File: Minimalism, living better with less

Today, I live with less. Fewer objects, plastic, telephone, emails, waste, social networks, cars or televisions. And I live with more. More time, efficiency, freedoms, sincere relationships, elegance, self-confidence and pleasures.

Simplify your life. Why? How? For what purpose? Discover how minimalism can transform you.

Disclaimer: Gregory is our new ambassador in Brussels. He has chosen a minimalist life and wanted to share his personal experience with us through this article. Moreover, he himself keeps a blog - Le Minimaliste - which brings together all the themes discussed here, without forgetting his advice.

The path to personal development

I have always been curious. I love novelty. I like challenges, action, challenges and learning constantly.

During my studies in advertising, I often went to the library. One day, I came across a book: The Winning Behavior of S. Di Benedetto. The first step towards self-development...

I fall in love with this discipline which has one goal: to make us better .

I then followed several training courses on assertiveness , NLP , micro-resolutions, mindmapping .

Being open to opportunities and wanting to improve myself is what led me to discover minimalism.

Tell me what you're wearing and I'll tell you who you are

I am often asked where I started. My life is changing especially with zero waste but when I think about it, it all starts with clothes.

In 2010, I started to look into advice on how to dress better and heard a message: prioritize quality over quantity . So I decided to replace my shirts, buy myself a good pair of jeans and stop making mistakes in taste. I gave away part of my wardrobe... even though there was still a lot left.

When you wear worn-out, ill-fitting or obligatory pieces, you are anything but yourself. Many people underestimate the power of style. They find it superficial; after all, “it’s what’s inside that counts.”

Your character influences your actions, and actions influence your character. It's the same with clothes: they influence your state of mind; your state of mind influences the way you dress.

Imagine, you are wearing completely abandoned clothes and shoes that have been through the war. You see them every day, you touch them, you put them against your body. This is what you really see on a daily basis without realizing it: fragility, sadness, negativity...

Now imagine, you wear durable pieces, in very good condition. Only your favorite clothes, which enhance you. You then encounter every day of your life joy, confidence, beauty, authenticity, positivity...

You are yourselves, simply yourselves.

Pareto's Law

The Italian Vilfredo Pareto discovered the 80-20 principle: 80% of the effects are the result of 20% of the causes. This is a universal rule that can be used in private and professional life, such as:

• 80% of the time you wear 20% of your wardrobe ,

• 80% of turnover comes from 20% of customers,

• 20% of our relationships bring us 80% of happiness,

• 20% of the objects in a house are used 80% of the time.

I apply this rule to my clothing and accessories, like my wallet. I only use a card holder with my ID, credit cards, transportation cards and cash. That's all I need.

No loyalty cards, receipts, VIP club memberships or first aid instructions (some people have them in their wallets, it's true). I find it more convenient and easy to use.

By using this rule, we see the world differently.

This number allows me dozens of possible combinations. I often play with accessories and shoes. When I open my wardrobe, I see all the pieces hanging on the hangers. They are consistent with each other and allow me to know directly how to dress.

I save a lot of time. My clothes give me great pleasure every time, they are a second skin to me . I take care of them carefully and repair them when necessary. Today, my collection is complete.

My latest purchase is a Filson backpack. It replaces two of my travel bags, given away second-hand.

How to deal with the arrival of a new item of clothing or an object in general?

One thing in = one thing out. So I know in advance what needs to be replaced or completed.

Second-hand is my first choice: you can find originality, quality and an unbeatable price. I only buy pieces that I have a crush on, with quality and in noble materials, without artificial materials.

I refuse to be offered objects as gifts, nor gift vouchers for stores. Either these brands do not interest me, or it is a burden and forces me to choose an object that I can do without. In rare cases, I accept and I offer them to people who need them.

Zero Waste

How did I get the idea?

In 2014, my life took a giant leap.

One day, a friend sent me an article by an American blogger: Lauren Singer, from the blog trash is for tossers . She is 26 years old, lives in New York and looks like anyone else.

