If you’ve been enjoying the How to be a Minimalist podcast or are new to it but haven’t quite figured out where to start with minimalism, this is the podcast episode for you. I offer four steps I wish I would have started with when I first began practicing minimalism and I hope they help you on your minimalist journey. Listen to the podcast by clicking the play button below or read about the four steps below.
Step 1. Stop accumulating STUFF
This is important for two reasons — first off, this gives us time to evaluate what we have and what we actually need, which makes the process of getting rid of things easier. It’s also helpful to building better habits.
Secondly, this allows the “wear and tear” process to begin and ensures that we actually use up what we have. There’s nothing wrong with getting something new! You might consider if it’s the best choice to buy now, or wear out the thing you want to replace, first.
It’s worthwhile to note here that you should be mindful about what you bring in. Even thought it’s tempting to buy the first thing you see when you’re ready to replace an item, taking your time to purchase something that you both love and find perfectly useful will serve you well in the end.
Step 2. Write down your WHYS
We all need motivators. Understanding why you’re practicing minimalism is like creating a reward for yourself when you ditch an item, and also cements in why you’re practicing living this lifestyle.
When we finally decided to sell our home and purchase an RV to live in full time, I began getting rid of even more stuff than I ever had before. I would look at an item, tell myself, “I want to live in an RV,” then decide if I should keep that item or not. I can’t tell you how many things I got rid of just from saying that little mantra over and over.
Times will get tough. You’ll wonder why you are living simply. Saying something like, “I want to spend more time with my family and less time cleaning up my stuff,” or “I want a healthy budget” can help you to overcome those moments when you want to make a spontaneous purchase or don’t understand why you’re trying to donate your old prom dress.
Step 3. Ditch, Donate, and Declutter
I understand wanting the downsizing process to happen quickly, but many people that try to rush this step pass up developing good habits. Snapping our fingers and having everything we don’t want disappear would be amazing, yet it wouldn’t give us the same opportunities for growth. Making consistent efforts to work through your things until you’ve achieved your ideal minimalist home will most likely go better than one ditching session over a weekend.
On top of that, going through your things just once isn’t really enough. I’m constantly evaluating our possessions, determining what is still useful and wanted. Taking the time to do this has made me a much more mindful minimalist.
Step 4. Don’t forget minimalist practices on your calendar
Practice saying “no.” Look carefully at your activities and obligations — are they adding meaning and value to your life or are they simply running out the clock? In the podcast episode today, I talk about wanting my life to mean something. Ditching activities that weren’t getting me and my family to that end goal has been an important part of living minimalism to its fullest.
Good luck with finding YOUR kind of minimalism and remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.
Here’s the article from Beautiful Minimal Millennial and her Instagram
My latest videos on YouTube:
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
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My book, How to be a Minimalist with Kids: Finding YOUR Kind of Minimalism
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