Minimalism is a mindset and way of life, not a trend. It’s about living with less. Less frustration, less rushing, and yes, less clutter.
A minimalist life is about whittling down to the things that really matter, and letting the fluff go by the wayside. Letting go of the toxic friends, and the job that you hate, maybe even having the kids in fewer afterschool activities.
Simplify. Clarify. And keep it that way.
The following ten ideas are about how to move toward a minimalist mindset and how to maintain a minimalist life.
WRITE A LIST AND WAIT
Instead of hopping on Amazon every time something you want pops in your head or driving to the store on every whim you have, write those things on a list.
No, this is isn’t a shopping list in the traditional sense, so don’t go getting all frustrated saying you know to write a list before going shopping.
This is a wait and see list.
Write the thing down on your list, maybe even date it, if you like, then stop. Give it 24-48 hours. If after that time the item still makes sense go get it.
Slow down.
LOG OUT
Technology is ever present in our daily lives. Over and over, I have clients who tell me they need to go on a “technology diet” because they’re spending so much time on their phones that they’re not getting other things done.
Your email, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snap Chat, Tic Toc…the list goes on. You are perpetually signed into these things so, even if you’ve silenced notifications, you know they’re there. Even if you’ve deleted the apps from your phone, you can still get to them easily and quickly through the internet.
Log out of them. And turn off anything that auto-populates your ID and password.
It won’t stop you completely, but it will take that little bit of extra time to slow you down. No more checking email while driving! (Yes, I know you do it.)
SCHEDULE DOWN TIME
Minimalism gives your time back to you. Instead of life being in control of you, you get to be in control of it.
By scheduling down time, actually putting it in your calendar, if necessary, you give yourself time to recharge, hit the reboot button, and enjoy life.
Spend time on your own, with friends and family, read a book, do a hobby, anything you like. As adults, especially those with children, we lose sight of down time far too easily.
CARRY LESS STUFF
A decluttered home is divine. But did you forget about what you carry around with you?
Think about it, your purse, wallet, and car are all vessels for stuff to take with you, but do you really think about what you’re taking and why?
I find a small purse, and taking everything out of the car each time I come home keeps it under control.
You can even challenge yourself to see how little you can get away with taking with you each day.
Then start applying this to travel. Do you really need seven tops for a long weekend?
STICK TO A BUDGET
A little purchase here, a little purchase there, and the next thing you know you’ve spend thousands of dollars and can’t even figure out what you got for it.
A budget is a nice clear way to keep your spending in line. If you’ve designated $50 per week for eating out and you spend it all on dinner Monday, then you’re eating at home and taking a lunch for the rest of the week.
I have found that a budget is the best way to keep yourself honest with yourself and the easiest way to stay out of credit debt, which is just another form of clutter.
PUT THINGS AWAY
That old “a place for everything, and everything in its place” is a golden rule to live by.
When you have designated places for everything you come to realize exactly how much stuff you have and whether or not it fits in your home.
By putting things away, you end up decluttering regularly because you can tell when you are starting to build up too much to fit the space.
SET LIMITS ON STUFF
Having a few rules around how much of each thing you allow yourself to have helps you to know when it’s time to do a little decluttering.
For instance, we have two people in our house. So, we have four mugs – two regular sized for coffee and two giant sized for hot chocolate. If I’m eyeballing new mugs, I have to ask myself “Are you ready to get rid of what you have?”
Some of my limits are set by the space. Two pair of shoes fit on each shelf in my closet. If I buy new shoes something has to go.
Setting limits by space or amount is a great way to stay minimal and avoid collecting more than you need.
NO-SPEND CHALLENGE
When I was younger and had less than no money, a no-spend challenge was dictated by literally having nothing to spend.
As I got older and made more money, I had more to spend. That isn’t always a great thing. It’s easy to lose track of what you spend money on.
Now and then I do a no-spend month. No Starbucks, no Taco Bell, no Amazon, no eating out or ordering in, no new clothes, nothin’.
There are things you have to spend money on, like groceries, and gas, but you might be amazed at how much you can go without.
You can make up your own rules, of course. Go by time or item, whatever you want.
This is about increasing awareness and being intentional instead of living on autopilot.
LEARN TO SAY NO
Women, especially, have a hard time saying no. We’re conditioned to be pleasing so we say yes to things we don’t actually want sometimes.
No, I don’t want to go out to dinner Friday night as I’m tired after work.
No, thank you, I don’t need to take any of those tempting cookies home from the office luncheon.
No.
It’s a powerful and wonderful word that immediately sets a boundary for you. It is not mean or rude to say no. If you say it in a mean or rude way, that’s a different issue. But we all have the right to say yes or no to whatever we want, not what we think other people want.
CHOOSE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Looking back at my financially leaner years, I loved going to Forever 21 and buying ten tops for twelve dollars each. A year later they would all be worn out, but boy it was fun to treat myself like that.
These days I look at my wardrobe which is decluttered down to only what I want, love and use, and can’t often justify buying for the sake of buying. I’ve started buying one high end item on Threadup.com (get $10 off your first order here) instead of three lesser quality items.
My kitchen items are very slowly being replaced by higher and higher quality items that perform better and last longer.
Quantity might give you a nice jolt of instant gratification, but quality will take care of you over time without closing in on you with clutter.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE
You don’t have to be “a minimalist” to have a minimalist mindset. With that mindset you give yourself the space to enjoy your life free of the mental, emotion, and physical clutter than can hold you back.
If you’re looking for a guide to help you with your mindset, working with me as an Integrative Life Coach and Decluttering Coach can help you achieve your goals, while facing the things that keep you stuck.