MNMLSM

An architect friend whom I met in an online forum drew me a floor plan for my condo unit. (Thanks, Freddie!) He rendered the details well and I was instantly impressed. After studying the details and imagining 'being in there', I felt that I needed more storage space. I informed him about it and he said that I have to let go of stuff to make the small space work for me.

He was right. I really need to let go many of my stuff in order to achieve a minimalist lifestyle. Minimalism and small spaces go well together like ham and cheese, Romeo and Juliet, pen and paper... okay, got the picture?

However, I realized I can only be a minimalist to a certain extent so I kept the argument to myself that I still need more storage space. Comparing my friend's design with the one that I have previously done, his work served to confirm majority of the details in my design. Therefore, I tweaked my existing design to incorporate some of the details in his. The outcome was a floor plan with elaborate storage, a smaller bedroom and a mini-office virtually outside the bedroom (I wanted the bedroom solely for sleeping). I also had to let go of the 8-foot distance between the TV and the La-z-boy. My consolation is that I am not really into TV or movies and that I am not a couch potato.

In the end, the new floor plan pretty much reflects my personality and suits my lifestyle. Nonetheless, I still need to embrace minimalism. And here's how I plan to do just that:

• Sell the stuff that I (can) no longer use but others will find useful;
• Throw away stuff that I no longer find useful; and
• Give to others the stuff that can still be used.

I still have a long way to go but by end of January my stuff should be down to just the bare minimum. Every now and then I get somewhat sentimental with some stuff but being pragmatic never fails to get me through the process.