A Minimalist Approach To Moving

As I moved from Milan to Shanghai, I had the opportunity to practice what I have been advocating for the last 12 years: minimalism, simplicity, the art of subtraction, decluttering: name it as you prefer.

We tend to fill our house and our life with everything, mixing “filling” with  “fulfilling”. We tend to accumulate stuff we don’t use, believing our memories are linked to things, while they are actually standing within ourselves.

Getting minimal goes through a series of questions. What is really relevant? What is important for me on a daily basis, as opposed to everything else I am carrying since years but I am not using anymore, or I can do better without it? How can we leverage digital technologies to maximize speed and movability, leaving behind us the burden of physical inventories? What is the best use of what I will leave behind my shoulders? How far am I ready to go with this process?

A simple 7 steps process can be used to go through the minimal moving exercise:

1. Define your key objectives, your personal goals you are committed to: i.e. moving in 5 luggage max, holding in the wardrobe 5 suits max, etc.;
2. Address one category at a time: wardrobe, library, office staff, and personal memorabilia. The exercise will cost time, physical and emotional effort: the more rigorous is your approach, the higher are chances of success;
3. Define, for each category, what is relevant to you and what can be disposed; ask yourself straight questions and give yourself honest answers: more than 10 sweaters in the wardrobe are a clear signal something is wrong, collections are a 19^th century heritage we might want to get rid of if we want to live in the 21^st century;
4. Define disposal strategies for items you have decided you can get rid of: re-cycle, give away for free, sell;
5. Manage relevant items: digitalize music and get rid of paper as much as you can, store what is relevant but difficult to move (consider you ask someone to occupy his space with your stuff – they’d better must be relevant), define exactly what you want to bring with you;
6. Measure: did you reach your objectives? If not, go back to point 3 and re-evaluate what is really relevant. Nothing works better than constraints;
7. Get ready for moving light and free as you have never been before.

Going through the 7 steps, I have made very happy several people (including my brother, some friends, my housekeeper), I have stored 30 boxes of books and 2 boxes of personal memorabilia in my father garage, and in the end I didn’t feel like in my life something was missing. Actually, a sense of focus and simplicity was pervading me while completing all the steps.

While moving gives you a great opportunity to go through this exercise, you don’t actually need to wait for it. You can start now, immediately. Do not procrastinate your getting light and simple. And apply the minimalist rules to as many areas as you can:  your professional life, your personal relationships.

What are the side effects and key benefits of getting minimal?  First, you can focus on what is important. Second, you free up space for new and relevant things in your life. Third, giving away you donate part of your life to people that matters to you. Fourth, you become more independent, less attached to physical things. Fifth: you live the present moment, as opposed to being trapped between memories and expectations for the future.

Edit your life. Less is more, enjoy.