Embarking on Minimalism: 10 Essential Steps for Starters

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to start living a minimalist lifestyle but didn’t know where to start?

Sure, it can be overwhelming to try and simplify your life all at once. There are so many different ways to approach minimalism, and it’s hard to know where to start.

In this article, we share 10 minimalism tips for beginners. These tips will help you get started on your minimalist journey without feeling overwhelmed.

10. FIGURE OUT YOUR “WHY”

When habits and routines are connected to something we care about, they’re far easier to form. In other words, lasting change cannot occur without a connection to your values.

Consider this: Have you ever altered your life permanently just because someone else told you to? You’ll have the motivation and force to overcome the obstacles if you link your new minimalistic habits to a fundamental aspect of who you are.

These ideals might be anything: the desire to spend more time with your children, to be more financially secure, to be debt-free—anything.

The idea behind living purposefully is that you should live your life intentionally. If you’re having trouble figuring out why you exist, consider reflecting on some basic life quotations or reading a few books on simple living.

They’ll show you what minimalism has to offer and provide a foundation for the rest of your trip.

9. WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS

Make a list of all the reasons why you want to live more simply. Write down everything that comes to mind, even if it seems silly.

For example, if you’re tired of all the clutter in your home, write it down. If you’d like to have more time for yourself, write that down too.

Write down anything and everything that’s on your mind that you want to achieve. This will help you when times get tough and remind you of what is most important in life.

8. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT’S AROUND YOU

Making the most of what you have now and exploring your own city and country is part of appreciating what’s in front of you.

It makes you even more grateful for what you currently have. You don’t need to live in a lively metropolis to appreciate the things your area has to offer.

Trying a new restaurant or going for a walk in the park may provide a lot of pleasure. While international travel is fantastic, creating memories and discovering new things near home is something entirely different.

7. GET RID OF DUPLICATES

Take a box with you as you walk through your house and fill it with duplicates. If you have two pairs of measuring cups, put them in that duplicate box.

Do you still have your old DVD?

No one uses it now, and you should consider getting rid of it.

How about one placemat set?

Doubles? Just one is required. After 30 days, label the box “duplicates” and hide it away. Donate any unwanted items that you don’t need or can’t remember what was in them.

6. DECLARE A CLUTTER-FREE SPACE IN YOUR HOME

This space could be a kitchen table, a nightstand, a countertop, or a drawer in your kitchen. Use the clutter-free area as inspiration to live a more simplified life.

If you like that clean and clear atmosphere, duplicate it on your counter every day. A clutter-free workstation may lead to an untidier home, and an untidier room can become the clutter-free minimalist abode you’ve been looking for.

5. CONSIDER EATING SIMILAR MEALS

Food isn’t always simple, as you may imagine when you consider how much time you spend thinking about what to eat for lunch, making your family dinner, or what to shop for at the grocery store.

Try eating the same breakfast and lunch every week while keeping two or three dinner options available each week.

If your family objects, inform them it’s an experiment and have a discussion about it at the conclusion of the week.

4. SLOWLY AVOID BRINGING IN MORE STUFF.

Decluttering your house is critical; however, if you keep adding things to your home and life, you will never be able to make long-term improvements.

By bringing in more stuff, you can reduce the amount of stuff coming into your home by practicing making more thoughtful and deliberate purchases.

Making more intentional purchases may help you reduce overall consumption and hopefully help you buy items that will provide long-term value to your life rather than become clutter.

It’s also essential to make yourself a barrier at your house to keep clutter out in the first place. It’s far easier to prevent clutter from entering your home initially than it is to declutter and remove it later.

Sorting and dealing with mail as soon as it arrives may be a simple method to reduce clutter in your home.

3. TAKE BABY STEPS

This is the most essential of all the minimalist ideas for beginners. You may discover items during your decluttering activity that you didn’t think you would be able to dispose of at the time.

You’ll likely come across these things as well, especially since they have sentimental value.

If you spend more than a few seconds thinking about whether or not you want to get rid of anything, go on to the simpler tasks.

Start off with the small stuff, like paper clips, business cards, or magazines. Whatever you need to start, this strategy will help you keep going with your decluttering.

It will get easier and easier to get rid of things, and with more practice, you will be able to let go of harder things later on in the process.

2. FIND YOUR OWN SYSTEM AND STICK TO IT.

There are several decluttering options and procedures, but it’s best to start with a system.

Experiment with different methods and see what works best for you. In the beginning, sticking to a method helps to establish a mindset and maintain the momentum of decluttering.

What worked well for others may not work for you. You may need to change your approach as you get better at decluttering. You will find what works best for you and your schedule.

You can make small changes or do a big decluttering session once a year.

1. LASTLY RECONNECT WITH YOUR “WHY”

At some point, you’ll most likely experience a trying situation while decluttering. It can be beneficial to go back to the original purpose for doing all of this.

During these times, what are you creating space for?

It might be to pay off debt and gain additional living areas rather than storage space. It may be to travel more, reduce stress levels, or make more time for loved ones.

Reconnecting to your “why” can help you endure the hard times when minimizing begins. Finally, what’s important is that you keep on exploring what minimalism is all about and making space for things that are important to you.

Even after decluttering a lot of objects successfully, you’ll discover more to get rid of in the following years as a result of life changes and other life events.