Simple Beginnings: 10 Tiny Steps Toward Minimalism
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world. Lots of people want things to be simpler. But where to begin? You don't want to have to leave your current house so you can start fresh. You don't want to totally upset your spouse or kids with a huge purge and completely new rules and habits. And maybe you're so tired and burned-out that you don't have the energy to take on a big, life-changing project anyway.
You do want some life changes. But you can't do them overnight, and you don't want them to be more stressful and disturbing than what you're already dealing with. Isn't minimalism supposed to be about making things simpler?
What if I told you that minimalism doesn't have to focus on getting rid of stuff? Instead, you can think about what you really want and need. You can prioritize peace and make space for what you care about. You can experiment and take your time figuring out what works for you.
Adopting the mindset of a minimalist, especially when it comes to stuff, spending, and your schedule, can make all the difference. With tiny steps, you can start anytime and get some quick wins right away.
Whether you're a minimalist beginner or somewhere on the journey to a simpler life, these steps will help you get there.
The tiny steps
1. Discard some duplicates.
Walk through your house with a box and fill it with duplicates. Do you have a dozen cooking spoons? Maybe you can put half of them in there. Two raincoats? DVDs of movies or TV you can stream instead? Lots of pens? Multiple nail files? See if you can fill the box. Close it up, label it "Duplicates," and put it out of sight for 30 days. If you don't wind up needing any of it (or can't even remember what's there), donate it without fear. Then do it again.
2. Create one clutter-free zone.
This could be as small as the bathroom counter or dinner table, or as big as your bedroom. Tackle the mess in this order:
- Get rid of the trash.
- Remove what doesn't belong, and put it away.
- Remove duplicates.
- Find homes for what remains.
- Practice putting things away when you're finished using them.
- Keep your clutter-free area clutter-free, and let it encourage and inspire you.
3. Repeat meals to reduce decision fatigue and kitchen work.
If meal planning, shopping, cooking, and cleaning up are sometimes more than you can handle in your busy day, and especially if you turn to fast food or junk food way too often, give yourself a break by embracing less variety. Try eating the same breakfast and lunch every day, and have four or five dinner choices that rotate throughout the week. Create a reusable grocery list for the meals that work best for you and your family.
If your family protests, tell them you're experimenting, and consider everyone's input after the first month. You can always change up breakfasts on the weekend, make a few seasonal changes, or rotate in new recipes. You'll still save time and money, waste less, and satisfy your hunger in healthier ways.
4. Start an emergency fund.
An emergency fund simplifies everything. But if you don't have $1,000 to set aside (44% of Americans don't either), look for ways to spend less until you have that cushion. Not only is a little bit of sacrifice worth the peace of mind, but you'll learn and practice the skills of living on less than you earn.
If you're paying off debt, make minimum payments until you've saved $1,000. Then use your new skills to pay off your debts more quickly.
5. Practice saying no.
When you base your self-worth on how much you get done, you'll never be enough. Our hustle culture will always ask you to do more, and it will sap your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm.
"No" is a word that creates boundaries. It's a word of self-respect. "No" brings clarity and saves your time and vitality for the things you really care about. Saying "no" to the many so you can give your best to the few that matter is a truly minimalist mindset.
6. Put down your phone.
We all know about phone addiction. We've seen it in others, and we've experienced it in ourselves. So put your phone down. Turn it off, put it in airplane mode, whatever it takes. If you feel nervous about missing a call or text, set a timer for 10 minutes (just 10 minutes!) and see how it feels to be disconnected for a little while. Then master one of these small habits:
- Don't go to bed with it. Disconnect at least 30 minutes before lights out.
- Don't wake up with it. Ignore it until you've stretched, showered, or otherwise completed your pre-breakfast routine.
- Don't eat with it. Make mealtimes screen-free. Have a conversation, read a book, write in your journal, or just look at the world around you.
7. Don't shop for 24 hours.
It's never been easier to buy stuff than it is today. And our consumerist culture demands that we shop for any reason or for none, even if we can't afford it. But nothing derails your simplifying and budgeting efforts like buying what you don't need.
You might panic at the though of a Buy Nothing Year, but what about a one-day shopping ban? If you see (or even think) of something you want to buy, add it to a list. Don't research it or put it in a shopping cart, just write it down.
Exceptions would include basic groceries, gasoline, toilet paper, etc.
At the end of the day you can review your list and appreciate the money you saved. Do you still want or need any of the items? Do you still think they're worth the price? Notice how many things no longer seem necessary or valuable.
Repeat the challenge for as long as you can.
8. Flip your hangers.
Flip all of your hangers so they face the "wrong" way. If you have folded clothes, hang them up for now so they can be part of the experiment too. When you wear something, flip its hanger around the normal way. At the end of the month or the season, note the clothes that haven't been worn and consider letting them go.
Chances are you're wearing the same things over and over, so why not remove the rest?
9. Clean as you go.
Instead of letting your house get really dirty and messy, and then having to spend a lot of time and energy to clean it, make things simpler by cleaning a little bit at a time on a daily basis.
Does that sound like more work? It really isn't, because most "clean as you go" tasks are really quick (often no more than a minute or two) and pretty painless. For example:
- When I take off clothes, I either hang them up immediately or put them in the laundry hamper. Clothes don't end up on the floor.
- If I spill something while cooking, I wipe it up right away and sweep if necessary. I don't let it sit there to harden or get tracked around.
- When I cook, if something needs to bake, brown, or simmer, I wash used kitchen items as I wait. When I'm finished cooking, there's not such a big mess.
- I deal with mail each day, recycling, shredding, filing, paying, or whatever is necessary. It takes a few minutes, but prevents piles and "lost" documents.
You deserve a home that welcomes and supports you, that helps cure your stress instead of causing it. "Clean as you go" takes care of chores while they're small and easy, and resets your work and living areas so that they're more pleasant to be in and ready to use without fuss or delay.
10. Savor simple pleasures.
We tend to focus all of our excitement on big bucket list events, like a trip, wedding, graduation, or holiday. Because of that, we overlook the sweet possibilities of every day. In fact, we become discontented with "average" days. We think of them as "the same old thing." We miss a ton of joy when we're only satisfied with the big stuff.
You will be so much more alert and happy if you open yourself to the simple pleasures of a typical day. Think sunrises and sunsets, birds, babies, pets, music, freshly brewed coffee, a hot shower, clean sheets, a good book, a joke, a compliment, hugs, and more. I could go on, and I hope you're inspired too! When you start paying attention, every day can be full of simple pleasures that add to your joy, delight, and gratitude.
Don't wait!
These steps don't require a lot of planning or preparation. Even if you're a minimalist beginner, you'll see immediate benefits. These ten tiny steps toward minimalism can change your life more than you'd imagine.
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