Author: Jamie Perkins

  • What is Minimalism

    Jamie Perkins

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    What is Minimalism

    Finding your version of a minimalist lifestyle

    I described what it means to be a “Boomer,” but what exactly is a Minimalist? Minimalism is about having a clear understanding of what you value most in your life and removing anything that distracts you from it. This can mean identifying things that take up your valuable time and space, then intentionally removing these things in your life that get in the way of what you value most.

    Basically, minimalism is being intentional with the way you live your life. Allowing what aligns with your most important values will help you live a more joyful life.

    Using this definition, minimalism looks different for everyone. If you ask fifty different people to describe what is minimalism using this definition, you will end up with fifty different descriptions.

    Since our values are personal and unique to each of us, this allows you to create whatever works best for you. The only key is that you decide what is most important to you, and then remove anything that doesn’t line up with and support your values.

    Our top priority is making time for each other.

    A Few Common Misconceptions – What Minimalism Is Not

    There are a lot of common misconceptions about minimalism. Ideas that make minimalism seem hard to relate to, undesirable or out of reach for the average person. By addressing some common misconceptions, I hope to show you that minimalism is attainable for and can benefit anyone.

    ONE: Minimalism is about getting rid of everything you own

    A big part of minimalism is about removing things from your life. But the focus of minimalism shouldn’t be on what you are getting rid of. Rather, the focus should be on the benefits of letting go of the things that don’t bring value to your life. Instead of focusing on what you’re getting rid of, focus on what minimalism gives you more of. More time, more space, more joy, more freedom. Minimalism is not about deprivation. It is about intentionally choosing to live with less in order to free up the time and space to do more of what you enjoy.

    TWO: Minimalism is so rigid it makes life harder

    A common misconception is that minimalism makes life harder because you live with so little. That being a minimalist means getting rid of everything but the essentials, including things that make life more convenient.

    Life as a minimalist is simpler in many ways. You spend less time cleaning, looking for things, and maintaining and organizing your stuff. After adopting a minimalist mindset, many people see those things they thought made life easier, are actually robbing them of their time and energy.

    Minimalism is not about getting rid of something if you use it often and it makes your life easier. It’s about getting rid of the things that aren’t used or needed and are just cluttering your home.

    THREE: Minimalism only applies to your stuff

    Getting rid of the excess stuff in your life is a big part of the process in the beginning. But “stuff” is only one part of minimalism. In fact, a big part of embracing a minimalist lifestyle is changing how you think about the “stuff” in your life. It’s more about learning to challenge and change your relationship with what you own and why you own it. Once you have started living with this idea, you will see that a minimalist lifestyle goes far beyond just decluttering your house. It can be applied to how you spend your time, what you eat, how you exercise, how you budget your money, and many other aspects of your life.

    I enjoying swimming in my free time.

    FOUR: You can’t have collections or hobbies if you are a minimalist

    Another common misconception is that minimalism means you can’t keep the things you love. Or you can’t have a collection that brings you joy or a hobby that requires equipment or supplies. Again, minimalism doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you own. It simply means being intentional about what you keep.

    The key is moderation. Rather than having several collections, decide to keep one or two you really enjoy. That might mean narrowing your collection down to only the best pieces so you can enjoy each of those pieces and not lose them in an overgrown collection. For example, I love crosses. They bring me joy. I designated a small wall in my home to display them and it’s in an area in which I spend a lot of time.

    If you have a hobby that requires equipment or supplies, designate a space to keep your supplies and be intentional about limiting what you keep to that space. Inventory what you have and keep only the supplies you will use, rather than stockpiling supplies that are never used. This saves you time, space and money.

    FIVE: Minimalism is simply a tool, not the end goal

    Minimalism isn’t about owning less for the sake of less. Instead, it is a tool that can help you create the life you want and give yourself the freedom to live that life. It’s a tool to help you live intentionally, so you can focus your time, space, energy and attention on what matters most to you.

    At the end of the day, minimalism is just living simply. You’ll find that you have what you need and you will actually use what you have. My motto has always been, “If I haven’t touched it in a year, I sure don’t need it!”

    Now that I’ve embraced minimalistic living, I have no trouble getting rid of items I don’t need and it feels great.

    In my next piece, I want to discuss the peace of mind a minimalistic lifestyle brings not only to you, but to your adult children and other family members. If you’ve ever had to deal with the distribution of your parent’s or another loved one’s estate, you will definitely want to join in on this discussion.

