It sounds like a joke, but my to do list for becoming a minimalist is very minimalistic. In fact it contains just one task I focus upon until it’s finished. Then I search for the next thing I can do to become, feel, behave and live like a minimalist.

One Step at a Time

it’s easy and much more fun to do anything one step at a time, having a glimpse on the endgoal from time to time when motivation starts to fade. But the true strengh of this method is that I avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed by reducing clutter. As I began to declutter my room, I faced a great amount of paper, notes and old bills I needed to read through first. It was really overwhelming seeing that stuff and knowing, that there is plenty more of that waiting for me right after that. But through focusing on that task only, I could create momentum, be productive and stay joyful. The task itself wasn’t even that hard but more like a passive meditation hour. “Sit down my Padawan and read through all of this stuff to exercise your focus on the present moment.”

Your Joker is Your Goal

But most of the time your task won’t make any fun. Your motivation shrinks, you get distracted easily and loose focus. This is the time to tap into your vision of your endgoal, in my example the clean and stuff-free room. You need to know why you want that goal and intensely feel it. Create a good feeling, providing you with positive energy and excitement about all the things you could do after through completing that task. This should push your motivation to a higher level again. That’s my Joker, my way of breaking my own whining.

This post ist short. There is nothing more to say about that.

Go and create room. Create freedom. Create clarity.
One Step at a time.

Author’s Note: This is the start of a series about Minimalism and my pursuit of it. Feel free to share it via twitter & co.

Author’s Note: This is the start of a series about Minimalism and my pursuit of it. Feel free to share it via twitter & co.

The first time I heard about Minimalism was reading Zen Habits. I really like the idea of it being an extension of the known “Simplicity lifestyle”. Minimalism leads to freedom, clarity, true abundance and focus. Somehow, you gain more through having less.

I get clarity.

“The things you own end up owning you.” ~ Tyler Durden

Who am I? I’m defining myself like many others by the possesions I have. But who am I under all this stuff? I get clarity in my mind by creating clarity in my life. I want to relate only on truly important things, saying proudly: “That’s a part of me, of my life.” With Minimalism I can see easyly what I own and why I own it. If it doesn’t bring me joy, comfort or freedom, it needs to go. I declutter my mind by decluttering my space.

I get freedom.

I see myself traveling through foreign countries, only with one backpack with all my stuff. If you do not own much, you are able to move with nearly all of it from space to space. But I also sense another form of freedom. I’m free of attachment. I can not only know but experience that I do not need all of these fancy things to be happy.

I get focus.

No distractions on your desk. Sharp focus. Intense clarity. Deep calmness. Flowing creativity leads to impressive productivity.

I get true abundance.

I feel abudant independently of any circumstances around me. I don’t need to spend much money on stuff, so I safe more. I don’t need to spend much time on stuff, so I have more. I don’t need to spend much space on stuff, so I see more. Minimalism is creating pure abundance in my life.

Clarity, Freedom, Focus, Abundance and Joy. That’s why I love Minimalism.

it’s really simple:

1. define what you would like to experience and how it would feel.
2. focus on the pure feeling and believe you will experience it.
3. be happy in anticipation of what is coming to you.

the anticipation should make you feel great right where you are.

Source: Abraham Hicks

Again, my mind starts to talk to me:

“You need to find a solution. You need something great for your life purpose, some sort of career you can focus on daily. You need to achieve something. Search for the answers, you are nearly in trouble. Soon it could be to late.”

My mind often starts telling me what I should do and why I can not focus now on the present moment. Because I have things to get done. My life needs a shift and I can not relax now, how dare I?

But in reality there is no problem. My mind is the one who creates the problem just to push me to solve it. My mind cannot survive in the present moment very long. It isn’t needed that much at all as it is used to when I stay in the present. It is far more efficient when I choose to deliberately use it, instead of when it takes me over and creates concerns about my future.

My minds problem is: there is no problem.
And that’s how I can quite my mind. By telling myself that there is no problem now, no need to worry. If something needs to get done for the future, there still is no need to worry, I can solve everything with calmness.

Even no need to live only for the present moment to avoid a worried mind. Be wise, stay calm and you are able to plan everything without worry.

Simple facts: Do 20 push-ups and you feel great afterwards.

I’ve discovered this little truth a while ago. Putting effort and energy into the present actually can create great pleasure afterwards. I never was a big fan of investing energy now for pleasure afterwards, but somehow I discovered that the process itself can be fun, too. I focus on the present moment, the movements, the process itself, instead of on the goal – and get the results I like while having already pleasure. In the past I focused on the goal and got frustrated with the process of exercising. But today everything was new for me. I never really felt my body while exercising, never focused on how it feels to literally cause pain to yourself and holding it. How long do I stand? When do I give up? How much control do I have over my body? New insights in every present moment.

Why discover the world already if you don’t know yourself?