Our story It began in a foreign country in Western Europe. It was the summer of 2018. We made a move and later, another decision that would change our lives f o r e v e r. The city was Berlin. The year was 2017, in the … Read more...
30-day minimalism challenge: 210 + 105 fewer items
20 days later after participating in a 30-day minimalism challenge to have fewer items – what was the outcome?
This is the follow-up of our previous article 30-day minimalism challenge posted some weeks ago.
We introduced that we will participate in this fun challenge and will get rid of things we do not need. Basically, the challenge works like this: find 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 of the month. Two things on the second. Three things on the third. So forth and so on.
As it was said that giving away few things in the first week was not so complicated at all, but it got harder after day 10. As in each day, you have fewer items to depart with. We were very persistent and went through ALL drawers, pantries, and closets. I didn’t forget clothes, but I didn’t include them in this challenge. I need a bit more time to go through these and let items go. My main wish was to declutter and get rid of meaningless things, which we found quite a lot.
210+105 items, off you go!
Amazingly, in 20 days I was able to gather 210 items and Eve participated for 14 days letting go of 105 items. So 315 fewer items in our home! We did this just to challenge ourselves and to get rid of things in a fun way. While we had trouble getting rid of things before, we were quite okay to let things go while participating in the challenge.
We gathered the things for some time in two cardboard boxes, and then at one point, we started taking things out. It was starting to be a bit too much, you know. Luckily we had mostly smaller items to give away. We were taking the little boxes out one by one out and guess what? They found new homes very fast!
Most of the things we were getting rid of we have been trying to sell or trade for months, so we knew that selling or trading didn’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 – worked the best for us.
Changes we noticed after the 30-day minimalism challenge:
- things we own now all have a purpose
- our counters and top of the furniture is clutter-free
- bookshelves look presentable
- the lunch containers drawer is closing with ease and looks organized
- we don’t have food at home anymore we do not consume
- overall pushed us to be tidier and keep it that way
- it is easier to keep things tidy and have more space to move things around in closets
- fewer items around you just feel better
Conclusion
If you want to have fewer items in your home, please take the 30-day challenge. It is a fun way and doesn’t take long. And, remember you just have to engage with it until you have the needed amount for a particular day together. You can continue the next day where you stopped. Or gather more and have the items ready for the next day. Remember you can always repeat this challenge if you feel like you need fewer items at your home.
P.s. Don’t forget to check #minsgame to see what others have been doing 🙂
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!
Let’s make this year about challenges!
We have been throwing some challenges at you this year: Veganuary and volunteering. Perhaps you are ready for more? Choose few below!
Here are the challenges we have added to our lives before, and will challenge ourselves more in the future. Added is also an extended list of our recommendations! We hope you’ll choose a challenge, excel and add more as you can.
Minimalism
Minimalism is the lifestyle of having only things that bring value to your life: a focus on less is more, so you can focus on what matters in life. The things we have, have taken up a lot of room in our lives – not only in our physical space, but also our mental, and spiritual.
Why try minimalism?
You want more time to do things you love
Having more things is distracting. It takes time to take care of your things, put them away. Many people can agree that managing things is never-ending. It takes away valuable time that you’ll never get back. Would you rather spend your time on the activities you love or on managing your overflowing things?
You want to focus on relationships rather than things
It is an understatement to say that Western society values things over, people. What else can we expect when the corporations that sell us things value profit over people?
Your mind is cluttered
Out mind is easily cluttered when we are surrounded by things. This causes low-level stress that we can’t escape. Try studying for a test, or writing a book while in a cluttered, untidy space. Our mind creates our reality and vice versa. The more things you have around you, the more distracted you are.
You want to work less
Most people exchange money for things, and since money doesn’t grow on trees (as many of our hardworking parents have overused and annoyed us with), we trade our time for money. We then use our priceless time for things. The problem is things don’t make us happy, nor will we leave this Earth with but a few (unless cremated).
You want an organized space
It is harder to keep your space organized if you have a lot of things. Just notice any hoarder’s home. The things take over and have a life of their own. Hoarding can be linked to loneliness, although things can’t keep you company or give you a social-emotional connection. It can also be linked to old age, as many hang on to things for the memories they hold.
Buying organizing boxes to organize things is another trap we fall into. The more we have, the more we need to get to keep our things organized.
There are countless benefits of minimalism. Are you ready to take the minimalism challenge?
Pantry challenge
Have you ever looked into your pantry and closed it immediately exclaiming that there’s nothing to eat? Try again! Open it again and really let your creativity flow – ”hmm, what can I make with these peas and onions? Instead of going out and buying more, take the pledge to use what you have. it will feel satisfying to clear your pantry as much as you can before running to the store to buy more. It will not only make you more creative but also more grateful for what you have. As a bonus, gratitude will bring you more of what you want! Win, win!
Are you ready to take the pantry (and fridge) challenge?
No artificial sugar
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Can you believe this? Companies are forever advertising sweet treats to children, and yet, sugar is as addictive as other drugs. We vote with our purchases, so if we keep buying sugary things, we are saying that it’s okay to support this billion-dollar industry.
No buy challenge
No-buy November which is a challenge that takes place in the month of November is not the only time to challenge yourself not to buy anything. What if your budget included just your fixed basic expenses? Housing, transportation, and food?
Before this challenge, make sure you have weather-appropriate clothes abs shoes for the season, then get on this! In the case of a real emergency, you may break this challenge and return to it. Even if you fall prey to your impulse buying, hop back on the challenge.
