Over the past few months, I have gotten a lot of questions on how to become a minimalist. It really isn’t difficult, as long as you’ve gotten your mindset in check.
But with all of the questions I’ve gotten, I thought it would be fun to dive into each of them separately to give you actionable information that can help you transform your life.
Here are some of the questions I have gotten over the past few months:
- How to become a minimalist?
- What are the benefits of becoming a minimalist?
- How can you fit it into your schedule?
- Is there more to it than decluttering?
I’m honing in on why you should become a minimalist within this post that will touch on all of these questions, but if you want to dive deeper into it, check out my Minimalism Resource Page!
The best thing about minimalism is that everyone’s journey is different; no two journeys are identical! There is no wrong way to be a minimalist!
Knowing that before we get started, you definitely cannot lose!
11 Reasons to Become a Minimalist
1 // You are tired of the clutter.
Things sneak into our homes each and every day. Sometimes we deal with these things immediately, and sometimes they accumulate.
Over time, things may start to pile up into mounds until they become so unbearable that we finally clean and organize it all. Dealing with clutter seems inevitable, but what if you did not have to deal with it anymore?
Decluttering or uncluttering your home makes the daily routine seem easier to manage. Having a home for everything you own makes tidying for the day a breeze!
Removing everything from your home that is not necessary will free up space and time. This reason alone is why I started my minimalism journey!
Related Post: How To Cut Cleaning Time In Half
2 // You are tired of things owning you instead of you owning them.
This kind of goes along with my first reason, but it varies slightly. You can own your things and have clutter. -OR- You can have clutter because your things own you. When you allow things to own you, life gets a little more difficult.
Some examples of this are feeling guilty when you think of getting rid of it [through donating, selling, or tossing]. You may have spent a lot of money on it, were gifted it, or something you have a sentimental attachment to it.
So instead of getting rid of it, you keep it. You let it take up space in your home. You let it control whether or not it stays.
Let me just say I know exactly how this feels!
I have dealt with this personally, and here is the best advice I can give in this situation:
None of the reasons you are trying to keep this item are reasonable [direct, right?].
- If it was gifted to you, know that person does not want you to hold onto it out of guilt. They do not want you to suffer from it if you do not enjoy it.
- If you spent a lot of money on this item, remember you bought that item; it did not buy you. You can break up with it whenever you are ready, but it cannot break up with you!
- If this item has sentimental value and that is the only reason you are keeping it, take a picture of it and pass it on to someone who will appreciate it.
More people struggle with being owned by their things than realizing that they are in charge of what they own. If you are one of these people, I pray you are open to seeing the truth.
I was definitely a part of this group, and when I realized the difference, letting go was much easier.
Related Post: Decluttering Your Home: How to Decide What to Get Rid Of
3 // You want to be less stressed and/or anxious.
I could write for days about how minimalism improved what I stressed about or was anxious about. At times, my daily routine was more than I could bear. It was miserable living with it, too.
One thing I learned along the way is that our sensory levels can alter how we feel. If there are things all over the counters, shoes spread all over the house, and/or piles of things to sort through, our minds will continually process these as things we need to do.
When things are are put away in their homes, our minds feel at rest.
If our sensory levels are in overdrive, it can create stress and anxiety like you would not believe! I personally struggle with grocery shopping on the weekends because of all the things occurring and people shopping.
My sensory levels go into overdrive, and sometimes I have to leave because it gets so bad. However, if I grocery shop during slower times, I actually enjoy myself.
The same thing with my home. If my home is messy, I cannot relax. But if my home is tidy and all the laundry is folded and put away, my muscles loosen; and I can rest.
Minimalism helps with this because we reduce our possession of what we love and/or use. Each item has a purpose and a home. There is no reason to have things sprawled out everywhere when you have a designated home for all of them.
Related Post: How to Reduce Stress at Home with 5 Simple Routines
4 // You want the freedom to travel.
One thing I wish I could do more of is travel, but it is hard when I have a lot of responsibilities, such as loans, pets, farm animals, etc.
A few of my friends travel the world. They reduced their responsibilities and possessions because they made traveling the world a priority.
Do you dream of traveling the world? Do you dream of taking off on a whim for a week to explore? Minimalism can definitely help guide you there if that is what you want!
I admire those who can travel with all their own fitting into a single backpack. They find work wherever they go so that they can experience these places for months at a time. The greatest part is if that is what you want, you can achieve it!
