What is a minimalist lifestyle? According to FullyLived.com:
Minimalist Living [is] about being fully aware of all the options we have, yet choosing only those which give us the most benefits and eliminating those that don’t.
It’s about stripping away the unnecessary and getting rid of the things we don’t really need, so that we can free our time and resources for that which gives us true joy.
It’s about quality, not quantity.
With a luxury minimalist lifestyle, we add the notion that the things you own are very high quality and those items are enjoyable to own. Luxury minimalism is not about being frugal and it is not anti consumerism. Rather it is about investing thoughtfully in a few quality items to enhance your lifestyle.
Why Minimalism?
Why would one opt for a minimalist luxury lifestyle? There are three primary reasons for making this decision. First, a streamlined lifestyle leads to less clutter, which leads to the ability to focus more. A clean design with an uncluttered desk helps you stay focused so you can be more productive. A higher sense of focus and more productivity leads to feeling more satisfied with oneself, which makes you feel happier. Finally, investing in a select few items that bring you happiness (and are not just more clutter) will further enhance the quality of your life.
Steps to a Minimalist Lifestyle
So how does one embark on a luxury minimalist lifestyle? According to The Minimalists, there are several steps you can take to design a minimalist lifestyle.
Decisions
This is going to be one of the more time consuming steps of the process. You will need to decide what your priorities are. What brings you joy? How much do you want to minimize your lifestyle? What are your goals with this endeavor, and what are you hoping to achieve?
Planning
Once you have a goal in mind, you need to plan how you will achieve that. Does your luxury minimalist lifestyle apply to just your home, or will it extend to other parts of your life, like your office, vacation properties, collections, etc.? How will you achieve these goals? Will you need to dispose of some of your assets to streamline and minimize your possessions?
Trash, Donate, Sell
While step one, decision making, is time consuming, this third step may very well be the most challenging part of the process. Letting go of “stuff” can be challenging. This is why having a goal and a plan are so helpful. As you go through all of the items you own, you will need to ask yourself if this possession brings you joy, and will it help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself. If you choose to let an item go, you will need to decide whether to dispose of it, donate it, or sell it.
Curate
After you have successfully minimized your physical belongings, take a long look at what you have kept. The items you have kept represent what holds value to you. Arrange and display or store them in a way you can enjoy them. You may find that there are some things there that you still do not need, and will curate your possessions further until you have achieved the balance you are looking for.
Once you have successfully planned and achieved the sense of minimalism you were aiming for, use the decisions you made early on to guide your future purchases. Luxury minimalism encourages you to focus on quality, not quantity. From home decor to automobiles to vacations, be selective and invest in items and experiences that you will savor and enjoy for the rest of your life. Less can certainly be more, but it can still be luxurious.
