Let’s Play #MinsGame

Hobbled by sciatica and going slightly stir crazy, I’ve just played the #MinsGame, which motivated me to sort out my sh*t and helped keep my head in check. With that in mind, let’s think of this as a mental health post rather than a physical one for a change.

The Minimalists, two former corporate workers who decided there has to be a better way, have loads of great ideas on how to live more with less. This is how they put it: ‘Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less; rather, we focus on making room for more: more time, more passion, more experiences, more growth, more contribution, more contentment. More freedom. Clearing the clutter from life’s path helps us make that room.’ I don’t know about you but I’m *totally* down with that.

The 30-Day #MinsGame works like this: you get rid of one thing on the first day of the month, two on the second, three on the third and so on. It starts off pretty simply – 1, 2, 3 things are really easy to get rid of. It gets trickier by the end of the month though; in a 31-day month (like I foolishly chose – doh!), that’s 496 things to set off on a new journey. You can sell, donate, recycle, return or bin the things, the aim is to simply let go of things you no longer need or use.

For me, unsurprisingly, the starting point was sports gear. I had tons of it that I didn’t wear and, in truth, a lot of it I never had. Race tees that didn’t fit, running shoes that had given many, many miles of service, sports bras that had seen better days. You know the type of thing. After that came one bicycle I never ride; books I’d never read again; half-used nail polishes and toiletries; some clothes to e-bay, others to charity shops; other items back to their rightful owners.

Then there were pens that didn’t work, paperclips, foreign coins, cables (many, many cables), propelling pencils that no longer propelled, duplicates, broken things, a squashed hat and a burlesque bra that I won in a raffle. I’ll admit to a certain desperation towards the end. Burnt out candles, tupperware without lids, old business cards and unsent Christmas cards sealed the deal though and I made it. 496  things no longer in my possession, which equals 496 spaces in my head for better things 🙂

It feels fantastically liberating to get rid of rubbish and I feel motivated in new, non-sports ways (I didn’t even know that was a thing!) #MinsGame could change your life too – why not give it a go?
Huge thanks to MothershipUK for teaching me how to make the video (see, getting rid of rubbish = more room for learning!)