The 30-day minimalism challenge to get rid of stuff!
If you haven’t heard about minimalism, then it is your time to jump on and find out what a fun thing is a 30-day minimalism challenge!
We chose a word to describe this new year. It is action. In addition to that, we will challenge ourselves. Just trying to enjoy every day as much as we can – share, love, laugh. We are volunteering, saving, and sharing food, not spending any money, and trying every day to get something out of the freezer. Plus we are not eating animals. A huge help while saving lives and mother Earth.
Get rid of stuff!
We live in a cute, but not so spacious apartment. Ever since we moved in – things just appeared. We are trying to get rid of them, as we do not want to clean, arrange, move them or just be afraid that something is going to fall on us. In other words – we want to get rid of stuff. Hence, the 30-day minimalism challenge is exactly for us.
This game or challenge is created by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, who we know mostly as the Minimalists. They are challenging people to get rid of stuff, which clutters their homes in a fun way.
How to start with the 30-day minimalism challenge?
The minimalists recommend finding a friend, family member, or co-worker who’s willing to minimize their stuff with you next month. The idea is very easy: each person gets rid of one thing on the first day. Two things on the second. Three things on the third. So forth and so on.
We started our minimalism challenge on the 20th of January and have been on it for two weeks, including today.
While thinking of getting rid of stuff, we may think on small items in our drawers and toiletry cabinets, but The Minimalists share their tips, so basically, anything goes:
Collectables.
Decorations.
Kitchenware.
Electronics.
Furniture.
Bedding.
Clothes.
Towels.
Tools.
But just be warned that one person’s 30-days minimalism challenge includes getting rid of 465 items! If you have too many things, then you can take the challenge again next month 😉
It is getting harder!
Giving away few things in the first week may be not so complicated, but it will get harder each day. I started with a little basket that was just sitting there on the counter and doing nothing. Gone!
Be persistent and go through ALL drawers, closets, pantries. Do not forget anything. Look around you and ask if this is what you really need? When was the last time you used this item?
We are doing this just to challenge ourselves and to get rid of things, so winning is not our goal here. But originally the idea is that whoever keeps it going the longest wins. If both of you make it to the end, then you are both winners.
Share your success on The Minimalist’s social media using #minsgame hashtag.
What to do with the stuff?
We have been gathering the things at the moment to a cardboard box and since today we are starting to actually take the things out. Our plan is to put together a box of small things, which may be of interest to passersby’s in a busy street. Then we will share the photo with our nearby friends and see if they want anything.
Some of the bigger things we are getting rid of we have been trying to sell or trade for months, so we know that selling or trading doesn’t work. Since we do not throw things in the garbage, but share instead with friends or strangers, putting out a cardboard box with a sign free – works the best for us.
So, donate, sell, share or put out, it is up to you. We didn’t do that what the Minimalists recommended – every material possession must be out of your house—and out of your life—by midnight each day. But we are confident that we do not want any of those things, and they will leave our household sometime soon. I wouldn’t have been able to take these photos to show our success so far.
Find out more how to “play” the 30-day minimalism challenge from The Minimalist’s YouTube channel:
Also we recommend this very inspirational video, which definitely gives you good tips on what to get rid of:
Conclusion
The 30-day minimalism challenge is not over for us. Though we didn’t take photos of everything we are getting rid of you can still get a little overview of what we have been giving away. We will share more photos in our follow-up post. Not sure if we can take it until the end, but we will try our best.
Jump on board! Let’s do it!