I started this journey about 3 months ago and it has been an enjoyable and rough ride. I can’t believe how far I’ve come!
It all started when I watched the Netflix documentary Minimalism by The Minimalists. I asked myself: “How on earth can a teenager live minimalistic?” and the answer to that I have experienced over these 3 months.
A while ago I shared with you my 5 steps to minimalism, however over time these steps have changed.
I started with thinking and writing down why I wanted to become a minimalist.
Then I started decluttering my room where I used a combination of methods including the KonMari method and the Four Box Method. This step was the messiest as my room was completely thrown open and the stuff was everywhere. After sorting everything, I organised the remaining stuff in the storage. I also started buying less excess stuff and consuming less.
My next step was to plan and prepare the room makeover. I decided what I wanted to change in my room and this was to get rid of the closet, upcycle the dresser and paint the walls. First I decided the wall colors and bought all the materials.
Then I started painting the dresser and the walls.
Lastly I add decorations. This included the frames, the desk organisers, the desk lamp, the wall lamp and a ceramic artwork.
I am very proud of what I have achieved and the before and after of my room are astonishing. One of the last steps I included was to look back at the reasons why I want to become a minimalist and reflect if I achieved living minimalist. If I want to change anything then I can think about this.
The reason I wanted to become a minimalist was because I believed we did not need all this excess stuff to be happy and it is also a more sustainable way of living. From my experience I can and my perspective I can fully/completely/ 100% conclude that I do not need this excess stuff to be happy. I also agree that a minimalist lifestyle is a more sustainable way of living as you do not consume as much stuff. I do have to say that I did create waste by getting rid of my stuff however I did this in the most ecological way which is by donating stuff to a secondhand store and sorting the trash into paper and plastic to recycle it.
Changing my room to a minimalist style was not necessary however I did it because this is something I wanted to do/ it was my own choice. When changing my room I also created waste for buying and using the materials. However I also did this in the most ecological way by reusing materials for example the desk lamp, ceramic art piece and part of my lamp. I also upcycled an old dresser instead of buying a new one.
I would say that I achieved living minimalist to my expectation however not to the more extreme. This is something which might change in the future but this is still to see.
This journey was the most unforgettable experience and I loved sharing it with you on this blog. I might post more in the future and maybe on different topics.
Has your perspective changed on the way we live? And if so in what context?
I can’t wait to read it in the comments!
Here is a video showing my journey step by step:
Teen Minimalist Journey 