A Year as a Minimalist (and aspiring zero waster)

I can't believe it's been a year since I set out on this minimalism/zero waste journey. Yes, I'm that person now and this post is the perfect way to commemorate the occasion :) There is no way to describe HOW MUCH I learned this year, HOW MUCH has changed for the better. Minimalism, my version of it, stayed with me through some rocky times in high school and through the early COVID days and I continue to implement its practices into my life.

It all began in September of 2019, a few days before my seventeenth birthday. My journey actually didn't begin with minimalism, but with zero waste. I was taking an environmental science class and was anxious to find new, innovative ways to lessen my environmental impact. I browsed YouTube and came across a TED Talk given by a woman named Bea Johnson. She introduced me to the zero waste movement, an entirely different lifestyle compared to the more mainstream consumer culture that focuses on reducing one's waste; obviously. My mind exploded by the end of it. I woke up from a spell! I didn't realize how big of an impact our purchases had on the environment and on ourselves, how they shaped our character and identity.

I decluttered a large portion of my wardrobe after watching that talk and looked for more zero waste resources. Along the way I stumbled across a documentary called Minimalism. Pretty straight forward. This also completely changed my perspective on the *things* in our society. I questioned advertising and six-figure incomes. I realized I didn't care about making an excessive amount of money. I just needed what I needed.

I was unburdened.

(Note: Later I recognized that other cultures around the world, indigenous cultures have been living in this mindful way for thousands of years, but they never receive credit for respecting the planet from the beginning. I shouldn't talk about zero waste and minimalism, ideas that aren't new, without mentioning them.)

A Little Backstory: The Life I Left Behind

I wasn't a shopaholic before this journey; quite the opposite. I used to think there was something wrong with me because I HATED shopping, but the girls around me raved about it. I never liked shopping, but consequently, when I went, I bought trendy pieces to fit in. I made impulsive purchases: I would walk into stores with my mom (involuntarily) not intending to buy anything, then walk out with five trend pieces.

In retrospect, I was kind of a minimalist because I didn’t ask for a lot of stuff. I didn't want that much. I always questioned why one person needed so many different clothes. Of course there were times where I thought I needed certain items to make my life better (thanks YouTube :p), but aside from a handful of impulse purchases, I generally never purchased things that were unnecessary and I never went out just to shop.

New Habits

- I don't impulsively buy things I don't need.

Can you say "waste of money"? SO MANY things we don't need are marketed to us. Thanks to this shift in mindset, I don't buy things on impulse. Why would I buy something I wasn't already looking for? 

- I declutter every 3-6 months.

This is a habit. Usually after 3 or 6 months, my space starts feeling more cluttered than usual, so I discard the excess and keep the value.

- I use what I have.

I am in the privileged position of having so many things that I could declutter half of them and still have everything I could possibly need. I am grateful for those few things I have and try not to take them for granted.

Biggest Takeaways

-Convenience is an illusion-

It only took me a year to learn this. I altered most of my daily life to suit this lifestyle and from the outside, one might say I'm inconveniencing myself at every turn: I hang-dry my clothes, I bring my own utensil set with me on-the-go, and I order things that take more than 5 days to come. How could I do such a thing?? As I engaged in these practices, I realized that convenience. Doesn't. Really. Exist. Companies tell us that convenience matters, that it should come before everything else, that we should care about it. But the more my mindset shifts, the more it seems imaginary. 

Bringing my own kit of reusables isn't a big deal. Hang-drying my clothes isn't a big deal. Having to ask someone for corn starch instead of going out and buying some isn't a big deal. Neither option is more convenient. Why do we want a disposable everything? It's all an illusion! I know it's little bit of a mind-boggler, but think about it.

-Buying Things Won't Make My Life Better-

This sounds cliche and I've talked about it already on this blog, but hear me out. I was tested so many times this year; I'd browse sustainable jewelry websites and contemplate buying something or I'd go on a Target run with my mom and see a nice outfit on a mannequin and desire that outfit on my body. As I practiced taking a step back, I learned to appreciate from afar. Just because something looks beautiful on someone else doesn't mean I have to own that thing; I can appreciate it's beauty and move on with my day. Done and done.

-Societal expectations don't have to run your life-

Who knew? I know it's really hard to break away from what society wants you to do. Society wants me to go to college and think about money money money, but I don't want to! And it's not because I'm not hardworking. I work hard when I put energy into something I care about. But people only seem to respect me if I do what I'm told. 

I want a different life. So what's stopping me? The people around me? What? There is so much opportunity I could miss out on if I amplify other people's expectations instead of listening to myself.

-Money isn't everything-

No ma'am it is not. We all need a decent amount of money to be satisfied in life. I get that, but money has completely consumed every part of our lives. Some companies continuously put profit over people. It's a normalized behavior now, but what they don't realize is that money is an inanimate object. It can't replace love or happiness or adventure or passion or the people around you no matter how much you have. What can it replace? This is an age-old idea, but still everyone keeps telling me how important money is, leading me on a path that I don't want to follow to make "good money." What's the point of any of it if I'm not fulfilled?

-Minimalism is whatever you want it to be-

Took me a while to figure this one out. After participating in a YouTube ban, I finally identified with the word "minimalist." I never had the courage to call myself a minimalist because on paper, I couldn't be a minimalist. I had too many things! Here's the thing: minimalism doesn't have to be white walls and a jungle of houseplants if you don't want it to be. Make it whatever you want. As long as it works.

The Life I Live Now

Lots of rhetorical questions today I must say. My life continues changing as I learn new things and think about the life I want. Surprisingly, I care less about decluttering. I used to watch TONS of decluttering videos, but I'm fed up with them. Minimalism isn't about decluttering. It's about eliminating the excess and creating a beautiful life for yourself. I don't think about my things as obsessively. I think about life; I stare out the window, watch the trees sway, and wonder. I dedicate time to creating. I blog and I draw. Right now I'm interested in wildlife filmmaking so I go to the woods and film rowdy squirrels. Life is about deliberate choices now. Our time is precious on this planet so what do we want to spend our time doing? I want to spend my time learning, being curious, writing, filming, CREATING, being adventurous with the people around me.  

That's where I'm at right now. I can't wait to see what the future holds!

I've had a thing for sunsets lately.

Hope you're having wonderful day! Be sure to get some fresh air. 

Our Healthy Habit for the week: reflect on where you are in your life and where you want to be and write a journal entry about it. Feel free to share your discoveries in the comments.