In today’s culture, we’re constantly fed the message that we need to do more, be more and have more in order to live a good life. More electronics, bigger homes, newer cars, more clothes, more books, more recognition, more money, a bigger following —the list goes on. We’re led to believe that doing more, being more and having more will lead to happier and more fulfilled lives. If you make a conscious decision to go against that norm, some people may even look at you strangely, or wonder if there’s something wrong with you.
But the truth is, those who have embraced minimalism and learned to live and work with less, say they’re happier, more content, and living more meaningful lives. But that’s just the beginning.
The idea of embracing minimalism is really attractive to me and I know a lot of writers crave minimalism so I thought I would explore the concept today and see whether it was something that would work for our Authorpreneur community.
Less Stress
This is by far the top reported benefit of minimalist living so it’s worth mentioning first. As you embark on this new way of life, you’ll find that having fewer things to worry about (both material possessions/clutter and time commitments) greatly reduces your stress level!
Less Clutter
Minimalism is about embracing a simple life and learning to live with only the things you need so naturally there will be a lot less clutter in your environment. Of course, this also means that one of the first steps you’ll need to do is go through all the current clutter and get rid of the unnecessary possessions. Most people living a minimalist life have said this was the hardest part of the journey for them, but that it was worth it in the end. Just keep in mind your vision of minimalism and why you’re doing it – this will help you stay on task as you purge things. And don’t forget, you can help others by making donations of your non-needed items to local charities and churches.
More Money
By moving away from the extreme commercialism that seems normal in today’s world you won’t fall victim to always needing more, more, more and more. The result of this means you’ll have more money and reduced debt. Imagine having the cash to take a fabulous trip, or to invest that extra cash into your business— all because you resisted the urge to buy every new toy and gadget your friends or competitors bought.
More Time
Another essential part of embracing minimalism in your life is clearing the clutter of overbooked schedules and too much to do. You’ll begin to learn that saying NO is a complete sentence. Turning down the things you don’t enjoy doing, or those you feel obligated to do (even though you’re not) means you’ll free up your time. This will give you the freedom to do with your time the things that mean the most to you – spending time with family, friends, traveling, or volunteering.
Spend Less Time Cleaning Your Living and Work Environments
The top two complaints about housework – cleaning in particular – is (1) it takes too long and (2) there’s too much stuff to clean, or clean around. The good news is, embracing minimalism means there’ll be far less of this. It’ll take less of your time to clean and organise your home and office because you won’t have so much stuff to worry about.
Set a Good Example for Your Kids
Just as adults have easily fallen prey to the world’s message that we have to have more, more and more, so have our kids. In fact, most kids now-a-days live lives of entitlement, not knowing what it means to not have things in excess. Embracing minimalism, especially if your kids are little, will be a good example for teaching them about what is and isn’t important.
Feng Shui
I know from a feng shui perspective, less is more. There is definitely more peace and harmony associated with less stuff, because there is less demand, less responsibility, less worry, and less stress, and less feeling driven.
And there is far more time to write when you are not worrying about all your stuff. What writer doesn’t crave that?
As with any major life change, I recommend you don’t tackle minimising your business and your life all at once. Start by creating a vision for what you want to experience and tackle each environment slowly but with purpose. As you make more changes and discover the freedom that minimalism provides, I’m sure you’ll wonder why you didn’t start minimizing sooner.
That’s it from me for this week.
We do have a qualified Feng Shui consultant in our Disruptive Author community. Her name is Leanne Carius. Reach out to her at https://fengshuistoreandmore.com if you would like to connect with her and create a more loving, supportive environment in which you can be more creative and write more books. I am sure she will be delighted to hear from you.
If you would like to find out more about our Authorpreneur’s Bootcamp where we teach you everything you need to know about writing, publishing, and marketing your book, go to disruptivepublishing.com.au/jointheclub.
Or follow this link to book in for a free information call and we can talk about the best way forward for you. FREE Information call.
Or, if you have an idea for a compilation project, tell us about it. We might be able to work together. Email: deb@disruptivepublishing.com.au
Authorpreneur’s Bootcamp
Bye for now