A lot of people mix up travelling with ‘escaping’. They think that people who travel are trying to run away from bad things in their lives, or bad things that will/might happen to them like work, debt or demanding bosses.

But the problem is, it’s not simply enough to ‘run away’. That’s what a vacation is for. Real travelling isn’t running away, it’s running towards something – something new, different, mind-blowing and world-rocking, things that challenge the way we think people are or should be. Travellers may not have much, but what they gain is invaluable, even if you can’t see it.

And the same can be said of minimalism too. When we get rid of stuff, we’re not simply ‘getting rid of’ a piece of furniture or clothing. It’s not about the negative, but the positive side of the coin too. When we refuse to buy something we don’t need, we’re welcoming something better than a second car into our lives – the least being the chance to give  back in our own way, no matter how small, to Mother Earth and to fellow human beings.

a case for ‘no’

Despite what most people think, saying ‘no’ can open up as many possibilities as ‘yes’ can.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m always looking for new opportunities and when I feel it’s right to say ‘yes’, great things can happen. Projects get  started, I get to meet new people, ideas get pushed into reality and so on.

But the opposite is also true – saying no can be just as important. We don’t have unlimited time in our lives, or resources on earth. We have to stop saying yes to more and more stuff and start saying no to over-consumption, pollution and debt. ‘No’ can be a powerful weapon as a minimalist’s best friend.

‘No’ gets a bad rep because it’s mistakenly only thought of as a door-closer. But if you think about the kind of things ‘no’ unleashes – time, freedom, resources – you’ll see that in most cases, ‘no’ is not the opposite of ‘yes’, just it’s (sometimes more practical) counterpart.

The last time I wrote about my minimalist bedroom, I was living in Kobe with a host family. My room was simple – just a futon, a chair and a desk. There was also a piano in the room that belonged to my host sisters, which I would use from time to time.

It turned out that it was all I needed. I learned a valuable lesson that year – that the less stuff I had to hold me back, the more I was free to do what I liked, and enjoy my time in Japan.

Since then, I have lived in a couple of different rooms and apartments. Amongst them, in the UK, I lived in a beautiful apartment with a wonderful view of Leeds, then in a small flat in London, and then, after a short time back at home, I moved back to Japan.

In Kochi prefecture, I was lucky enough to live in a countryside house with three tatami rooms. I would love to share photos of all of these places one day, but since people have been asking, here is where I’m living right now.

my minimalist bedroom (tokyo edition)

When it was time to move to Tokyo, I spent a long time trying to find a place to live. It was difficult to find an apartment that I liked the look and feel of, but after many, many hours of searching, I settled on an apartment near the centre of the city, pictured here.

The bedroom isn’t large, but it is comfortable. I liked the clean white walls and the simple flooring. The big window lets in a lot of natural light, and the large shiny desk felt like it was inviting me to sit down and write.

Notice that I don’t have a wardrobe. Initially, it wasn’t out of choice, but now I’ve realised that I don’t even need one. I own very few clothes anyway, so I just hang a few work shirts and my black suit jacket on the rack, and fold the rest of my clothes on the shelf.

I shifted the desk slightly after taking these photos so that I would have space to roll out my yoga mat. I don’t own much else except for a few books, which I put on the shelf, and my trusty laptop, which sits on my desk.

my minimalist workspace

I prefer to keep the top of my desk as clear as possible. My laptop has a permanent position in the middle (unless I’m studying from a textbook), and I usually allow just a few notes, and a cup of coffee, of course.

I find that having too many bits of paper, knick-knacks, and even my phone on the desk distracts me from my work. (I’ve since moved the lamp pictured above to my bedside instead.) Perhaps I’m easily distracted, but this has always been my style.

The kitchen and bathroom is just as you would expect in a big city. Small, yet functional, it has everything I need, and nothing more.

from minimalism to freedom

I’ve talked before about how minimalism, far from restricting you, actually can grant you more freedom. Not having suitcases of stuff to drag around with me every time I move means that:

I can move all of my possessions in one trip. I can take all of my necessities without breaking my back while dragging things across train stations and airports.

I can live relatively small spaces. In a city as expensive as Tokyo, that makes a big difference.

