At the moment, people in the United States and other first world countries are beginning to change their thinking. In the past, everybody wanted to keep up with the Joneses and own all of the latest in fashion, technology, automobiles, and they’d spend lots of time shopping for kitchen cabinets online. Many people strived to be maximalists in every sense of the word.
But there is a shift taking place and minimalists are beginning to spring up everywhere. People no longer want to own houses filled with too much stuff. Many of us prefer to only own what we need and nothing more. And forget about the Joneses. They could care less about keeping up with them.
Where do you stand? Are you a minimalist or a maximalist? If you’re having a difficult time figuring it out, we’ll help by sharing some tips to help you decide below.
How to Tell If You’re a Minimalist
There are a number of foolproof signs that will help you decide if you’re minimalist or not. The signs are very evident to those in the know, but they might not be so obvious to you.
For starters, you’ll know you’re a minimalist if you really dislike clutter. Many minimalists work hard to eliminate their clutter and get rid of all of the excess stuff that they no longer need or use. It’s all about having open spaces that are easy to clean and clear surfaces that are simple to wipe down.
And speaking of simple, simplicity is a huge part of minimalism. Minimalist decor is very clean with plain colors and simple patterns. While minimalism can be different for everyone, the common basics seem to be removing the clutter in your home, your personal life, your work life, and your schedule.
Remember, minimalism is more than just getting rid of personal items that clutter up your home. Minimalists work hard to keep open schedules, they only use the absolute essential apps on their phones and tablets, they keep their email inboxes clutter free, and when they minimize their life they do so from just about every perspective you can think of.
How to Tell If You’re a Maximalist
Well, if a minimalist is all about simplifying their lives from every angle, a maximalist is almost the polar opposite, but not quite. As a maximalist, you aren’t necessarily fond of having clutter fill up your house. But you do like to own things and you make no apologies for your collections.
Many maximalists will own large book collections, DVD collections, cars, electronics, and anything else that you can think of. Maximalists also like to have their spaces filled with the things they love. If you are a huge comic book collector, you probably have entire rooms in your home dedicated to comic books and all comic book related items like action figures and the like.
Or on the other hand, if you like to travel the world, you may have a matchbook collection, or a spoon collection, or a collection of poker chips from all of the different places you’ve visited during your travels.
Just because you like to own things as a maximalist, doesn’t necessarily mean you are sloppy or you lead a cluttered life. Sure, you may have a busy schedule and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. You work hard and you deserve to enjoy and indulge in the things that you care about the most.
Final Thoughts
At this rate, you should be able to decide if you are a minimalist or maximalist based on the explanations shared above. Or maybe you happen to be right down the middle. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either.