I’ve had this thought swirling round in my thoughts for awhile and I’m not fully positive learn how to articulate it however I’m going to attempt anyway. Having lived in 600 sq. ft as a household of 4 and now in 900 sq. ft, I can look again at how I dealt with residing in our 600 sq. foot condo and I can safely say I misplaced the plot a couple of instances and was too extreme in my efforts to keep up our area.
As an eldest daughter, eldest grandaughter and a “pleasure to have at school” rising up within the 90’s, perfectionism is in my bones. Did it come inherently from my character or from household dynamics, or the tradition? I nonetheless don’t know, it’s a really rooster or egg query. Anyway as I’ve been making an attempt to undo the extra harmful qualities of my want for perfection, I can look again on our residing scenario and see how I may get carried away making an attempt to reside small “completely”.
I believe in minimalism and residing small, the wholesome stability is to not have your possessions personal you. Solely proudly owning what is important and delightful so you may spend your time residing your life, fairly than sustaining, organizing and cleansing your possessions. Dwelling small to maintain your environmental footprint small and keep away from the surplus of capitalism. Simply sufficient area + simply sufficient issues = freedom and contentment.
So the place I believe I misplaced the plot at instances was creating too many self-imposed limits on our area and possessions. Wanting again now, I believe it was me making an attempt to have a facet of management when the world felt uncontrolled. A particular instance that involves thoughts is me refusing to get a stitching machine as a result of I used to be positive I couldn’t match it in our 600 sq. foot condo. On reflection, I completely may have match it. The machine must have been saved up excessive and I might not be capable to have a big stash of materials (I nonetheless don’t retailer plenty of materials). The machine must be put away and used on our eating desk (similar to now) however it was completely attainable! I want I hadn’t denied myself this artistic outlet due to our area.
One other instance is, I might persuade myself I couldn’t have a chunk of clothes as a result of there was no area. For instance, I believed I may have a rain coat however not a trench coat, that will be extreme and wasteful. However now I’ve each (and put on each loads) and I really feel that I may have had each in our smaller area too. Whereas purchasing in extra will make a small area arduous to reside in, I believe I received carried away denying myself issues in an effort to reside small “completely”. This is perhaps an intense assertion however I liken the restriction of excellent minimalism/small area residing to an consuming dysfunction. The place the act of restriction turns into extra necessary than the rationale for the restriction.
Sharing these ideas right here in case you might be in that very same headspace of limiting your self for no good motive besides to disclaim your self small pleasures or comforts. Your property ought to be a spot of relaxation and peace and will have all of the important issues to reside your greatest life. There could also be commerce offs and compromises in residing smaller however please don’t deny your self what you actually need or it received’t be sustainable, like a crash food plan (sorry I’ve actually gone too 90’s now, haven’t I?).