I can live more comfortably. It’s easier to maintain a place that isn’t overflowing with stuff. I spend very little time cleaning – just brushing the floor and wiping down surfaces every couple of days. This gives me plenty of time to do the things that I want to do, from reading in bed to exploring the city.

I don’t earn much money, and I don’t have a lot of free time, but not having to worry about all of the above is especially beneficial for a nomad like me. It’s time like these that I’m really grateful that I found the minimalist way.

Ok, so this week we dive further into my personal life…the bathroom! 😉

…But don’t worry, by bathroom I basically mean the toiletries and lotions and potions I use. After all, how minimal can you go with basic hygiene?!

When it comes to bathroom products, I try to keep everything down to just a few products that I can find cheaply and  anywhere. I’ve been through phases of buying really expensive stuff, to going without and I’ve found both ways kind of unnecessary.

For example, I used to spend a lot of money on hair products, thinking that the more I spend, the more it will look like a celebrity’s hairdo. Similarly, I used to buy really expensive make-up, telling myself that I’m paying for better quality. But after a while, I just realised that I was literally flushing money down the drain and simple, cheaper products will do the job just as well. On the other end of the scale, I’ve gone without a few products such as moisturiser and my skin felt the consequences, no matter how much I kept hydrated!

So here is everything I use, although I have left out a few things that should be available anywhere I go anyway, such as toilet paper, sanitary and body towels and handwash.

To be honest, it is possible for me to live with even less stuff than this but since I’m not travelling at the moment, there’s nothing wrong with having a few more bits and pieces, like I’ve said before, minimalism is about only having what you need, not going without to the point that you are suffering! Whenever I’m staying somewhere apart from home, I literally take just the essentials, namely my makeup, moisturiser and toothbrush.

I think it’s in the ‘bathroom area’ that women differ from men the most. Guys can do things like cut their own hair or go without hair altogether! There are some women who have shorter hair and do this and I really admire them for it. However, I’m just not as awesome as them, so inevitably, I have to spend time and money on haircuts, products and getting ready in the morning. But I don’t mind too much since I know that I have pushed the costs down to the minimum.

The most important thing to remember when creating a minimalist bathroom is to never buy anything new until you’ve finished the old product and if you can try to use one product for several uses (eg. ‘body’ moisturiser for face, legs, hands etc.)

It’s quite comforting to know that everything I need to take care of myself would fit into a small bag that I can take anywhere.

Do you have any minimalist bathroom tips? Let me know!

Related Posts

• My Minimalist Kitchen
• My Minimalist Wardrobe

Moving away from home is hard. You might have lived there for many years and now you get to move into your own ‘house’ – even if it is just single room. But what to take? And more importantly, what to leave?

Apart from the easy answer of ‘whatever is on the list your uni gave you’ there are a lot of things you might be wondering if you could live without. Should I take my guitar? What about these books? Maybe my old photo album? What about this top I really like? Should I take those over there, just in case?

This post is about letting go of what you don’t need to minimise the amount of junk and clutter in your new dorm room.

When you get to your new room, the only place where the space is truly yours within those four walls. Unless you’re very lucky, those four walls will unfortunately probably be a little bit too close together. Unlike at home, you can’t really chuck all of your possessions all over the corridor or flat without it getting in someone’s way, so now is your chance to get rid of everything you literally don’t need almost everyday or week.

Minimalism is about reducing the clutter in your life. It’s about just having exactly what you need, nothing more. When you get rid of things you don’t need, you’ll be left with:

• a lot of space – in your closet, under the bed, on your shelves, any where there used to be junk that you never used.
• a clear mind – your desk will be clear, leaving you with a clear and organised mind, which increases productivity. There aren’t a lot of really productive people with piles and piles of papers and knick-knacks all over their desks.
• only the things you love – you’ll only have the things you absolutely cannot get rid of, which means you probably use it or cherish it a lot.

Here’s a great post about minimalism:

Zen Habits – The Ultimate Guide To Conquering Your Clutter

How to Declutter for University | 5 Steps

So, moving on to how this directly applies to us students. You may want to follow these steps close to the time you are about to move, or you can choose to implement them a little bit before to make actual moving day easier.

