How Minimalism Translates To Purposeful Living

Earlier this year I started a series on Minimalism, but somewhere along the line, I lost focus.

You see, focus is key in everything we do in life. I’m saying this because, when you allow yourself get distracted by things outside your focus point, it becomes difficult for you to stay on course. Before you know it, you are struggling, and you don’t know why. You have unconsciously allowed your mind to focus on things that do not matter… at least to you.. your plans, goals, etc. You begin to wonder why things ‘seem’ hard and difficult when all along you’ve been on a path you are not supposed to be on.

Bringing it back to me…

As a minimalist, I’m supposed to be focused on basics, simplicity and essentials. However, this year, I must confess, I have allowed myself, once more to get carried away by going after brands, looking for partnerships and collaborations here and there, more than that, I have also been consumed by the utmost desire to set up a business (still on it) and it affected me so badly.

I got to a point SEVERALLY where I thought of quitting on blogging (never on minimalism). What’s the point of blogging if you invest so much money and don’t get a single sponsored post? How about the pressure as a fashion blogger to Shop! Shop! Shop! But when you are a mom, with other mouths to feed, trust me, the last thing on your mind every time you go shopping isn’t clothes. So I became demoralised… Not to mention the need to wear really extra-stylish pieces from clothing to accessories and so on. Some days I want to type, but the words won’t flow…

So here I am, asking myself questions…

Where did I miss it?

What am I doing wrong?

Have I lost my voice?

So I began to retrace my steps. reminding myself that all I needed were just basics. Not everything on the runway or everything other fashion bloggers are wearing. I had to remind myself that I started this blog to share what I love, and if I focus on what I love, I’ll definitely find both my audience and the right brands to work with.

In a previous post, I talked about why I opted for a minimal wardrobe. Minimalism is a conscious effort you make towards reducing excesses in your life (or just your wardrobe).

I needed to get myself back on track.

On the subject of the day…

What does it mean to live purposefully?

Purposeful living refers to being intentional about your daily choices. It means having a purpose for everything. When it comes to minimalism, purposeful living means ensuring that every item of clothing, accessory, beauty or skin-care product you choose to buy is absolutely relevant.

You need to constantly ask yourself, “Do I really need this top?” “What else can I wear with this shoe?” “Can this blouse be styled different ways and still create unique looks?” etc.

How about your home? What colours are your home painted? does your house have a mixture of red, orange, pink and yellow? What wall art is in your home? etc.

1. It enables you to get rid of the desire to acquire more and more of items you don’t really need.

2. It helps you prioritise better.

3. It helps make shopping decisions. 

4. It empowers to save more than you splurge.

When you’re are a minimalist, I can think it is so easy to make choices when it comes to stuff like colours. For example, I know I will always paint my house (especially the interiors) white, blended with black and white wall arts and decor. I also have a thing for gold and champagne (I pray hubby is game on this). I don’t really enjoy going to a paint shop and then sit and wait for hours trying to choose the perfect mixture of colours that will fit the different room s in my house… Also, when I’m shopping for accessories, it’s either, gold or silver… I am so done with red, green, yellow… a different colour of earring for each colour of outfit… I can’t… I’m done.

This focus on basic colours and prioritisation is what makes minimalism purposeful. You just know exactly what you want and what you need. 

Sometimes, sales reps will try to convince you otherwise… they’ll begin to tell you stuff like, “We have it in red…” and I’m like, “If it’s not white, I’m not buying.” There is no room for confusion. As a non-minimalist, I remember going into a shop, and instead of buying one item, you buy 3 of them just because they come in different colours. But in reality, if you’ll be truthful, you know, you don’t need all of them.

Finally, the point of minimalism is having a purpose for everything you do and own. In fashion and beauty, it means making sure every piece of clothing or product you own is necessary. As a minimalist, you can’t be a product junkie. It means all you have is all you need, what you don’t need, you throw out or give it out. You can’t be a hoarder, holding on to items that become junk…

Are you living purposefully? Do you think your wardrobe needs a minimal overhaul?

Let’s chat in the comments section.

Till next time…

Cheers!