How to Become a Minimalist: 7 Important Steps to Declutter Like a Minimalist

Inside: Here you’ll find clear and practical steps to better understand how to become a minimalist. These 7 steps to getting started will help you establish a firm foundation as you declutter your life.


 

First I want to say, high five! You’re here because you are sick and tired of decluttering your life over and over again. You’re ready to fight for your sanity and live life on purpose. You friend, are ready to stop walking in the same direction as everyone else and discover how a life with less has so much more to offer. The age of chaos, monotony and overwhelm is over.

I think Morpheous said it best when he was speaking to Neo in the movie The Matrix,

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

You’ve chosen the red pill. Now let’s get started…

1. Find Your Why

It is vital that you begin your minimalist journey by thinking through why your doing this. What is your motivation for letting go of the excess?

declutter your life

Without a firm handle on WHY minimalism is right for you, this life won’t stick.

I suggest physically writing it out, and create a “Why Statement” you can turn to when you encounter bumps in the road, because you will face them. It isn’t easy to choose to live a life unlike those around you, but it is very much worth the effort.

2. Find Your Comrade

Trust me, when you face those tough moments you’ll need some encouragement. Find a friend, an acquaintance, a co-worker, or even follow a Facebook group or Instagram account offering practical, authentic simplicity focused inspiration to help keep you focused.

3. Stop The Madness

It doesn’t matter how much you get rid of if you don’t stop the flow of material items coming into your home. It’s as simple as that.

how to become a minimalist

Becoming a more conscious consumer as well as letting go of the excess currently in your home, allows your minimalism to have a lifelong impact. You do not need more bins! Remember, the goal is to spend less time organizing. Buying more bins is not the answer.

The key to getting organize is not found in Ikea, it’s found in owning less.

4. Lead by example.

If you have other people living in your home with you, this step is as important as it is difficult.

I know the feeling of wanting to tackle your husband’s sock collection with a lighter in one hand and a cocktail in the other. I know the feeling of watching your 2-year-old dump out bin after bin of toys and then walk away to play with the remote.

However, don’t start with their stuff, start with yourself. You’ll gain the needed wisdom, credibility and empathy to help them tackle their belongings when the time comes.becoming a minimalist

5. Start With a Simple, Relatively Painless Area.

If the thought of getting rid of your clothes makes you hyperventilate, save them for a little later in your journey. Maybe start in your linen closet(s), bathroom(s) or kitchen items.

The impact of going minimalist has a snowball effect. Once you see the benefits of all of your hard work you will gain confidence and motivation to dig a little deeper, go a little further, and let go of a little more.

6. Declutter by Category.

When tackling your clothing, do not tackle your closet one day, your dresser another day, and the bins of clothes stored in your basement another day. It’s inefficient, and you’ll not only spend more time on decluttering, you’ll also end up keeping more items than necessary.

Pick a category and go all in.

7. Be Ruthlessly Honest

Getting rid of perfectly good items may feel wasteful, but that’s not where we went wrong. It was wasteful to purchase it. Now you’re just acknowledging it.

It’s important to approach your minimalist journey with ruthless honesty. Don’t entertain every, “What if I need this someday?” thought that crosses your mind. Deep down, you know you if you haven’t used that blender in a decade you’re never going to use it.

You’ve Got This

It took us just under a year to hit every area of our home with that ruthless kind of honesty. Cut yourself some slack, walk into this journey with a giant cup of grace, and keep moving forward, taking both big and small strides. Minimalism shouldn’t discourage or frustrate you. Remember it’s here to serve you and there is no picture perfect goal to be met. This isn’t about getting down to a certain number of shirts or spatulas, it’s about creating a space where you can thrive. It’s is about finding your rational, sustainable and personal form of minimalism so that you can manage less stuff in order to live more purposefully.

how to become a minimalist

You are removing from your home that which has weighed you down for so long, so you can discover a more rich and satisfying life hiding beneath it all. This rabbit hole isn’t bare, sparse or dull, it’s filled with immeasurable possibility.

Poet, Mary Oliver, once wrote, “Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Well Mary, I’m not exactly sure, but I can tell you with great certainty what I will no longer be doing; managing clutter and striving for more, better, bigger, newer! The rest is a wide open space of self discovery, generosity, adventure and living life on purpose.


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Declutter Your Life

3 years ago I was overwhelmed with my life, while growing more underwhelmed with it’s direction by the second. It felt as though all of my time and energy was going toward the accumulation and management of STUFF. What little time I had left over went toward overbooking and overcommitting my family to all.the.thing! 

When introduced to the concept of minimalism and everything changed!

Living with less will gift you the time, space and much needed perspective to put the things that truly matter most first. If you’d like some help getting started download my FREE Beginner’s Guidebook to: Declutter Like a Minimalist. It takes a deep dive into the 7 important steps to getting started as highlighted in my popular post, Declutter Like a Minimalist.

It’s time to stop managing our families and start leading them!

Declutter Like a Minimalist Guidebook

2 thoughts on “How to Become a Minimalist: 7 Important Steps to Declutter Like a Minimalist

  1. Oh my gosh!!! The goosebumps just won’t go away!! Rachelle, the inspiration and encouragement you offer is priceless!!! Generations are being changed starting right here with us!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

  2. Thank you for your kind words! I’m so proud of how you’ve dove in head first. You’re amazing. Keep at it!

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