Do you feel like you want to lighten your load?
Expel the extraneous “stuff” that’s cluttering your daily life?
Well, you just may be a candidate for living the “Tiny Lifestyle”‘!
For most of us it starts with that little voice in our head that hints about how much better it would feel to be living a quality life absent of the excesses that modern day social norms say is appropriate. But what does that really mean?
If you’re TRULY curious, you should continue reading!
Living the tiny lifestyle simply put is living life to the fullest using the least amount of resources necessary!
My perspective on this subject comes from a 17+ year career in the interior design field which I feel makes me uniquely qualified to expound on the subject of growing small.
Venturing into this journey is not for the faint of heart… or the dis-organized! Like any goal worth achieving, you need a well thought out plan, and a little flexibility to make this lifestyle shape shift a smooth process. I’m happy to share my helpful hints with you in hopes that your journey is as fruitful and fulfilling as mine!
Every person has their own starting point… for example:
You may be downsizing from the home you raised your family in
Or you may be just starting out and don’t want to get bogged down with the big mortgage
Maybe you’re single and want more flexibility with where you live
The reasons for living the tiny lifestyle are countless but the folks who embrace it are overwhelmingly looking for a simpler life, and more fulfilling destiny!
Here are the basic steps to get you started and when you come back to visit this site, you’ll find more useful tips as I break down the essentials of learning to live tiny!
Begin at YOUR beginning-
For me, I had already downsized from a 2,700 sf ft home to a 1,200 sq ft condo. I sold, donated, and got rid of excess furniture, and other household items that I new would not fit in my new place.
The key is to plan ahead!
1. Measure your area first so you have a basic idea of the room sizes.
2. Create a space plan so you know in advance where to place your larger furnishings. This process makes the rest of your move-in run surprisingly smooth.
3. It’s also important to take stock of how much storage space you have ahead of your move so you don’t find yourself struggling to find a place for all your stuff!
Hint: clean out your closet(s) before you move!
If you take some time during this planning process you will be doing yourself a huge favor when getting settled in to your new home.
So what about living the tiny lifestyle? How do you tackle this challenge
When deciding to let go of the many strings that tie us to a traditional home you literally need to change your organizational mindset!
Go back to the basics. Most furniture is obsolete unless it has multiple functions or perhaps is a family keepsake. Eliminate almost all furnishings, yes, almost all furniture is useless in a tiny home and the furniture you do need will be scaled down to fit your space.
And the same principle applies to all your other possessions. Think essentials only. You can live comfortably using a fraction of the stuff you already thought you had downsized to before!
It’s an exciting journey to tiny living and one that many more “wise warriors” are taking these days. I’m happy to have you come along on this experience!
Leave me a comment and let me know if you’ve already started your journey to living the tiny lifestyle and if you have any tips for downsizing!
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