7 Realizations from My First 30 Days of Minimalism

I began my minimalism journey exactly 30 days ago, and during this time, I have briefly experienced the benefits that so many on social media or in books allude to – thinks like: more free time, less clutter, and increased productivity. However, I’ve also had realizations that I feel haven’t been made widely aware, and I’m excited to share those in this blog.

Realization #1: A New Means of Consumption 🔄

While organizing and getting rid of items, I find myself continuing to consume.

My style of consumption has completely changed, however. No longer consuming with zero purpose, I now consume as a means of replacement. Sometime, when getting rid of something old or worn down, I find myself replacing that item with something minimal, dual purpose, and functional. This new mode of consumption genuinely brings me value, leaving me with less things and more joy-bringing items.

A perfect example of this replacement method is old socks (these were easy to declutter). I donated or discarded many old socks, and bought new, longer lasting pairs as a replacement. And now, instead of 40+ old worn-down pairs of socks, I maintain 10 pairs that are multi-functional, minimally colored, and matching. 10 pairs of socks may not sound minimal to some, but in my first month of minimalism, I feel really encouraged by this progress.

When buying something new, I use the guiding questions set out by Fumio Sasaki in his book Goodbye Things: 

1. Does it have a minimalist type of shape and is easy to clean?
2. Is the color gentle and easy on the eye?
3. Will I be able to use it for a long time?
4. Does it have a simple structure?
5. Is it lightweight and compact?
6. Does it have multiple uses?
7.  Does it truly bring happiness and purpose? 

Realization #2: Organization comes First 💼

Most people are familiar with the main idea of minimalism: declutter the unimportant parts of your life.

During the first 30 days of my minimalism journey, however, this has equated to “throw away the junk.” I have not yet approached the part of my life where I am confidently decluttering unimportant parts of my life, and instead I am solely cleaning and organizing.

This isn’t meant as a bad thing either – organizing my home, car, and office have been wonderful. But in my next 30 days, I hope to move on from organizing and move into donating, selling, and throwing away items that are beyond just “junk”.

Realization #3: Simpler Grocery Shopping 🛒

A fairly instant life improvement after beginning minimalism has been the ease of grocery shopping. 

30 days ago, grocery shopping was a tall task for me (ironically, I love to cook, but shopping was a challenge). Minimalism practices have taught me to be more mindful of my time, and I find it easy to now incorporate grocery trips into my routine. 

My grocery store trips are no longer cumbersome and filled with long grocery lists. Instead, I can make a quick stop at the local shop for the food I need and nothing more – two for one deals or big discounts are now just a bonus instead of a priority.

 Realization #4: Traveling as a Minimalist 🛫

As I declutter and find specific clothing that add value to my life, packing for travel also grows simpler. 

With functional clothing and a smaller wardrobe, the time I spend preparing for personal or business travel is much less than before starting minimalism. A carry on and a backpack is all I need to travel anywhere for up to 1.5 weeks, and as a result, my time at the airport (mostly with TSA checks) is efficient and simple. 

I’m now less stressed while traveling and feel well-equipped with my packing decisions. 

Realization #5: Time Becomes More Valuable ⏳

A large tradeoff I’ve observed in my first month of practicing minimalism is the tradeoff between possessions and time.

As I declutter my possessions, I find that the value of time has increased. Instead of value being placed in the things I own, it’s almost as though that pre-existing value didn’t disperse, but instead, it transferred into my possession of time. I’ve noticed I am more productive and intentional with how I spend my working and personal hours. I get more things accomplished and plan my personal time diligently. Motivation has increased and old tasks that previously bore weight on me, feel lighter and approachable. 

I’m not sure if this tradeoff between possessions and time is a direct result of minimalism, but for now, I am running with the added benefit.

Realization #6: Cleaning is Quick and Easy 🧹

 I was an organized person prior to starting minimalism and cleaning was never much of a burden, but even still, cleaning my home on a daily and weekly basis is far more approachable than previously. 

Without many possessions, clutter does not amass. Dishes don’t accumulate, clothes don’t pile up, dust doesn’t settle, and best of all, my home always has a general feeling a cleanliness. I clean regularly, but it is in shorter, lower-stress stints than previously.

Take this all cautiously – I still clean plenty. 30-days after starting my minimalism journey my home is as clean and organized as ever, but it feels like a lighter task than it would have without minimalism.

Realization #7: Personal Health is a Priority 🍎

The presence of minimalism has also opened new doors of personal improvement including fitness, mindfulness, and diet.

I think it’s too soon to directly correlate my journey with minimalism to better fitness, meditation, and dieting routines; however, I have noticed an uptick in these areas of my life. It may be just that I focused on self-improvement and so I am also more focused on personal growth in other areas of my life. Or, it could be that minimalism does truly give passage into new parts of life.

I’m excited to see in my next 30 days of minimalism how my health habits turn out.

About the Author

Authored by Angelica, a nurse and new minimalist. Her hobbies include knitting, bocce ball, pickle ball, and writing. She shares these 7 insights from her own point of view, but she would also love to hear how others have perceived their own first 30 days of minimalism in the comments!