This is Optimal Living Daily. Minimalism is not an end goal. It is a tool by Sean Escape of

Simpleonpurpos.caf.com. And I'm Justin Mollick. Happy Monday and welcome back to Optimal Living Daily or the

OLD podcast where you can start or end your day on the right foot by simply listening to the best

blogs I can find and get permission from.

So at that, let's get right to it and start optimizing your life.

Minimalism is not an end goal. It is a tool by shana scafe of simpleonpurpose.cai.a.

I've been practicing minimalism for about five years now,

but if you came to my house, you wouldn't assume I was a minimalist.

My kitchen is full of craft supplies and appliances,

and have a jar hoarding problem that my husband makes fun of

until he needs all the jars for his screw and nail collection.

My living room is full of books, and every shelf has a collection of tools, toys, and socks

that never made it back to their homes. My bedroom has clothes on the floor, and baskets of folded

laundry seem to live at the foot of the bed. I'm not apologizing for this because I have

learned that minimalism isn't about stuff. When I started minimalism, the goal was to declutter my home.

As I learned, I was really decluttering my life. The decluttering process was an emotional boot camp.

You're getting rid of things you used to identify with, clothes you never wear, things that you have to admit you will never get around to using,

things that you hold on to you for security, things that have sentimental value. You get rid of

the purchased and curated layers of yourself. And then you take time in the empty

moments to ask, if I can get rid of these things I thought I had to have, but it turns out I don't

really love or need, then what is it that I do love and need the most? Minimalism is the

tool to reach the goal. Minimalism becomes less about having fewer possessions and more about how you are living life.

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