Except for one thing: her waste from the last two years fits in a jam jar. She seems happy and enjoys life like no one else. The trigger is happening at my place.

I also buy the book a blog ).

In a month, habits are completely established. More than waste, it is a philosophy.

Let's put the situation into context. At this point, I had wanted to leave my job and live in Brussels for three years. I went on job interviews. Nothing doing. I was stuck professionally and living in a depressing apartment in the middle of nowhere.

Then I discovered this zero waste lifestyle. Within six months, I got a new job and moved to Brussels. Coincidence? I'm sure not. My life became unblocked. Removing waste from my life physically made me feel lighter mentally. It was like a weight had lifted. I became more confident, I felt better. And that was felt around me.

The way to do it

Zero waste means producing as little waste as possible, even recyclables. You can remove the trash from your home and compost fruit and vegetable peelings.

The five rules to follow:

• Refuse: what you don't need.

Free products, gifts, samples, packaging, carry bags, flyers, advertisements, coupons, hotel shampoos, business cards and manuals that you will never use.

Remember that consuming is voting. Every day, we have the opportunity to give our opinion. Accepting a plastic bag means saying yes to oil and disposable items. And above all, it means cluttering up your home with one more object.

• Reduce: what you need.

Ask yourself what you really need. Do you need 36 kitchen knives when you always use the same one? Do you need that magazine subscription, that TV, or even the car?

The goal is to question. When I was helping someone, I asked him what he used his car for. He realized he could do without it and so he sold it. He feels more serene and is saving money now.

• Reuse: think multi-use instead of single-use.

Remove disposable items from your life, plastic cups, disposable cutlery, cans. Instead, get a nice water bottle, cloth napkins, real metal cutlery.

Instead of a plastic box, use a beautiful one-liter glass jar to store rice, lentils, cheese, meat, your picnic, utensils...

• Recycle: What you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse.

Is there a zero-waste alternative? Check with your local authority to find out what you can recycle.

• Compost: organic waste such as fruit and vegetable peelings.

Consider worm composting, a compost bin in your garden or a community compost bin in your neighbourhood. Personally, I empty my 5 litre bucket into a community compost bin every two to three weeks.

Bea Johnson has given many lectures. In this quick report, you can get a little idea.

Get rid of plastic

To achieve this goal, I had to replace several objects. And among them, I realized how much plastic was present. Beyond the health and environmental aspects, plastic has effects in our daily lives. It is ugly, fragile and often needs to be replaced.

Living waste-free has allowed me to almost completely eliminate it from my life. And I really enjoy it. Every object has a plastic-free equivalent: fountain pen, razor, bottle, bags.

Choose sustainable materials like metal, wood, leather, glass, cotton... A plastic-free interior is beautiful.

Tidying up your interior

Every day is a great occasion.

I read two amazing books: The Art of Simplicity by Dominique Loreau and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. In short: keep the best in your life. And only the best.

Why do we save our best clothes for special occasions? Why do we take out the most beautiful dishes once a year? Why don't we enjoy life to the fullest? Every day is a celebration. Every day, we deserve to wear our favorite clothes.

No more gifts in laundry detergent containers, no more glasses with logos won when you buy two Camemberts. No more collecting twenty plastic umbrellas that break at the first gust of wind. Choose one and only one beautiful umbrella in solid wood, with a shiny and solid canvas.

What a pleasure to eat in beautiful dishes with elegant cutlery. Enjoy real coffee in an authentic Italian coffee maker. Before, I kept the best for special occasions. Now, I enjoy the best every day.

The big clean-up

Moving is an opportunity to change your life. That's what I experienced when I moved to Brussels. You have to go through each of your objects. According to Marie Kondo, there is a very easy technique to sort. Here it is in a few steps:

• Take the object in your hand. If it truly brings you “joy,” keep it. If not, give it away.

• The number of objects in your home will always be personal. Some will need three shirts and others, more. The most important thing is to keep only what makes you the most happy.

