Is minimalism right for you?

Are you wondering if minimalism could make you happier?

Here are three simple, quick and easy steps to test the possibility;

Choose a few items that you seldom use.
Wrap them in one or more gift parcels.
Give them to others less fortunate.

When the experiment is complete ask yourself one simple question;

Did giving these unused items away make me happier than keeping them?

If keeping them would have made you happier, don’t be a minimalist!

But if giving unused 'stuff' to others makes you feel happier than keeping them, minimalism will make you happier, guaranteed! It just did and it will again.

How I do it.

I have very few clothes but I like the look and feel of new clothes. So I buy a few new clothes each month. Buying and wearing new clothes makes me happy.

I also like great deals like the almost-new blue blazer I purchased at an Op-Shop in Australia; good enough to wear to my daughter's wedding. I paid $10 for a blazer that would easily have cost $150 new. Nice deals like that also made me happy.

But instead of hoarding clothes, every new purchase allows me to select older items to give away. When I buy a new set of clothes, I make up a gift parcel with the same mix of older clothes; these older clothes are still in excellent condition as most are only a few months old.

It’s a double win!

I feel happy buying and wearing new clothes but I feel even happier when I give a parcel of ‘almost-new’ clothes to someone who would appreciate a new set of clothes. Add a haircut and a shave to the gift and someone who is down on their luck could be be better prepared for a job interview. Makes you think, doesn’t it?