Minimalism Is The Name Of The Game. Madeleine Wilson

Checklist bedroom: Minimalism made easy!

       Checklist wardrobe: Minimalism made easy!

       Checklist cellar and attic: Minimalism made easy

      Introductory remarks

      Dear reader, already in 551 B.C. the Chinese philosopher Confucius said: "Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated." The everyday ballast that we carry on our shoulders does not seem to go away despite much effort. By deciding to buy this book, you are embarking on an adventure. Let's follow the traces of minimalism together to get rid of this ballast in the short and long term.

      The word minimalism is currently on everyone's lips. A large part of humanity has already adopted this term, but most are not aware of the strength of the orientation of everyday life towards this lifestyle. Minimalism is the conscious limitation to the most necessary objects, for more serenity, contentment, success and happiness in life. This means that the seventeenth pair of shoes or the fourth reserve hairdryer no longer necessarily contribute to our happiness, but rather represent a material burden for us. It seems almost insane, especially in a society dominated by consumption, to deliberately focus on renunciation. After all, there are all these beautiful things around us with which we can sweeten our lives. But now let's be honest: What makes you really happy? An extensive shopping tour or a cosy dinner with your loved ones? If you're thinking, "Oh, I'd definitely prefer a shopping trip", this book on minimalism can offer you many new approaches and inspiration. And if you thought, "Yes, a dinner with my loved ones, that's what makes me happy," then you'll find the optimal guidance in this book to consciously limit your material odds and ends to make more room for love, gratitude, and conscious living. In this book we explain to you what minimalism is, how our habits and consumer behaviour are connected and how we enrich our daily lives by giving up. This is where theory and practice meet, because 30 practical tips for implementing the minimalist lifestyle and checklists for clearing out the junk await you.

      How come we wrote this book? We ourselves have been minimalists for ten years and can share our experiences with you. The book's strength lies in the fact that we have not only drawn on a single experience, but have also analysed the changes in lifestyles from a wide variety of starting positions. So we can also tell you that this book is just the beginning of your journey into minimalism. Minimalism is not a thing for a weekend, but it is precisely with these small "actions" that minimalism is increasingly coming into life. What was classified as "necessary" a year ago no longer necessarily has to be important. Our attitudes towards material goods changed as we became more involved with our consumption-driven habits and travelled to poorer regions of the world. What awaited us there was not necessarily misery, but rather friendly, happy people, who could show little material possessions, but had all the closer ties to family, relatives and friends. So we quickly became aware of the importance of love in our lives and for our happiness. With so many special offers, status symbols and shopping centers, it's not always easy to focus on the really important things in life. Minimalism is an effective way to clear out, sort and prioritize both internally and externally. The book and the minimalist lifestyle will help you to achieve more happiness, contentment, serenity and personal and professional success.

Minimalism is the name of the game

      Before you start with your minimalistic program, you should know as much as possible about minimalism. In this chapter you will find out what exactly is meant by minimalism, why a minimalist life makes sense and what the advantages of this lifestyle are. This basic knowledge is important so that you understand exactly how decluttering and minimalist lifestyles can enrich your everyday life and happiness. Because why should you dare to tackle the mammoth task of clearing out if the benefits are not clearly understandable beforehand?

What is minimalism?

      Minimalism means limiting oneself to the bare essentials. This is done consciously in order to experience more joy of life and happiness. Minimalism can be lived out in many different ways and we almost want to think that there are as many different forms of minimalism as there are minimalists. The one minimalist may focus on not letting the wardrobe overflow. Another minimalist loves the minimalist holiday feeling of camping and yet another practices an almost ascetic lifestyle. How you live out minimalism is up to you. We are sure that you will continue to evolve as a minimalist, to examine more and more aspects of your life and to learn to apply your minimalist way of thinking beyond your home environment.

      All minimalists have one thing in common regardless of their individual stage of development and focus: they focus on consciously renouncing material abundance in order to create more space for a fulfilled life. It is clear to all of them that possessions do not guarantee happiness and contentment, that material goods do not build friendships and love, and that changing one's own consumerist habits (spiritual and practical) opens entirely new doors. Suddenly there is more time again for an intensive examination of oneself and one's own happiness in life. Most people feel happy after an extensive shopping tour, but this is not a lasting, real and deep happiness. Instead of shopping indiscriminately, conscious consumption and above all renunciation are lived. The decision to minimalism has nothing to do with poverty, but with attentiveness!

Necessity of minimalism

      Why is it necessary to consciously limit oneself? Because it gives us back full control over our habits and thought processes. Constantly present advertising, seemingly endless unused possibilities thanks to apps and Co., one special offer after another and how do we react to it? We just walk along, we give ourselves up to the whole thing and feel quite comfortable in our consumption-controlled skin for a short time. However, it quickly becomes clear that the new Smart TV doesn't really make you happy if you sit alone in front of it evening after evening. Today's society already teaches children at a young age that one is more respected if one is equipped with the most up- to-date material goods. Only then is one properly accepted by society and part of it. How much money do you spend on your apartment every month? How many hours did you go to work for it? And how many hours were you actually at home to enjoy this beautiful apartment and the new Smart TV? Our days have every 24 hours of which we spend on average 8 at work and 8 at bed. We still have 8 more hours left, which can be quickly filled with the way to work, a little television and shopping. How many of these 24 hours do we really consciously experience, how many of our decisions do we consciously make and how consciously do we really shape our lifetime?

      This is exactly where the necessity of minimalism begins: Through a minimalist lifestyle, we carefully and consciously choose what we fill our time with, what goods are allowed to play a role in our lives, and what facets of our lives are really important to us. Through minimalism we pedal ourselves free, we free ourselves not only from material goods, but also let unhealthy behaviour and ways of thinking go, perceive ourselves better and can let true feelings of happiness enter our lives.

Advantages of minimalism

      The advantages of minimalism are obvious: Those who don't spend every Saturday on extensive shopping tours suddenly have time for completely different activities and also save a lot of money. Let's say you spend an hour watching TV or sitting at your smartphone (or both at the same time?) in the evening. The conscious renunciation of media and social media can also be an aspect of minimalism. As you can see, part of your minimalism could be the deliberately limited use of media. In this way, you prevent yourself from being "sprinkled" with less valuable content on TV and other media and create space for yourself to deal with things that really get you ahead and have a real benefit for you. You could use this saved time for example to read books with useful knowledge, to become creative yourself or to learn the art of meditation.

      What is the advantage of merciless clearing out of one's own four walls? The old, unused coffee machine finally finds a new owner and you have less ballast. The material ballast in your home inevitably has an influence on your mental situation. The separation from unnecessary