“Minimalists search for happiness not through things, but through life itself; thus, it’s up to you to determine what is necessary and what is superfluous to your life.” – Joshua Fields Millburn
The best part about completing a minimalism challenge is that you can learn some new life lessons along the way.
Completing your own challenge can help you develop your own personal minimalist habits.
Four Common Lessons After Completing A Minimalism Challenge.
- Appreciation for what you have. Once you take stock of what you have and what you no longer need, you automatically gain a new appreciation for all that you own. This will help you keep up with the minimalist lifestyle when you finish the challenge because it ensures you think critically about adding new items to your home.
- Develop a better inventory of what you own Decluttering your house will force you to really study everything you currently have there. Having a better idea of what you actually have will likely prevent you from buying things you don’t need or duplicate items down the road.
- Rethinking why you hold onto things. Do you ever wonder why you cling onto things you don’t want, like or use? Often it is due to a sentimental connection to those items. As you start to declutter, allow yourself to let go of some of those sentimental items. Ask yourself if you need those things or if you are just holding on to them because you think you should. If in doubt, let the rule of necessity prevail; i.e., “I use this cooking pot on a daily basis so I will keep it.” Or, “This cooking pot was a wedding present that I never liked so I will give it to the thrift shop”.
- Becoming more intentional with your future purchases. Once you have worked so hard to clear out the clutter in your home, you likely will think twice about adding more clutter to your space. Each time you make a purchase, think critically about buying something new. If you truly need it, consider where you will put it once you bring your new purchase home.