Flirting with Minimalism...time to commit?

Back during my time in Chicago with Mission Year, I was first introduced to the concept of minimalism by reading the simply profound book by Richard Foster The Freedom of Simplicity.  At that time in my life it was incredibly easy to follow the guidelines for simple living because I had no real control over my own life or choices.  I was committed to the Mission year lifestyle-they controlled my finances-I got $45 a month 'spending money' which was all I had for shampoo, conditioner, make up, coffee, etc.  And, we got $120 a week for groceries for six people.  The beautiful thing is, we did it.  For a year (okay 11 months if you want to get technical) I happily lived that way.  My team of six people learned how to budget, plan meals, and spend our grocery money wisely-even with a vegetarian in the house-and were even able to splurge for a Lou Malnati's pizza every now and again.  Why did it work?  Because the control was taken from us.  We had no access to finances.  Our job was to learn how to show Christ's love to people in the neighborhood by building relationships, being good neighbors, listening, and learning from the people around us.  That time in my life was 14 years ago....holy crap am I getting old or what???  Since then, I have made and wasted more money than I can possibly imagine.  Honestly, if I sat down and actually analyzed my finances over the last 14 years, Richard Foster would actively and loudly shame me and Mission Year would not claim me as an alumni. 

Recently, the discipline of simplicity and minimalism and the battle against consumerism has come to the forefront of my mind and soul again.  Last August I moved into a new home and in the process started phase one of operation simplify and downsize.  In the process of packing I gave away truckloads of stuff that I knew I didn't use, need, or want anymore.  Then I moved and unpacked and phase two began, where I gave away even more stuff.  Now, I've been in my new place for almost a year-it will be a year in August 2014-and I still have five or so boxes of stuff that haven't been unpacked.  In a frantic search for my car title, I sifted through most of those boxes over the last couple of days and ya know what?  I don't need any of it.  The question is, do I want it?  And if I do what it, for what?  Which brings me to phase 3 in my quest for simplicity...changing my mindset and desires and definitions to fit the concept of minimalism. 

Meaning, I have to redefine and retrain myself about what it means to want vs need.  I need to redefine what is useful and what is not.  And, I need to act on and live those definitions in every day life.  This is where the commitment comes into play.  Sure, I can flirt with the concept of minimalist simplicity.  I can read the blogs, share the snappy quotes, give stuff away every season but if I just buy new stuff that I don't really need or want to replace the stuff I gave away, what does it matter?  Or if I am not changing the way I take care of the possessions I do have to ensure they last a long time, it doesn't matter.  Its all talk.  I don't want it to be all talk.  I need to redefine contentment and happiness for myself and my son and build the foundation of our lives on the values I believe in so that we are living an authentic life. 

This all begs the question, "how the hell do I do that?"  Which is what I am pondering this beautiful Saturday morning in May while on my porch listening to birds sing and enjoying a light breeze.  The more and more I think about it, the more I think it all comes down to intentionality and planning. Planning meaning, taking the time each week to sit down and plan meals-exactly and stick to that plan and use that plan to buy groceries for the week-just what we need, just what we will use.  Sit down and plan what we will wear each day and make sure those clothes are clean and in the process, go through my closet and get rid of every single piece of clothing that I have not worn and...this is the kicker...and not replace those pieces with anything unless its an intentional, planned, valuable expense that lines up with the rest of the plan.  (Of course, what the rest of the plan is, I don't know yet.)

My friend Angela and I once declared ourselves superheros.  My superhero name was RandomGirl because I have no plan.  I have no routine.  I crave structure and routine and plans yet when I have them, I reject them because they feel restrictive and limiting and what if I want something else for dinner?  What if I don't feel like wearing that outfit on Tuesday?  The answer: who cares?  Why does it matter what I wear which day of the week?  Why does it matter if its a planned outfit?  Its clothing for crying out loud not heart surgery.  Why do I feel stifled by the idea of planning choices ahead of time?  I feel like its taking away my freedom to choose.  In reality, its not.  I'm still choosing, I just made the choice earlier than usual and, in making that choice earlier, I am giving myself more freedom because I am eliminating a level of chaos from my life.

This summer I am going to slowly step up my commitment to simplicity and minimalism...the hamster wheel in my brain is spinning with ideas and plans to start, tools to put in place to help me on the journey.  I'm marinating on those thoughts and ideas and working out a plan...as the plan grows to fruition, I will share it and share my progress on the commitment and plan...its overwhelming but in a good, manageable way.