• Give away what you got for free, what is useless and clutters you up. If you haven't read that famous novel since you bought it, you won't read it. Anything you haven't used in the last six months is good for one thing: gathering dust.

• Thank each object for the mission they have accomplished and set them free. Talk to them. Yes, minimalists are a little crazy.

• If you are not moving, dedicate a whole day to this big tidy-up. Get up early and stay calm, without music, to concentrate on the object. I applied this method after six months in my new apartment, there were still objects to get rid of.

• Above all, turn this day into a celebration. It should be a pleasure, a new page that is turning.

The cleandesk

On my desk I have a computer, a diary, a fountain pen and a plant. I don't need anything else.

Before, I had post-its, folders full of old bills, administrative documents and bank statements, a trophy I won when I was eleven, binders with hangers, business cards... All that has disappeared. I can breathe.

How to do it? Very simple, empty everything. Dust it. Put back the bare essentials, what you use several times a day. Put the rest in a drawer if you need it. Buy yourself some quality writing utensils. A nice fountain pen. A nice diary. A nice notepad.

How to get rid of paperwork?

All my paperwork fits into one half-filled folder. There's my employment contract, my diplomas, the results of my last blood test, and my lease agreement. That's it. If I had a scanner, I'd scan them into my computer.

The technique:

• put a label on the mailbox to refuse free advertisements and newspapers,

• refuse receipts,

• ask for an invoice without taking it. The seller is obliged to keep a copy for 10 years,

• digitize what you can’t refuse, like bank statements and pay slips,

• refuse flyers, leaflets, manuals and training courses as much as possible.

And what about the intangible?

As I moved forward, I realized that my way of thinking was changing. The material was leaving me more and more to make way for the most important . Even if it was not easy to understand at first.

Why? Because we live in a materialistic world. To be happy, you need a lot of money, a big house, two cars, a huge wardrobe, famous designer perfume and a dog named Rex. At least, that's what they want us to believe.

Fate wanted me to study the world of advertising and consumerism. And now here I am, advocating the opposite. Fate is sometimes strange.

Social networks

I am not on any social media. I tested it and I did not get any beneficial or effective feedback. When I unsubscribed, I felt a sense of lightness and freedom.

No more need to know which accounts I have, manage passwords, notifications, emails, newsletters, messages or information without added value.

When I need to contact someone, I call them. When I'm on the subway, I chat with passengers. When I see a friend, they explain to me face to face what has happened since we last met.

Emails

We underestimate the amount of space emails take up. Physically and especially mentally. Right now, I have five emails in my inbox. They will be dealt with within the week and then deleted. The most important or practical ones are archived.

There are very few. Here too, we can apply the Pareto law. 80% of the emails we receive can be deleted directly. And if it takes you less than two minutes to answer, do it now and delete the email.

Television

Social media is getting a lot like television. On average, a person spends 3.5 hours a day watching TV or on the Internet. That's ten years in a lifetime.

My choice was made quickly. I no longer own a television. I spend this time developing myself personally, resting, playing sports, reading or spending time with my loved ones.

The news

I don't watch the general news anymore. There is only bad news, over which we have no power. The biggest news always ends up being heard. I control my environment. When I need it, it is not the information that comes to me but the other way around.

Leisure and associations

For a while, I was volunteering in five associations at the same time, I played two different sports several times a week and I had a language course every Wednesday. I wanted to make the most of my time and do as much as possible. For fear of missing out on something.

It was quite the opposite that was happening. I failed to be good at each of my commitments. Every decision must be taken completely and not half-heartedly. How can you be excellent at the guitar if you practice theater, judo and pétanque at the same time?

Relationships

I have 36 contacts in my phone book. There are people who bring us happiness, and others who don't. There are some who have meant something to us, some not anymore. Others have been accepted out of politeness or obligation.

One evening, I took the time to review each of my contacts. I then discovered who really mattered to me. For my part, I did not need to reconnect with a deleted number.

