What do you do if not everyone in your household is into minimalism?
If there are other people in your household, chances are you might run into a snag if all of a sudden you are getting rid of things left and right. In our home, we can't even agree which episode of Curious George to watch next, let alone how we should manage our possessions.
To be fair, the four month old, she doesn't really have an opinion. So that's one...only three more to go.
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| Always a plus to have this cutie on my team! |
How to convince them?
Really, it comes down to having my husband on up my team. We are the adults, after all.
Here is what has worked in our home for getting everyone on board the minimalism wagon:
.explain why you want to be minimalist.
for me, it was simply: I'm overwhelmed
.provide concrete examples.
I broke down my day for my husband and showed him just how much time I spent picking things up
.set personal goals.
my husband decided he wanted a new iPhone, which wasn't in the budget. so he went through his things and put a ton up on eBay
.dont get frustrated.
a flamboyant emotional display is not the best way to get what you want, even for toddlers
.lead by example.
once I started cleaning out my own things, my husband noticed how nice it was
That's what worked for me! My husband is pretty easy going about this sort of thing, but it's a lot more fun now that he is excited about it, too!
Being a minimalist, I identify with your struggle. Even though I'm single, my extended family? They don't always get it. But some of it is rubbing off!
ReplyDeleteI totally hear you, Jen! Sometimes it's a hard thing to explain to extended family...politely. :-)
DeleteMinimizing is always such a relief, but it's hard to get people, especially those closest to us to jump on the bandwagon. Good job!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a relief for me, and once it's done, my family loves it!
Deletewe are working on minimizing in many areas of our lifestyle - my issue is feeling like if I sell something, then a month later I'll need it and have to go out and spend more money to buy another (esp true of my crafting junk lol). How have you been able to overcome this feeling? Great tips on getting the family into it!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I totally get what you're talking about. Honestly, it hasn't been an issue yet. I've kept the craft supplies I really use, and that's about it. But I've been transitioning for awhile, so if I really need something, I probably wouldn't have had it anyways.
DeleteMy family is a bunch of hoarders, me the lead pack rat. I do sometimes feel smothered with all of the junk. Not sure how to even get started on minimalizing... one room at a time, maybe? This just may be a goal for Christmas break!
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't even have to be a whole room! Sometimes I pick a closet!
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