I may have mentioned before that I am taking gradual steps towards becoming a minimalist. This began with the 30 day Minimalist Challenge which I have participated in throughout April. I have been keeping track of my activities so keep reading to find out how my challenge went.
DAY 1: Stay offline for one day
Well...this one was a bad start. It's my day off today and I ended up online to pay a bill. Then started watching some videos on youtube. Oops?
DAY 2: Meditate for 15 minutes
This one was a success. I have a meditation app on my phone called "wildflowers". I did a 15 Minute guided meditation session which was cool. I ended up starting my day feeling more relaxed.
DAY 3: Declutter your digital life
There was only so much I could do with this because I was working all day. I started by deleting unused programs on my laptop. Then unsubscribed from a lot of spam in my inbox.
DAY 4: No complaint day
I can't believe it...but I have actually been successful with this one. I used to be a serial complainer and have learnt to let things go over my head. Nothing really seems to phase me anymore, and I didn't complain about anything today.
DAY 5: Identify your 3-6 main priorities
- Finding a permanent job
- Saving money for future + long haul travel
- Keeping healthy
DAY 6: Follow a morning ritual
I generally have the same routine so this was easy.
1)Wake up and read news on phone for 1/2 hour
2)Shower
3)Eat breakfast & drink ginger tea (depending on weather)
4) Brush teeth, wash face, moisturise
DAY 7: Streamline your reading list
This one was easy seeing as I do not have many books. This is my current reading list:
- How to be Parisian wherever you are
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- Love Style Life
DAY 8: Learn to enjoy solitude
This one was hard because I had to work an event today (my side job). There was no way that I could avoid people seeing as I get paid to keep them happy. But I did wake up extra early today and spent an hour in bed reading Anne Franks Diary. I guess that is a form of solitude right?
DAY 9: Downsize your beauty collection
I threw out tons of Makeup. It was slightly disgusting to see how much makeup I had and never used. There is no point in me buying makeup because I rarely ever wear it.
DAY 10: No email or social media until lunch
Proud to say that I successfully stuck to this one. When I woke up I decided to browse the news and of checking my messages.
DAY 11: Evaluate your commitments
I will be honest and say that I forgot to do this one.
DAY 12: Define your goals for this year
I met quite a few of my life goals last year which means that I don't have many for this year. There are only two important goals I want to achieve by 31-12-17:
1.Get a permanent job(my current is temporary)
2. Save money for a long haul trip next year
DAY 13: Clean out your closet
I have made roughly £50 from selling old clothes and shoes click here if you want to buy something. There are also bags of things that I will give to charity.
DAY 14: Take a step towards learning a new skill
Well...Seeing as I'll be in Rome for a few days why not learn some Italiano no?. I downloaded the "duolingo" app.
DAY 15: Examine your daily habits
oops I forgot to do this :(.
DAY 16: Don't buy anything for 24 hours
This one was very easy seeing as it is Easter Sunday. Everything is closed and I am at home in bed watching movies anyway.
DAY 17: Practice single tasking
I decided to do this one by not making a to-do-list. I just sort of went with the flow and do everything one step at a time.
DAY 18: Unfollow and unfriend
I will admit that I did not do this. It was my first day back from work after Easter and I got bombarded with meetings and tasks...I will get round to it at some point
DAY 19: Go for a walk and practice mindfulness
I walked to work today, put in some headphones and played some relaxing music from youtube. Who would have thought that a 40 minute walk could be so relaxing?. Maybe the fact that the weather has improved helps.
DAY 20: No TV all day read instead
I did not watch TV but I did not read either. Well not a book, but I did spend some time reading news articles after dinner if that counts.
DAY 21: Journal for 20 minutes
It's a good thing that I already journal regularly. So this was pretty much a piece of cake for me. I sat down for a good 10 minutes in the morning to write about yesterday, and then did 10 more minutes of writing this evening.
DAY 22: Create a relaxing bedtime routine
It's always nice to have a ritual before bed. Mine consisted of the following:
-floss & brush teeth
-face mask
- 10 minute meditation
- Read for half an hour
but as someone who is scared of the dark...nothing is truly relaxing.
DAY 23: Go bare faced
This was very easy seeing as I rarely wear makeup. It was like any other day to be honest.
DAY 24: Practice gratitude
I certainly thanked a few people today. I thanked the cashier in the shop who topped up my oyster card...I thanked my manager when she complimented my work ethic.
DAY 25: Leave a whole day unplanned
Erm...to be honest this was quite difficult. It was my day off and things needed to be done so I couldn't really leave it unplanned. I had a dentist appointment, a delivery, and I had to exchange money for my next trip.
DAY 26: Identify your stress triggers
- lack of organisation
- lack of money
- when my house is messy
DAY 27: Clear out your junk drawer
My junk drawer is in the kitchen. It's full of leaflets, plastic bags, and general sh*t. I was happy to empty the contents of this drawer in to the bin.
DAY 28: Let go of a goal
I really wanted to go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights this winter. It's not going to happen. It is a very expensive country, and my research indicates that I would need like £900 to go there for 4 days. I had to let go of this goal...maybe next year
DAY 29: Turn off all notifications
Okay...I didn't do this. But I was working until like 10pm and didn't touch my phone, so I guess that is something right?
DAY 30: Evaluate your last five purchases
Morrisons- £2.50- cooking oil
Etsy- £15.00- boob deodorant(big boob problems (.)(.)
Superdrug- £6.10- spot cream
Primark- £25.00- cabin Suitcase
Morrisons- £5.00- lunch for work (sandwich, fruit, and 2 waters)
