Are You a Bad Minimalist?

The Right Way to Declutter

In addition to a design style for things like architecture, graphics, and consumer goods, minimalism is also a lifestyle practice.

The latter, popularized by personalities like Marie Kondo and Joshua Becker, involves intentionally curating the things you own.

A main focus of this type of minimalism is carefully selecting the possessions you love most, and aggressively decluttering elsewhere.

Many minimalists make an ongoing practice of clearing out unused clothing, decor, and anything else that does not serve a purpose or bring joy.

The result is often tidy, clutter-free spaces with plenty of breathing room. But this gives some people the wrong idea about minimalism.

Seeing photos online  of hyper-minimalist spaces like this one make some people feel like "bad minimalists."

Believing a "good" minimalist should own very little, it's easy to feel guilty for holding onto something like a collection of books, shoes, or memorabilia.

But a minimalist's goal shouldn't be to own as few things as possible. It should be to own as few things as possible that you don't use or love.

Experienced minimalists focus first on what they want and love most. Then, they make more space for those things by tidying up the rest.

Keeping things that are precious to you does not make you a bad minimalist. In fact, it's the first step to being a great one.

The essential skill for a minimalist is to separate the things that bring you joy from the things that don't. Practice seeing that difference and creating a space that reflects it, you'll have nothing to worry about.

Swipe up to learn more about the joys of minimalism and simple living!