While on this quest to simplify my life I have read, listened and watched many sources containing information about minimalism. I have come to the conclusion it often gets a bad reputation because of the name. It’s kind of off-putting, right? Minimal? Why would I want my life to be minimal? That sounds awful. Like deprivation.

There seems to be a stereotypical reaction that comes along when people imagine what a minimalistic life would look like. Visions of people who own next to nothing. Their houses filled with rooms of bare white walls and cold feelings. This is not what minimalism is meant to be.

Minimalism is a tool that allows me to stay focused and clear my life of all the excess garbage, physical and emotional. This allows me to make way for the people and things that really matter.

Imagine this. You are leaving your home. You pack your backpack so it’s stuffed and heavy. It’s filled with things that you “might” need during your day. When you try to get something essential out you can’t find it because it’s hidden under all the other stuff. It’s really heavy on your back. It hurts your shoulders and forces you to go slow. It drains your energy.

Now imagine you start to take things out of the backpack. One at a time you lose a little of the weight that is holding you back. You remove more things and suddenly when you need to find something that is actually useful, it’s right there. You have more energy. You can move faster. You are all around happier and enjoying your day.

Now imagine that backpack only has what you really need in it. The important stuff. Your shoulders feel better. You can practically run now if you wanted to. Your stuff is at that top of the bag when you open it instead of buried deep. By packing minimally for your day, you will now be able to get the maximal amount of enjoyment out of it.

Now imagined if you lightened your “backpack” in every area of your life.

Minimalism doesn’t mean you’ll never buy anything again, it means buying the best things for your life. When all the junk is cleared, you are left with what really matters. It is allowed to shine and can actually be enjoyed. When money is not wasted on any and everything you are able to buy fewer nicer things. When time is not spent searching for things, working for money to buy things, and using all your energy caring for your things, you are able to live your life to its maximal potential.

In my mind, I’m learning how to use minimalism to help maximize my life and there’s nothing depriving about that.

About the Author: Nikki Cox is a mommy of two striving to clear away the clutter both physical and emotional so she can live life with intention and clarity. Find her at Lovelylucidlife.com.