Embracing minimalism is not easy, but it’s possible, especially in North America, a continent that embraces and even compels people to spend more. The consumerism lifestyle thrives here and I’m slowly beginning to see how harmful this can be, especially if you want to live a debt-free or stress-free life.

For someone who’s often praised for my high-retentive memory, I don’t remember a lot about my childhood because it was a mixture of the good, a couple of bad, and quite some ugly things. Weird right? But I remember growing up in a small bungalow located in Akoka Nigeria. I also loved hoarding things. From books to recycled items to anything I could place my hands on. Since I was the only girl among two older boys, I found it easy to create my world and furnish it with the external items I could pick up around the house. I also created imaginary friends along the way sharing all my hoarded items with them. Since I had no room to myself, I created one in my mind and a small corner of the living room.

Still wondering how I became a writer as an adult?

Years have passed and I still find myself subconsciously hoarding things. From a decade-old journal to stationery and items I’ve grown to love over time. I think my childhood is slowly spilling into my adult life, except I’m the one paying the bills this time, and it’s hindering me from traveling light.

If you go online, you’ll see videos on minimalism but here’s what I would advise. Don’t watch the videos or read the articles just to copy and paste into your life. Watch these resources to learn and be better. Educate yourself to know what it entails and tailor it to your needs. If there’s one thing I love about being self-taught, it’s the ability to learn and integrate it into your life accordingly. We are all unique in our different ways and I’m aware we are currently in different seasons of our lives.

What Minimalism Means to Me

Personally, minimalism is more about decluttering and reassessing my needs. It’s about re-evaluating why you need certain things and if you still need them. It’s also choosing to let go after recognizing the sentiment in certain apparel and gauging my needs through the lens of Christ.

When I first moved to Canada from Nigeria, I moved with only two boxes. Right now, I cannot say the same, especially in a country where I’ve lived to experience 4 different seasons. I’ve moved within this country several times, and yet, I still find myself with so much more than I envisioned. I started a small business and grew it for a bit. About 2 years later, I closed it after realizing I would be moving into a different season.

I also had to move to a smaller place and sell a lot of my things.

And slowly, I find myself desiring minimalism. As a woman who loves to hoard things, this feels contrary to what I’ve known, especially since I just love to see and have things around me. I’m making a conscious effort to let go of things I don’t need and embrace the essential items that I have. I’m asking myself questions (out loud) before I make a purchase, seeing how I’ve had to buy things that I ended up not using, although I thought I was going to. I’m slowly decluttering and learning to give others my things and examine my reasons without bias.

I’ll still hoard my journals because those are my memories trapped in the space of time, but I’m willing to let everything else I’ve owned find a home in someone else’s life, especially for someone who needs it.

So I found this in my 10-year-old journal and I was quite impressed. Minimalism is a lifestyle habit I was already looking to cultivate in my twenties at the time.

How to shop like a minimalist: 10 questions to ask yourself before buying

1. Do I already own something like this?

2. Why am I here in the first place?

3. Do I need something else to go with it? If the answer can’t be found in your closet, you’re going to need to buy something else to make it work

4. Does it actually fit?

5. Am I going to wear this more than once?

6. Is this trend going to last

7. Can I afford this

8. Do I like this or am I just actually paying for the name?

9. Is this item too high maintenance?

10. Is it comfortable?

11. Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it anyway (IMHO)