No gluten
Gluten affects your stomach and digestion. Many agree that the wheat today isn’t like before, that many are sensitive to gluten. Whether this is you or not, cutting gluten has other benefits:
- Cutting bread out of your diet can help weight weight-loss
- Avoid bloating from glutinous food that expands in your stomach
- Feel lighter and healthier
- Reduce belly fat
- Improve your digestion
- Focus on consuming vegetables and low-sugar fruits (limit high sugar fruits)
- Prevent foggy brain
Conclusion
We are super excited to get some of this challenges on again this year. They prove to be a nice change in your everyday lives. These challenges come especially handy during these times, when all your favourite restaurants, movie theatres and concert venues are closed. That doesn’t mean that we have to stop enjoying our lives. Please share your experiences on any other challenge you have taken in your life. Looking forward hearing from you!
Want more information? Read these resources to find out more about your challenges!
Minimalism – a way to a better life
I love minimalism in photography. I have tried to capture it, but it is difficult. Is it easier to apply minimalism to your life and why one should want it?
What is minimalism?
“So what is this minimalism thing? It’s quite simple: to be a minimalist you must live with less than 100 things, you can’t own a car or a home or a television, you can’t have a career, you must live in exotic hard-to-pronounce places all over the world, you must start a blog, you can’t have children, and you must be a young white male from a privileged background.
Minimalism isn’t about any of those things, but it can help you accomplish them. If you desire to live with fewer material possessions, or not own a car or a television, or travel all over the world, then minimalism can lend a hand. But that’s not the point. Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.”
From: The Minimalists
Does this sound a bit familiar to you, at least one of you? These blurbs are taken from the world-renowned The Minimalist website and these lines were written by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. You could call these two friends minimalist lifestyle pioneers. In a way what they do is nothing extraordinary or innovative. We kind of all know about this, but never bothered to put it into practice, but they did and got all the fame and fortune.
By their website, they have helped more than 20 million people live meaningful lives with less while using to promote their ideas through their website, books, podcast, and documentary, which you can all find in their web site.
The idea of minimalism
Minimalism is not a new term in the conventional sense, as we know it has been applied in architecture. Showing clean forms with straight lines or lean curves. Basically less is more, also in art. Perhaps most known in photography. The almost empty shots of clean surfaces with one item in it. Sometimes not even that, but the shadow of the pictured gives the depth. We all love those forms and photos, as they say, they are easy on the eyes.
Minimalism as a lifestyle follows more or less the same line, but in there the whole story is around owning possessions. Not only having heaps and heaps, but also giving too much meaning to what we own. Often times we are abandoning more important, such as relationships, passions, personal growth and most importantly our health. Minimalism is foremost about choices. Do you want to have a family, car and a career, you can do all that.
“Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.”
By Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
Who are minimalists?
Anybody can be a minimalist. You, me or your neighbour. There is no limit. The only limitation is the wish to change and the determination of letting things go that doesn’t matter.
The Minimalists introduce on their website their friends. Some have careers, are married and have six children. Or someone who owns only 51 things and travels all over the world. And a couple who lives in a tiny house and own no car. Though these people are different, they share two things in common: they are minimalists. And minimalism has allowed them to pursue purpose-driven lives.
You may want to ask, how come they all still can be minimalists? Joshua and Ryan help you out here again with summing it up in one sentence: “Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important – so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”
How minimalism can help me?
- Eliminate your discontent
- Reclaim your time
- Live in the moment
- Pursue your passions
- Discover your missions
- Experience real freedom
- Create more, consume less
- Focus on your health
- Grow as individuals
- Contribute beyond ourselves
- Rid ourselves of excess stuff
- Discover purpose in our lives
What are exactly things?
Let me come back to the things. Sometimes people call health, relationships, growing also things, yet they are not obvious. Things are just a sad term, we tend to overuse. Things can’t give us happiness and freedom in life, they may help us to get there and to enjoy that. Have you ever heard somebody say that their life is complete now when they have iPhone 11 Pro or that they are driving the latest model of BMW? You may have, but again then they are not your people and it is difficult for us to relate with them.
Happiness, isn’t this the one and only thing we all are craving? While incorporating minimalism into our lives, we can find lasting happiness. This we can’t find through things but through life itself. We can individually determine, what is important and what is not in our lives. This seems like a daunting task and that is how the above mentioned two guys, The Minimalists are trying to help us out. But with every new thing, every change in your life, this can be a bit complicated in the beginning. But it is guaranteed by Joshua and Ryan that your journey towards minimalism gets much easier – and more rewarding – the further you go.
Where to start?
I watched first their documentary. It is available on Netflix. Then I read their book. My first thought is that they will Marie Kondo me, so I will start throwing things out I do not need. It didn’t happen. But I know it will happen. Firstly I needed to understand what is important and who is important. What is my passion and what I like doing? Giving up things is the next step. I can’t tell you this is the right way to start. But I feel like this is what I want to share to inspire others like I was inspired.
Hopefully, this little intro was useful for many of you and maybe helped some to get back on track. While writing this, I am thinking of the knick-knacks drawer what desperately needs some minimalist touch….but I hope this act of writing, while seated by a clean desk with just a bunch of field flowers in a reused iron supplement dark glass bottle and a laptop in front of me, helped me pursue my passions, create more, grow as an individual and contribute beyond myself.
May be also a useful read: Change your mindset, change your life!