1. Identify an area you want to concentrate on first. Try to pick an easy place to start, such as your desk or shelf, before you move on to places like under your bed and wardrobe. Block out time to do this, give yourself a lot of leeway, decluttering can take some time but it’s worth it.

2.Grab a big box or bag and label it ‘Uni’. Grab another and label it ‘Keep’. And grab another and label it ‘Throw/Donate’. Pick up one item at a time and think carefully about which box to put it in. The ‘Uni’ box is all of the stuff you absolutely want to take with you to uni, such as an item of clothing, or your desk lamp. The ‘Keep’ box is stuff that you won’t take with you, but you want to keep, such as an old photo album. The third box, ‘Throw/Donate’ is for things you literally don’t want, need or to keep. This stuff can be old clothes, books, old gifts, papers etc. etc.

3. Ask yourself. Is this item something I use regularly? If it’s not something I use regularly, is it something I love? Am I saving this just in case?

4. Be honest. If you’ve ever tried lying to yourself, you might know that it never works. Answer the questions honestly, and then act upon them. Don’t decide that you shouldn’t keep it and then you do, really really try hard to follow through with your decision.

5. Just get rid of it. If you’re unsure it’s probably because you don’t want to get rid of it, even though you know you should. In this case, you can put the item in a box, label it for a date, such as six months in the future, and if you haven’t made a claim on the anything in it, chuck the whole box.

Another approach for the ‘not sure’ items is to consider that maybe you should just get rid of if. The best thing about moving to uni is that you get to leave a lot of unwanted baggage behind. So do it now, leave it behind, university is the beginning of a new life, don’t let old things weigh you down.

It’s onwards and upwards from here.

Related Posts

• Moving From Home to Dorm – Part 2 : Arrival

Finally, it’s nearly time to move out of our beloved dorms back home and enjoy a well-deserved summer break. But moving home can be a pain, especially since we’ve all probably gained more stuff during the course of the year.

Moving from home, all of my stuff only just fit into the car with the driver and me as the passenger, so I don’t have much extra room for the books and clothes I’ve gained. On top of that, I’m going abroad after this summer, so I want to get rid of as much as I possibly can before I leave. That’s why I’m doing a complete re-haul of all of my possessions.

Every now and again, I take a look around and ask myself ‘what should I do with all this stuff?’

Picking up each individual item, I try to mindfully put it into one of the following categories:

1. Donate. First stop – charity shops! They’re a great way to get rid of stuff, whilst doing wonders for your karma. I’ve got a whole bag of clothes waiting for me to give to various local charities. Sometimes it’s hard to give things away, but I just tell myself that I’ve had my time with the item, if I’m not going to use it any more I may as well pass it on to someone who will. Just keep in mind that charity shops aren’t dumping grounds, if they don’t think something will sell, they’ll probably chuck it away, in which case you’re better off with the following options.

2. Sell/Give away. If there aren’t many charity shops willing to take your stuff, don’t forget to ask around your flatmates, friends and family if they would want a few of your things. If they’re not as minimalist as you, you’re bound to have a few people take up on your offer. Also, some university bookshops can help you sell your old books, otherwise hit up amazon or ebay in advance to offload some weight before you leave. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

3. Recycle. Since many students would be moving out at the same time, hopefully the student dorm officers will have set up various recycling bins, even for old clothes and shoes. The bins are less fussy than charity shops, since the contents either usually go to be recycled or are shipped off to third world countries. Don’t forget to recycle all of those notes and sheets of paper you’ve collected over the year. Be really strict, if you  don’t think you’re ever going to need them again, why keep them? There’s no use transporting it home, only to collect dust and be thrown away when you graduate.

4. Re-purpose. A lot of the time, if you’re creative enough, you can turn things you don’t need into things you do need! If you’re good with the old needle and thread, you can cut up jeans to make shorts, turn old t-shirts into a pillow or even a laptop case, and if you’re like me and lack sufficient creativity, just cut them up into cleaning rags! There’s a whole range of possibilities out there, including customizing shirts with printing (which make great birthday presents), or even making sock puppets for baby cousins 🙂

5. Throw away. The last wasteful resort should be avoided if possible. If there’s nothing you can do with it, you can simply throw it away. It’s probably better for you to get rid of something you don’t need than to hold on to it. Please make sure that whatever it is, it’s disposed of in the least polluting way. Although it doesn’t happen too often, I always feel a bit guilty when I have to put something straight in the bin. At least every time it happens it makes me think a bit more about buying new stuff later! If you haven’t already, please check out The Story of Stuff – it’s enlightening.