Related Post: 20 Questions Minimalist Style: Jennifer @ Simply + Fiercely
5 // You want to chase your dreams.
This is a big thing for a lot of people! With all the excess, it can be difficult to discover your dreams or even work towards them. By removing the excess, we have a chance to focus and hone in on what we want.
As a minimalist, I have personally worked harder towards my dreams. I am a student again, blogging about my passion, slowly getting into farming, helping my husband start his own business, and so much more.
Without first removing what was blocking my focus, I would not have started any of these! In fact, all of these started at the time or after I became a minimalist! [Crazy right?!]
So, what are some of your dreams? What is holding you back from chasing after them? Is it the lack of mental energy or all the excess surrounding you?
I used to think I did not deserve to work towards my dreams. I thought there was no way I could actually do them, so why try? Well, let me tell you something. I WAS WRONG!
Taking one small step each day toward my dreams has landed me closer to achieving them than I ever thought I could be.
And you can, too! Just get rid of everything that is holding you back from getting started! YOU CAN DO IT!
6 // You want to live more consciously
One thing I didn’t anticipate was the level of conscious living I would introduce into my life.
Yes, minimalism introduces conscious living the more you simplify your life, but it also introduces itself into your values and morals as you learn more about where your clothes come from and the effect you have on the Earth.
It really is fascinating how much your eyes open up to things you’ve never thought to question until now.
7 // You don’t want to keep up with the Joneses anymore
Keeping up with the Joneses is impossible. There is always something new coming out or a new trend starting, and honestly, it is begging for you to go into credit card debt to even attempt to keep up with it.
By letting go of these pressures, you get the chance to determine what is important to you and where you want to invest your efforts.
Material possessions do not make you happy and are only tools to support your life.
Opening your mind up to this realization will make you love a phone that has been paid off for two years and still working great! [Yes, I am talking about how much I still love my iPhone 7. Shhh!]
8 // You want to spend less time cleaning and organizing
When you have a lot of clutter, you allow yourself to get stuck in a cycle of organizing, reorganizing, moving things to clean around them, and trying not to go crazy with all of it.
Decluttering all of the excess [clutter] in your home, you eventually remove the need to organize anything ever again, have less to clean around, and are able to maintain a clean home easier and quicker.
In fact, I’ve created a workbook to help you create a system that keeps your cleaning time capped at 30 minutes or less every day! When you have this system in place, you can easily have a clean and tidy home.
Check out my workbook, A Simple Cleaning Routine!
9 // You’re becoming environmentally conscious
Bringing back up the point of conscious living, you’ve decided that you want to hone in on living more environmentally conscious.
Becoming a minimalist is a natural part of this journey because you’re consciousness means that you only want things in your life that support your eco-friendly efforts and consciously remove anything that isn’t a part of that vision.
10 // You want time to explore different hobbies
When you remove clutter and accept a minimalist lifestyle, it is easier to explore different hobbies because you don’t have to worry about all the things that distract you.
Since becoming a minimalist, I have gotten back to writing, reading/learning new things with intention, photography, gardening, and raising livestock.
While I could do some of this without being a minimalist, it is much easier to become a minimalist. Letting go of the distractions and being able to focus solely on what I want is freeing!
11 // You want more money at the end of the month
Because a minimalist lifestyle introduces you to the concept of having everything you need, you don’t go out searching for it.
You save money because of the contentment you’ve created in your life.
Retail therapy and shopping when bored are both a thing of the past, and this is one reason that you have time for hobbies that actually fulfill you.
Final thoughts about how to become a minimalist
Now you know why you should become a minimalist! I hope it provides some clarity about how your life can change as a minimalist.
Remember, it is simply a tool to get to where you want to be, and there is no right or wrong way to live this particular lifestyle.
Minimalism honestly looks different for everyone, so don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Focus on what you want from it, and go for it!
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I definitely think the process of removing excess from your life clears the way to chase your dreams! Great post, Erin!
Absolutely, Marette! I hate that I did not realize it sooner in life, but better late than never!
This is such an encouraging post, Erin. Just know that you really have helped inspire me to change my life by de-cluttering and simplifying, and it’s been such a great decision. 🙂
Thank you, Cara! I am glad you have found my posts inspiring! That means so much to me. I love hearing all about your progress and how it is simplifying your life.