MINIMALISM mistakes I've made » Decluttering & Minimalism Tips

I share 12 MINIMALISM MISTAKES I've made in my eight years of minimalist living. Plus, lots of decluttering & minimalism tips.

I'm not just someone who has a lot of experience with intentional living, decluttering your home and living a minimalist lifestyle. I'm also an expert on how not to declutter. Because I've made quite a few 'mistakes' along the way. Which isn't a bad thing actually. If you want minimalism tips, sometimes it's important to look at what not to do. And that's exactly what I share in this video.

This video is full of minimalism tips for beginners, but also offers lots of valuable insight into simple living and living without clutter.

Let me know which minimalism mistakes you've made, and how you overcame them. Any minimalism tips are welcome :)

Lots of love,
🌼 Vera

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[SimpleHappyZen]

Hey everyone! Make sure to check if you're subscribed to the channel, and to subscribe if you're not already. There's some really cool stuff coming up soon that I'm so excited about! And you're not going to want to miss it :)

[mindibear]

Two things I always buy high quality: mattresses and shoes, because you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping and the other 2/3 on your feet.

[ntheno]

I stop and think of somebody else being so happy they found an item I donated. I thank God for it then free it up to bless another.

[jawbreaker]

My biggest minimalism mistakes were
1) I fell in the perfectionism trap of getting rid of something and replace it with a "perfect" version of it... Obviously it was kinda useless, I could have used up the things I had and eventually replace them with something better
2) I decluttered stuff before decluttering processes. What I mean is I kept quite a lot of items because I thought that they were a necessary step in a set routine. The perfect example for this is cosmetics: I used to hold on to setting sprays and lotions and serums and nail polish and all kind of hair products just to realize later that those were steps I skipped most of the time anyway. I don't enjoy painting my nails, so why did I own clear polish, colored polish, base coat, top coat and polish remover?? Now I just don't paint my nails anymore and I've got a lot of free space. Why should I keep setting spray and every shade of lipgloss on earth if I prefer powder to set my makeup and I always gravitate toward the same 2-3 shades of lipstick? I could have decluttered the processes first and really think about what MY makeup routine looked like instead of focusing on what marketing and other people thought it should look like.

[MyFocusVaries]

Gifts have been a difficult item for me. But I've had a revelation. I've decided to stop asking for no gifts or giving advice about what I would like (because that was not usually received well). I will receive gifts, thank the giver, then do what I want with the item. I have heard enough advice that the gift is now mine and is no longer attached to the giver, so I won't let their expectations weigh on me. With zero (or extremely fleeting) guilt, I will immediately re-gift or donate any item that isn't something I have a use for. It is a total waste if the item sits in my storage. Re-gifting or donating the item is the best use of it. When I receive the item, instead of being disappointed about things that are clearly not suited to me, I will think of the joy they are going to give to the person who eventually receives them.

[CharlesAvilaMeasInst]

Minimalism mistake number one: thinking that I didn’t actually need to minimalize but just organize better all I ended up with was spending money on organizing tools and resources but still have the same amount of clutter. You actually have to declutter! I felt that organization naturally followed removing the clutter from my home

[amandaburger]

I can relate to all of these but especially the buying of furniture to store items. I don't think anyone would call me a minimalist from just looking around my house but when I think about all the storage furniture my husband and I used to have and the storage furniture we bought it is now crazy to me! I've been working on minimizing for the past 3 or 4 years and we have emptied and gotten rid of SO MANY storage items. Book shelves, shoe shelves, dressers and bins.
My 5 year old daughter is even starting to understand the concept and cleared half her closet, on her own, of clothing she doesn't wear or want and agreed to sell a huge doll house and bin full of toys she doesn't play with.

[deltaengineerlawyer]

Retail therapy was my biggest problem, especially kitchen items. At one time I owned 20+ frying pans. No, I'm not a chef. No, I don't cook everyday or even every week. I just loved shiny new kitchen equipment. I bought a $300 stand mixer that I never used. Not once. I gave it to a friend who sold baked goods as a side hustle. Over the past few years, I've given some items away to family and friends. Still got a ways to go but I'm getting there.

[saw]

Minimalism means different to different people. There are so many variations in minimalism that it becomes useless to compares one person's lifestyle to other. Best thing about minimalism is that it gives the person focus and a sense of purpose. Buying less but quality stuff will always help in the long run.

[杰茜卡ジェシカ]

I'm a hoarder and I'm doing my best to change for the best. Thanks for this video!

[twilde]

Interesting conundrum: frugality versus minimalism. I think this is my issue. Thanks for this video.

[briannawilliams]

Yes to #7. I've been trying to explain that to a family member! I think when we've lived a maximalist like for so long, the idea of space is uncomfortable. Maybe it should be looked at as FREE space instead of EMPTY space

[lena_penelope]

Whenever you look at your stuffed animals, you have this special, loving smile! I think, that's more than enough reason to keep them. 🧸🌸✨🤗

[clairewillow]

I think my biggest mistake was second guessing myself. Like nail polish for example. Deep down I knew I’m not into doing my nails but I kept some polishes and remover around and second guessed myself. Finally got rid of all of it and I really enjoy having my nails natural now.

[liatori]

I like your aproach to frugal vs. minimal way. Especially when you said no side is either right or wrong. Respecting different opinions is very important. As it is to stand by the choice we made. 😍

[francescadesarasola]

I love the point you make about Minimalism versus Frugality. If you’ve ever struggled financially, letting go of things that aren’t beyond repair is very difficult. Even if/when you can afford to replace items, there’s the cost to the environment.

Decor videos about staging your home have somehow convinced us that every table needs one, or preferably three, items on it to look good. Real life is so much easier with a table that is clear and ready for use.

[tomdrummy]

The only way to learn is to make mistakes. You don’t learn anything if you do everything right all the time.

[adamhilyer]

Thank you so very much Vera ! I cleaned a lot of clutter after watching this video.

[jaybee]

I love your advices, especially the "you dont have to" and "it's okay to...", "There is no right or wrong" and that everyone has to feel comfortable. I often put a lot of pressure on me, without any necessity. Maybe because I think minimalism has to go a certain way. A reminder like yours, is helpful in these moments. I also like that you are honest to talk about things that went/Go wrong on your minimalist Journey. Please make more of these videos

[nicoleonfeels]

In the words of the great Hanna Montana, “Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days!”

Hehe, thanks for sharing these Vera!