So school’s out, but don’t worry Minimal Student will still be going. Please help me share the love by recommending MS via Stumbleupon or Digg etc!

And I would love to hear what you guys decided to do with all your unwanted things, please share in the comments!

Top Posts

• Top Posts & Pages
  • Live life like water
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  • About
  • Zen and the Art of Minimalism – Part 1: Zen Philosophy
  • 15 Inspiring Quotes for Students

–

Popular Posts by Category

Minimalism:

• What I learned from 7 years of minimalism
• What minimalism taught me about dying
• Minimalist Meditations — On Control
• Discover your brand of minimalism
• Letting go of sentimentality

Happiness:

• Everyday miracles
• Why Minimalists Live Happy Lives
• Appreciating absence – A key to happiness
• What minimalism taught me about love
• How to transform your life in 5 steps

Productivity

• How minimalism redefines success
• Why Showing Up Is Not Enough
• Spontaneous Disconnection

Travel:

• A beginner’s guide to one bag living
• The secret to minimalist travel
• On minimalist motivations

Revolution:

• Spiritual Revolution
• Making a not so small difference
• The border of a new generation

Health:

• 5 quick tips to get healthy the minimalist’s way
• 5 steps to get started with barefoot running
• 5 essential minimalist lessons for getting really fit

Zen:

• Zen in a cup of tea
• Attachment, defined
• Life as chopsticks

Series:

• Simple Philosophies—Philosophies to live by, simple as that.
• Minimalism & The Noble Eightfold Path: Part I / II / III
• Minimalist Meditations—Thoughts and stories on minimalism.
• On the Shortness of Life: Part I / II / III / IV / V
• 5 Life Lessons—Lessons I’ve learned from living, the good and the bad.
• The Recipe for Student Success: Ingredient one / two / three / four
• My minimalist bedroom / bedroom and workspace (Tokyo edition) / wardrobe / bathroom

How do you get things done?

David Allen, amongst countless other life coaches, business men and women, time management ‘experts’ and so on have spent and earned millions trying to figure out this question.

As people, we can do more than just spend our days hunting, eating and procreating. We’re lucky in that way because we have the chance to do something really world-changing or life-fulfilling, but only if we choose to.

Coming back from a year abroad in hot and busy Asia to a breezy summer in my seaside home in England, it’s been all too easy to slip into a lazy routine of reading, surfing the internet, hanging out with friends and going on the occasional jog. Short of writing one essay, a few songs and getting through a pile of books, I admit I haven’t ‘done’ too much since I’ve gotten back. I haven’t felt so relaxed in such a long time and it’s quite a relief just to lay back for once.

However, the inertia is starting to get me and lately I’ve been feeling a little restless again as I try to find ways to output all of the energy and momentum I’ve built up whilst travelling. I feel like a train that was travelling at full speed and has come to a screeching halt. I need to get back on track, even if slowly but surely.

Back in March, for my birthday post I wrote about things that matter. Even though this is a minimalist blog, I’ve long since learned that it’s not enough to just ‘minimalize’ your life. Just cutting down on things and getting rid of things is only half the battle.

We have to minimalize, then focus, then do.

What to minimalize, focus and do is something I’ve written a lot about (these posts remain some of the most popular). I feel I’ve concentrated a lot on why as well – happiness is one of the most important things in our lives, and yet there are too many people who have forgotten about it or are trying to ‘chase it’ in the wrong ways.

But one thing I haven’t talked too much about is how.

How do we go for what we want? How do we make our dreams into realities?

These are the kinds of questions I hope to be tackling over the next few weeks.

• Minimalize, Focus, Do Part I – Mastering Minimalism
• Minimalize, Focus, Do Part II- Mastering Focus
• Minimalize, Focus, Do Part III – Push Publish