Having lived a minimalist lifestyle for nearly ten years (by my definition anyway), I don’t have a lot of things left to get rid of that I don’t use or need. But there is one big thing that I can do with much less of this year—distractions. I have noticed lately that I have been…
Leaving home is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my short lifetime. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew that I was too young and naive to be able to handle everything on my own. I put on a brave face, organising everything that needed to be…
…is an essential part of living minimally. Most of the things we’re asked to or recommended to do/see/try/buy etc. are rooted in other people’s desires, needs, and expectations, not from our own. You only have a certain amount of time in life. It’s a zero sum game—the more you fill it with one thing, the less you…
As a child growing up in an immigrant family, I’ve always been taught to treasure every hard earned penny. Whenever I did make a big purchase, whether it was for something fun like going out with friends, or even for something I genuinely needed, instead of enjoying it I would feel guilty about it for…
It seems like a contradiction, but having an abundant mindset is essential for living a minimalist lifestyle. The reason why most people buy and keep too much stuff is because they’re scared. They’re afraid that if they don’t buy something they’re missing out, and if they throw something away there won’t be a chance to…
I’ve been a long time fan of Marie Kondo and her work, so it’s been great to see her gain so much popularity lately. Over the past few months, I’ve witnessed dozens of people doing big clear outs, giving stuff away for other people to use, or donating bags to charity. It’s great to see the mindset shift towards…
I never travelled much as a kid. I moved house only once before I came to university. For various reasons, the only time I had been on holiday was when I was five. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to travel. In fact, it makes me want to travel even more. I chose to do…
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself ‘how could I possibly throw this away?’. What if I need it one day? What about all of the memories? Now…
what is a minimalist’s diet? True to the minimalist mind-set, a MD (Minimalist Diet) is about reducing food down to what is essential. Although I refer to it as a diet here, in this case I mean diet in the case of ‘a way of eating’ or a long-term lifestyle, not a fad diet that…
A lot of people hate talking about money. One of the most annoying things I hear is that “there are more important things in life than money”, and while I agree to some extent, it should be more like, “there are more important things in life once I have enough money”, because the kind of people who…