5 Years of Minimalism | Lessons I learned in 2020 as a Minimalist | Intentional, Slow Living

in today's video, I want to share some important lessons I have learned from being a minimalist for five years and also some learnings I especially had in 2020 when it comes to living a fulfilled minimalist life. 2020 has forced a lot of us to slow down, stay at home, and build a fulfilling or just bearable routine and surroundings. I want to explain what this has taught me about myself and how I want my life to be now and in the future. this year gave me the right push to look closer to my everyday life to find out what actually adds value and makes life beautiful every single day.

#minimalism #minimalist

[raapyna]

I'm really glad to hear you say the last part. :) In the past it has looked like you were very caught up in the minimizing and what minimalism looked like and was in itself, when really minimalism is not a life in itself, it's just a circumstance for something else. Minimalism is not a hobby or an occupation, it's a wisdom that allows me to do other things.

Because of minimalism, I'm not anxiously holding onto things because of fear of losing everything.
Because of minimalism, I don't feel guilty because of a messy room.
Because of minimalism, I get to breath freely and sleep better, because my room is easier to vacuum.
Because of minimalism, I can volunteer and not spend so much time at home doing chores.
Because of minimalism, I can live by example and teach young people in the scouts it's ok to not buy new things, which brings equality.
Because of minimalism, I can travel light and not hurt my back.
Because of minimalism, it was easy for me to pack for a summer job abroad or in the country side and not miss my stuff at home.
Because of minimalism, I don't worry about what to wear, because I only have clothes I like and that match each other.
Because of minimalism, I have the opportunity to invest time and money into beautiful traditions, like hand-made things, cooking from scratch, or repairing things that are broken.

Minimalism channels often mention the fact that minimalism gives more time for important things, but youtubers rarely seem to tell what those things are for them. I think minimalism should be shown more on the side of other things, because some people seem to think minimalism on its own should bring happiness or try to fill a void by decluttering.

[gailjlyons]

You are very wise. Millions of people miss the every day beauty and satisfaction of routine life. I take the time to score my pies and breads and then sew or paint in the kitchen while they're baking so I can appreciate the smells of my beautiful every day life. Keep the videos coming

[beatrizyoda]

I had my mind done to not paint my house wall of any color. Pure minimal white. But I wanted to try colors and had fun doing it. Staying so much time at home made it stronger so I did it. I'm a minimalist and I have a yellow wall. ✌😄. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[katjarozantseva]

I'm practicing minimalism to deal with my anxiety disorder, so I have less choices to constantly worry about

[lilyandrose]

"To make our everyday life beautiful" - how lovely! I wish that for everybody. I'm in the process of decluttering & streamlining so I can give my mind fully to study next year. Every week a box has to go to a charity shop. That's been a habit I've been establishing over the last month. However, my environment is now beautiful with a place for everything & everything in its place. My other motivation is to save my executors stressful, tiring, time-consuming work in the event I pass away

[katjarozantseva]

Btw, instead of laundry basket I went to second-hand and bought the biggest cotton pillowcase I found. So it can keep quiet a lot of laundry (actually, almost equal to max load of laundry machine) but doesn't take more room than laundry itself. And I can wash it with laundry if I feel so

[towse]

"I decluttered my 5 points" I love it omg you're wonderful

[Hannah-idhk]

omg YES i found someone who I really resonate with and damn, what you said at the start was such a game changer for me. Life is mostly the small things... and we get so fixated on the bigger picture that we forget to tend to the small thiings and make them beautiful. I also really agree about using items you love... there is that philosophy... which was somewhat made famous by Marie Kondo... where you keep and own things that spark joy. It's not just about throwing things away and not buying anything, but about focusing on the things that you love and surrounding yourself with them. Then our space will spark joy and ease in us and allow us to recharge better, meaning we can also share that joy with others as well as ourselves. Ok will watch the rest of the video now !

[sarahthatcher]

Great message..finding the balance between big goals and 'everyday ' life. I so agree that minimalism isn't great in and of itself..it's more of a 'tool' or vehicle to help us create our best life...For me...I'm a born again Christian and minimalism has just been a tool ( mindset) that has helped me be more of who I believe I was meant to be and has been a journey that has brought me closer to God which is the goal of my life. It has been a way that God has helped set me free from many wounds of my past and healed me in so many ways...mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It has been a wonderful gift He has given me.

[veritycaruso]

I haven't done anything extraordinary since the pandemic shut the world down. Luckily (but maybe irresponsibly) I took my mom to Paris and Barcelona in February/March for her 70th birthday. I have been finding joy in ordinary things I hadn't done much before. I've been baking bread from scratch and cooking more, walking almost daily in our neighborhood, and started some online piano lessons. I have also been FaceTiming my nieces and sister since I can't visit them this year.

[anneli]

One of the most on-point videos I've seen in awhile! Decluttering your lessons just down to 1 was the perfect self-ironic way to start the video. Your division between the importance of a fulfilling every-day life but also fulfilling big-picture goals was eloquent and eye-opening and I found myself nodding along with your ideas. Hearing you be easy on yourself by allowing yourself a pretty laundry basket inspired me to also be less strict on myself with my lifestyle.

[Patricia-fizo]

Agreed :) living intentional and just making the best out of our everyday lives is so valuable and has brought me personally a lot of contentment.

[ΝατάσαΜαραγκού]

what you're talking about is very important! after all, minimalism is about letting go of things, situations, people, feelings that drag us down. 2020 has been a teacher on that aspect. it's been a year of self-reflect, decluttering sessions and, generally, a lot of time spent with ourselves. making every day feel special finally made sense for me this year. for the most of us, life used to be a hectic routine, never really having time to look back on it. but now, simply going on a walk or having an arts and crafts date with myself was what truly made the difference.

ps: i love your channel! keep up with the amazing work!

[jackiecee]

2020 has seen me pick up and move 1000s of miles away from where I’ve lived for 55 years. So happy with my new home.

[cherylverdon]

In extraordinary times, by which I mean pandemics, war, etc., normalcy is something we all learn to strive for. . . and it can be beautiful. Enjoy your walks!

[taylorc]

Running!! Adds so much value to my life everyday!

[kelly_kelly_kelly]

I always viewed minimalism as a tool to create a life that is intentional to our individual values, desires and needs. That means different things for everyone and really is a personal journey of self discovery and includes the mechanics of owning less, decluttering, etc. These tools should work towards actively creating the life we want. If that means getting a new hamper or book or cookie sheet, whatever, then that's important to you and a worthwhile effort :) Keep up the great videos, much love from Western NY ❤️

[matildalepoglavec]

Thank you, you really gave me something to think about with your first point, especially because this is something I struggle a lot.

[CiaraColette]

You have a great mind and a wonderful heart. ♥️

[justusewater]

Loved this!!! Yes, that is my big goal with minimalism; to curate a life I love and find beautiful everyday!