, blogging, clubs, etc). Have a good hard think about what would bring you the most joy!

P.S. You can also start thinking about things you might want to save up for, such as a quality pair of boots or a gym membership (newsflash: minimalists still buy things!) Since you’re probably being more selective about how you spend your money, it helps to make a wishlist in order to avoid impulse buys.

Do you have any tips for avoiding boredom after downsizing? Let us know in the comments below!

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