{"id":798,"date":"2012-01-23T09:05:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-23T16:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/?p=798"},"modified":"2024-10-22T17:50:57","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T23:50:57","slug":"notes-from-a-minimalist-teen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/notes-from-a-minimalist-teen\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes From a Minimalist Teen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s Note:<\/strong> This is a guest post from Chase Miller.<\/em><\/p>\n

Everything I own fits in a suitcase, except my surfboards. I love country music and the freedom that comes from owning very few things. My name is Chase Miller and I am a minimalist teenager.<\/p>\n

My journey of minimalism began 3 years ago at the beginning of summer. I had just finished school for the year and decided it was time to clean out and re access what I owned. I was sick of seeing my closet full of stuff I didn\u2019t use and clothes I didn\u2019t wear. I made a goal of selling or donating everything that I didn\u2019t use or that wasn\u2019t important to me.<\/p>\n

The biggest motivation for me came from reading the various Minimalist blogs. The writers had something I wanted; being content and happy with what you have. You could tell through their articles that they were truly enjoying life with less; not because they had to, but because they wanted to.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t that my room was packed full of stuff. In fact I was already the cleanest person in my family; but my way of looking at life changed. I didn\u2019t want to be tied down by what I owned or always be focused on having the latest or greatest. There is something freeing about knowing you could easily pack up and move if needed; that you could travel the world and not worry about your possessions.<\/p>\n

It took time to change my way of thinking and downsize what I own. I will be the first to admit that it did not happen overnight, but over time I started to realize how little I needed.<\/p>\n

This was my action plan:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Clean Sweep<\/strong> \u2013 I took everything out of my room and only put back things I used on a regular basis. Everything else got donated or sold on Craigslist.<\/li>\n
  • Simplified my Clothing<\/strong> \u2013 got rid of clothes with big logos because I didn\u2019t want to be a walking advertisement. I then bought solid colored T-Shirts and basic jeans, which make up a large majority of my wardrobe.<\/li>\n
  • Daily Choice<\/strong> \u2013 Everyday I make a choice to focus on what I have, rather than what I want and in reality don\u2019t need.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    I think the biggest misconception about minimalism is that you essentially live with nothing; from your most treasured possessions to your clothes, everything goes. It\u2019s the complete opposite, its merely being content with less. I am the only minimalist in my family. While they have been very supportive, they tend to hang on to stuff for longer. Personally I don\u2019t mind as I realize minimalism is a personal choice and not for everyone.<\/p>\n

    Minimalism hasn\u2019t affected my relationships with friends, as I don\u2019t really talk about it. However, many people do notice and make comments about how clean my car is. My parents love the fact that I am a minimalist because they never have to ask me to clean my room or anything of that nature.<\/p>\n

    How I am different than the average teenager:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • I buy clothes without emblems or logos because I do not feel the need to be a walking advertisement<\/li>\n
    • Traveling is easier because I usually just bring a carry on with everything I need for the week<\/li>\n
    • I am not going to a high cost university even though I was accepted because I have decided against taking out student loans. Instead, I plan to take advantage of the great community colleges that are in the surrounding areas.<\/li>\n
    • I have more money to spend on important items or experiences because I am not constantly buying unneeded things.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Minimalism shapes your future by helping you focus on the right things in life. I think the biggest thing for me is spending time on things that are important; things like traveling, spending time with friends and capturing life through photography.<\/p>\n

      If you are a teenager considering becoming a minimalist, I would suggest giving it a shot as it will become much harder if you wait until you are an adult. And if you don\u2019t like it, you can always refill your life with useless things.<\/p>\n

      Chase Miller\u00a0is a High School student from Orange County, CA. He loves to surf, travel, tweet and catalog life through photography.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Chase Miller. Everything I own fits in a suitcase, except my surfboards. I love country music and the freedom that comes from owning very few things. My name is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-798","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-simplify-your-life","7":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nNotes From a Minimalist Teen - Be More with Less<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bemorewithless.com\/notes-from-a-minimalist-teen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Notes From a Minimalist Teen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Chase Miller. 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