If you’ve been interested in creating a more minimalist life, you’re not alone. From food to fashion to family, there is a minimalism niche for just about every interest you might have. And for good reason. Minimalism is a way to streamline your life away from over consumption and mass quantity towards sustainability and quality goods. It’s meant to help you create space so you can breathe, think, and spend time in a more thoughtful and conscious way while consuming in a way that is sustainable for the planet. Whether you find the most interest in sustainable fashion or the design of minimalism, the principles are the same.
That being said, we know that starting off on a minimalism journey can be incredibly daunting. In fact, it can feel so overwhelming when looking at the things you own and how you operate your household, that you may decide you just can’t do it. But today on the journal, we’re here to convince you otherwise. At KIM+ONO, we know that the minimalist lifestyle, infused with minimalist design, is something everyone can achieve. You don’t have to get it all perfect right away (besides, there is no perfect!), but with just a few simple tips, you can find a little bit of extra space in your life and your mind. Here are six beginner minimalism tips and tricks to help simplify your life:
If you grew up in the 1990s, you might remember the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. What you might not know is that this message was instructive on two levels: how to be more sustainable, and in which order to do it, with “Reduce” being the number one thing you can do to minimize your impact on the earth. Simply put: the less you consume, the better. And, as you’re starting out on your beginner’s path towards minimalism, consuming less items can be incredibly helpful in assessing your possessions. We know it’s difficult to reduce consumption, but our suggestion is to purchase fewer high quality goods, like this beautiful pink kimono robe, in lieu of lots of smaller, less expensive pieces that aren’t as well crafted. Purchasing a handcrafted pink kimono robe that you can wear day and night, which will last you a lifetime, allows you to still purchase items that bring you joy, without overflowing your closet with halfhearted options.
Photo by Miranda Taylor De Lay
Once you get rid of the extraneous objects around your house, you’ll be able to organize what you have. Put likes with likes. And try to keep surfaces clean, drawers closed, and avoid piles of any kind. When you have pieces like a kimono wrap that serves as your kimono outfit for the day, it can also serve as a piece of art on your walls at night. Think about these kinds of storage ideas to streamline how your home is set up. If you reach for your kimono robe often throughout the day, place it in a convenient spot that could even double as artwork!
Know that as you start your process toward a more minimalist lifestyle, the process will evolve just as you do! You may find that you’re able to get rid of much more than you originally thought and end up donating a bunch of boxes of items every month. You may find that different seasons of your life make it easier or more difficult to remain in the minimal mindset. Don’t give up on it. You can ebb and flow with the seasons and always come back to a more minimalist approach in your consumption, thinking, and patterns of behavior.
Whether you’re donning a kimono outfit during the day and wrapping up in the same pink kimono robe at night, or getting rid of all the chairs in your home for one big couch, your beginner minimalism journey is as unique as you are. Follow your intuition and remember that it’s all about progress, not perfection.