The phone

Although it is a physical object, the phone has a significant impact on the immaterial. Beyond the directory, it influences the behavior of its user. We can do everything by asking someone . Find directions, a good restaurant or a nice hotel.

A father confessed to me that he found his phone incredibly indispensable. His wife and three children each had a tablet. I pictured the picture, the couple and the three children on a winter evening. Each sitting in their corner of the sofa staring at their screen.

Since February 2016, my phone has been at home. To set up an appointment? Easy, I ask for a time and a place. I have always arrived at the agreed time. Often, it is the other people who arrive late. When I talk to someone, I am one hundred percent focused on that person.

Without the possibility of being interrupted or tempted to check my emails. It's no longer my phone that controls me, it's me who controls my phone.

At the same time, it pushes me to meet new people. This summer, I traveled for ten days in Europe. Thanks to that, I met wonderful people. I asked strangers for directions and what to visit; I even ate with them. Now, every day is a vacation.

The watch

A few months ago, my watch battery died. Even though it only happens every two years, replacing it is a real burden for me.

So I decided to get an automatic watch. I went around the shops but couldn't find one that I liked. Since then, I've been living without a watch and, finally, I feel much freer.

Before, I was afraid of scratching it or forgetting it somewhere. Now, oddly enough, I'm not late anymore. On the contrary. I always take a margin of advance and that allows me to be more relaxed. The watch reminded me of the power of time over my life, I am now beyond this power.

The benefits that this new life brings me

A huge time saving

For cleaning, there are fewer objects to move for dusting, more flat surfaces, so it's quicker to do. The same goes for tidying up: each object is in its place, finding them is very easy. No more lost things, wondering for hours where you put them away.

Since I have fewer items, it's easier to choose. It takes me less time to make a decision . Like choosing what clothes to wear.

Fewer immaterial attachments like relationships or hobbies means more energy and efficiency for the rest.

If I want to move? I can do it in one day, including packing and unpacking. From one day to the next, I can go live wherever I want. Travel? Packing my suitcase is very quick. I stick to the essentials. I'm no longer afraid of missing anything.

To do my shopping, it takes me 10 minutes a week. No more useless shopping days. I know what I need and what I don't.

A feeling of freedom

Detaching from the material: If a fire broke out, what objects would you save from the flames? For my part, I would take my plants because they are alive. Everything else is replaceable .

Every object requires a share of attention. The more we have, the more we are attached to them. We are afraid of losing them. We become anxious. The fewer objects I have, the more I naturally take care of them. And if I ever misplace one, I take it as an opportunity to have better or to know if I can do without it.

More self-confidence: for every object you part with, you make a decision. Making a decision is proving to yourself that we are capable. Imagine after several hundred objects given away! You become stronger, you know what you want. Every difficulty is taken as an opportunity.

Now I dare to say no. No to the feeling of obligation and anxiety. I say yes to quality, pleasure and the best.

Deeper experiences : when we detach ourselves from the material, we connect with the rest. My friendships, family and professional relationships are now refocused on the best.

Having 300 friends, maintaining a relationship with a family member you no longer see or with all the colleagues in the company out of politeness, that doesn't interest me.

I prefer to keep all my attention and energy for what really matters. When I walk, I am connected to reality. I talk to people, I observe my surroundings and I observe myself.

Know yourself

This is one of the biggest advantages. I probably wouldn't have gotten there if I hadn't simplified my life in this way. I had already taken personality or career tests. None of that was more effective.

I have naturally become more organized and, at the same time, open to the unexpected. I love contact with others. Enriching my environment and the people in it does me a lot of good.

I discovered a passion for sharing what I have experienced. I am convinced that it is a beautiful way to feel better and to resolve many situations.

Many people do not realize that they have the power to control their lives. However, it is possible and this is what I wish for you as you follow this path. It is a path like any other. A beautiful path.

To finish this article, here are other blogs that helped me in this process:

• Leo Babauta's Blog (in English)

• Olivier Roland's blog

• Raj's channel on personal development