How to Become a Minimalist in No Time

Minimalism has taken a run-in popularity, giving people a change to live a simpler life and focus beyond material items. You don’t have to become an extreme minimalist overnight to feel satisfied with living simply. We are sure you are questioning what minimalism is, how to begin, and how to begin making changes in your life. Learning how to become a minimalist is much easier than you may expect. 

Maybe you are looking into your closet and thinking to yourself you just don’t have enough room, or you have too much stuff, so we are here to help you understand the best ways to become a minimalist! If you have ever seen the documentary Minimalismthe creators define it as freedom. There are many benefits that people believe help them once they learn to begin to follow a minimalist lifestyle.

There are many different ways in which you can begin your minimalist lifestyle. Let’s talk on areas to focus on to begin your lifestyle change. 

Decide What is Necessary 

Take out of piece of paper or begin taking notes for your minimalist lifestyle in a notebook. You want to write down and have a physical note of everything that you absolutely cannot live without. This can include clothing, jewelry, household items, or even decorations. If there are items in your house that don’t bring you joy, or you may never use it is time to get rid of them. Begin to take notice of what you actually use and want in your home daily. 

Get Rid of Excess Items

Now you know what you need in your home and in your daily life, so it’s time to declutter and get rid of the excess items. Do you have three measuring cups, 5 pots, 2 pans, and too many glasses to count? Start to get rid of anything that is a duplicate and this will help you to slowly declutter your home. We understand how difficult it can be to let go or some items in your home, but we promise once you see how much cleaner life is with less material items you will love the feeling. One of the best ways to learn how to become a minimalist and let go is TEDx Talk on The Art of Letting Go. 

Reduce Technology 

Today, not socializing and staring at a screen is rather common. We tend to walk with our heads down passing hundreds of people, gorgeous landscapes, and so much more. We never truly know what we are missing out on because we are so engulfed in the digital age. If you have an iPhone you can now monitor your screen time or download different apps to help you set app limits. By clearing your phone and computer of old files and emails will help you to feel just ever so slightly less stressed and cluttered. 

Create a Budget 

Create a budget can help you to live a great minimalistic lifestyle. By learning to value materialistic items less you are able to save more money in the long run. Once you understand what you do and don’t need in your home you will begin to learn how to purchase only what is a necessity. As time goes on you will see that by being able to save more money you can begin to work less in the long run. Try a budgeting app to help you with your money and try to 50/20/30 rule. Once you create a budget this will allow you to think before you buy any unnecessary items at the store.

Try Minimalism When You Travel 

Depending on how long you are traveling for often dictates how much your pack. So, let’s try taking just a carry on for a trip that is over 8 days long. Instead of bringing ten different shirts, four pairs of jeans, and six pairs of shoes, cut all of that in half. Pack for half the amount of days you are traveling. This helps you to pack light and basic clothes that can be swapped out to create different outfits each day. This will help you to see just how little you need as you travel the world! 

Create a Schedule

As you learn to declutter your house and begin to live a minimalist lifestyle. You cannot just clear out your closet and house once and think it will stay organized forever. As time goes on you will begin to accumulate certain items again. Make sure you create a schedule to clean and give items away throughout the year. This can be once a month, one every three months, or just two to three times in a year. A great way to avoid over accumulation is throwing something away, donating something, or selling something each time you purchase a new item. 

Conclusion

As time goes on you will learn how to become a minimalist. No different than anything it takes time to create a habit and time to create a new lifestyle. Don’t stress yourself by thinking you need to do all of the steps above in a day, week, or month. Take your time and slowly allow your life to veer that way. By rushing into a new lifestyle it may only become a fad and not what you are hoping for. As you begin to clear out your house and decide to place items in storage contact us! We will help find the perfect climate-controlled storage unit for you.