A month ago I made the decision to live a life of more simplicity and as a semi-minimalist. The idea has been grown since a few months and I informed myself about the differences between a simplistic life and a minimalist life. It was my aim to start with decluttering and creating a successful routine.

Simplicity or minimalism

I can see a lot of similarities between these two lifestyles and came to the conclusion that a simplistic life is more that kind of living that I personally strive for.

And as with so many things you start from scratch, you first have to get used to it and get things started.

Therefore, I read two books and went through some blogs on how to start with decluttering my things.

Start small, but start

The best advice was to start small and just get things done. Therefore, I started with my wallet which was pretty thick and filled with lots of unnecessary stuff.

I removed old cards from Starbucks which were empty and another card from a baker store. I had two identical ones. Moreover, I also threw away at least 15 receipts that I had collected from different purchases. It was a great feeling when the wallet shrinked to halve of its size.

Afterwards I started with some smaller drawers in the living room. First, these were only my own where I collected lots of stuff from the last few years. I could remove a lot of old papers and notices that I did not have any use for. The best was to clean some plastic boxes where I had collected random stuff. These boxes vanished from the living room.

With that success in my head, I started a bigger project. My wardrobe. It took me two evenings to try all the shirts, trousers and sweaters. Afterwards, I also removed all that did not fit anymore or which I had not worn in the last two years.
I donated these things. Maybe, someone else has a usage for them.

My plans for the next months are:

• Getting more structure into the files on my laptop
• Cleaning the cellar
• Selling some electronic stuff which I do not use anymore

It’s a process

I know that this is only the beginning. A simple or minimalistic life is a process. You start it and you have to recheck your situations from time to time. Learning by doing.

Therefore, 2 or 3 times per week, I reserve between 30 and 60 minutes for decluttering. Especially in the beginning of the journey, such a routine is really important.

It is the same with my writing. I try to write every day. On my novel or on a blog post. Routine is the way to perfection.