  • It’s Just Stuff

    Jamie Perkins

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    It’s Just Stuff

    I began downsizing seven years ago with the sale of our home. This was the home in which we raised our family and it was an emotional process. We realized that we were truly “Empty Nesters.” I felt that downsizing was more of an ongoing process than an event and because we were building a much smaller home to move into, it was fairly easy to get rid of much of the excess furniture and items which simply would not fit in the new house. Yet, I avoided removal of all those cherished possessions that were taking up my emotional time and space. So, we moved these boxloads of items we just couldn’t part with to the next house and placed them in the attic, where they remained untouched, for the next three years, until the next move.

    This time, I began thinking about why it was hard for me to remove items from my life that I know I didn’t really want or need. Gifts from family, purchases that I really didn’t like or need, clothes I didn’t wear, items I thought were too sentimental to part with, etc. It was all just stuff. Very little of it enhanced my life or well-being. Most of these things were items I deemed important at the time. They served a purpose but they were no longer needed and just caused me stress. At the same time there can be an anxiety about letting go of certain things and it feels like a loss. That is when I started thinking about what that meant in my life today. Was I really emotionally attached to objects? No, I knew it wasn’t that. But why was it so difficult to get rid of some “stuff” that clearly didn’t add joy to my life?

    This is when I started reading more about minimalism and how it is much more of a mindset than a physical activity. Decluttering and organizing are ways to manage your belongings and assist you in living more simply. For me, simplicity is the key. I’m in my 60’s and my husband is in his 70’s. Life is more precious than ever, and I want to make the most out of this amazing phase of life.

    Every day I am on the lookout for another area to simplify. Is it a basket of books in need of a new home or a shelf that has gotten too cluttered? Whatever it is, I just take care of it.

    All the little things add up to the big things in your life. Are you ready to make room in your life for what really matters?

    Let’s talk more about this next time.

  • My story: Helping “Boomers” downsize, declutter, and learn to do more with less.

    Jamie Perkins

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    My story: Helping “Boomers” downsize, declutter, and learn to do more with less.

    If you’re reading this, perhaps you are also what is considered a “Baby Boomer.” Boomers were born between 1946-1964 and we are part of the boom in births that took place after the return of the WWII soldiers. Many of us are entering, or are already enjoying, retirement. My husband and I moved from California to Arizona in 2022 and in this process, we downsized considerably. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what it meant to downsize as we were packing for this move. Wow, was I surprised! If you are considering a move and you are in your 60’s-70’s, stay tuned here for information which will save you time, energy, money and unnecessary stress. If you are a boomer staying in place, you really need to join this discussion. You don’t want your loved ones to have to sort through decades of unwanted “treasures.”

    Boomers were raised by parents who worked hard so that their children could have more, be more, strive to live “The American Dream.” Our parents wanted us to live a life filled with the things they didn’t have or activities they couldn’t do. A bigger house, a nicer car, big vacations were some of the things we were raised to think were valuable. No fault to our parents, but what a waste! They just wanted our lives to be “better” and quite possibly, “easier” than their lives.

    My first understanding about how to downsize simply meant moving to a smaller home. My husband and I sold our 3,500 sq ft family home and moved into a 2,300 sq ft home. That felt like downsizing in my mind, but here’s the reality. I proceeded to fill up this smaller home, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms with newer, smaller furniture, new artwork on the walls, and we had a large “Tuff Shed” built near the side of the house and enclosed the attic space, to store the items that didn’t fit inside. So, although we did get rid of a lot of our belongings with this move, we still did not understand what it meant to really downsize with intention.

    Three years later, we decided to move to Arizona. This time, we purchased a 1,500 sq. ft. home, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Why not? It’s just the two of us! We measured all of the rooms in our new home and were very careful about what we wanted to take with us to Arizona. I thought I understood intentional downsizing at this point. Nope…not even close. After being here about a year and a half, I’m finally really embracing and accepting letting go of the items I don’t need and/or things that don’t bring joy to our daily lives.

    My hope is to be able to save you time, energy, stress, and money and to help you find peace in your journey to downsize, declutter, and live an intentional life.

    Consider what intentional downsizing and decluttering really means for you.

    • What does downsizing really mean? Why do it and how do you do it?
    • When is it time for you to consider getting rid of the things in your life that don’t bring you joy? 
    • The sense of freedom that comes from decluttering is liberating. You will no longer feel tied to the possessions in your home and you’ll feel a new sense of independence.

    In my next post, we will get to work on precisely how to begin this process. I hope you will join the discussion.