Are you tired of the nine-to-five grind? Looking to escape the busy city for a quiet country life? Many people find that living with less gives them more freedom and time to enjoy their life. Minimalism, a simple lifestyle where you only keep possessions that serve an important purpose, has become popular recently. People who are content with fewer possessions save money and time.
If your dream is to move to a farmhouse in the countryside, minimalism can help you to get there. But how can you start living a minimalist lifestyle and move to the farmhouse of your dreams?
How to Declutter
First, you’re going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff. The whole idea of minimalism is to live with the smallest amount of things possible. You’ll have more space in your home and won’t be tied down by your possessions. If you have a house full of stuff, decluttering might sound overwhelming. But it’s an important first step to making your minimalist farmhouse life a reality.
Start with finding a good decluttering method that works for you. One popular method was made famous by Marie Kondo. She encourages people to take all of their items from the same category and go through them one by one. As you consider each item, ask the question, “does this spark joy?” If not, it’s time to purge it.
The minimalist game is another way to get rid of a lot of stuff in a short time. You start by getting rid of one thing on the first day of the month, then two things on the second day, three on the third, and so on, until the 31st day of the month. If you play to the end, you’ll get rid of 496 items in just one month.
Another trick to help you visualize what you need and what’s just taking up space is to pack it all up. It’s okay if you haven’t bought your dream farmhouse yet; your moment to start searching for CopperSmith farmhouse sinks will come. The purpose of packing all of your things up, even though you’re not moving is to see what stuff you use, and what you don’t use. After you’ve packed up all of your things, only take out the stuff you use as you need it. Once three months have passed, whatever is still in the boxes you can purge.
Once you get rid of all of your excess stuff, you can start to live the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle.
Purging is just the beginning of living the minimalist lifestyle. You have to continue to think like a minimalist in your day-to-day life, or you’ll end up right where you started. It takes time to analyze your purchases and become a more conscientious consumer.
Choosing a Place to Live
Once you adjust to minimalist living, you might be ready to move to a smaller house in a place where you can live a simpler life. If your current living situation is cramping your minimalist lifestyle, moving to another city or a smaller house is a great option. Minimalism is all about having the freedom to live simply and not be tied down.
How can you choose the right place? The perfect place is wherever you will be happy. If you’re not sure how to choose the right place to live, write down a few things that are most important to you in life. You might put down things like spending time with family, a job you love, spending time outdoors, or traveling. Knowing what’s important to you will help you decide where to move.
You also have to consider your limitations. Maybe you’ve simplified by getting rid of many things, but you still have a lot of debt. Or your career might make it hard for you to live in certain places. Analyze your situation, and identify what your limitations are. This can help you narrow down your options on where to move.
Once you’ve examined your circumstances and know your priorities and limitations, you can start researching the perfect place to start your simple life. The researching phase might take a while, but you’ll never regret thoroughly investigating a place to live before you move.
Whether your minimalist dream is a tiny urban apartment or a gorgeous farmhouse in the countryside, you’ll find the right place for you. Living with less will help you to have more time and energy for the people you love. If a simple lifestyle with few possessions is your dream, start downsizing today using a decluttering method that works for you. Once you’ve pared down your belongings, you’ll see how minimalism can help you live your dreams. With fewer things tying you down, you’ll be free to spend more time on things you enjoy. Living a minimalist lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but if you’re ready to dive in, start with these suggestions.