Embrace Minimalism: 17 Rules to Transform Your Lifestyle

Most of us have heard it before, but in case you haven't, minimalism can be defined as a lifestyle or philosophy where one is in constant pursuit of a meaningful and intentional life with less. It is a practice of self-discipline where you only live with what you truly need, enhances your life, and helps you achieve your goals. If you pare-down your possessions, routines, or tasks, you'll have more time to focus on what matters in your life.

In American culture minimalism can be quite hard. We're the most advertised to population in the world, and many of us are always in search of 'the next thing' to make us happy. But it isn't only our shopping habits that we should watch, spending our time frugally is also important, and removing responsibilities and distractions from our environment can help us on both fronts.

Your environment should reinforce your goals for your life. Removing distractions and negatively-impacting activities that don't help encourage you to reach those goals is a great thing to do.

So this first rule is simple: Define what you are aiming for and never forget it. That can be more time with friends and family, or more peace inside your home. If you don't start there, you probably won't find lasting change.

We first began with the big picture goal, an ideal state, so now we need to dice it up a little more into the top three areas of our life by priority.

In broad strokes, think about the things that matter most to you. What things make you feel happy or give you a sense of purpose? What do you crave more of in your life? I want you to pick three things. Not ten things you love, only three.

When we narrow down our scope to the most important things, we're creating criteria that we'll use to judge what possessions we truly need. As humans, we're pretty bad at multitasking; there's only so much time and mental energy we can devote ourselves to, so why fight your nature? Sometimes we have to prioritize and give things up. Even things we love.

My three big ones are the connection I have with my family and friends, writing as a medium to express myself (fiction or blog), and learning and self improvement. I wouldn't include a career in your top three if you can help it, because you aren't your job, you're much more than it! But, if your work is something you're passionate about and it does matter that much to you, go ahead.

Keep the three things that matter most to you written down in a journal or on a sticky note at your desk. It'll give you something to reflect on when you're going through your belongings and deciding what tasks are most important in the years to come.

Often, our time off work is squandered on passive activities that provide momentary relief, but lack any feeling of long-term fulfillment. Embracing the idea of "resting actively" can transform your downtime into opportunities for personal growth, connection, and rejuvenation.

How often do you come home after work just to space out in front of a screen? When you walk away from it you might feel a bit more relaxed in the moment, but those lingering thoughts "I should do practice that", or "I could have taken care of this", eat away at us from the back of our mind.

Wouldn't you feel better if you took care of those things you procrastinated on? If you took the time to work out, go hiking, or create something artistic? Doesn't taking the time to focus on your top three things sound more fulfilling?

I'm not saying you can't mindlessly relax. I'm saying that there's a point of diminishing return. For me, that's about two hours. Beyond that, I begin to feel as though I'm not really living intentionally. I'm resting passively.

I always feel better when I take the time to schedule out my weekend's restful activities. Even if it's only by "morning reading and coffee", "afternoon board game time", "evening family movie", it still gives me a framework that helps me stay in line and feel that I was intentional about my rest.

Remember, rest is not just about doing nothing. It's about doing things that truly matter to you and fill your cup. Schedule time for those things.

This might be one of the hardest parts for some people. After all, we're more connected online than ever before, and connecting with people is important... but...

There's so many negative aspects that technology brings into our life without us realizing it, oftentimes for years. When I say these things, understand I'm a former gaming hobbyist and tech enthusiast. I love cryptocurrency and I have education in IT. The newest and most expensive pieces of technology were things I craved consistently, even to the point where I found myself 10k in credit card debt.

Over the years I've changed quite rapidly, and now some of the biggest things that have gotten in the way of myself and the life I want to live are with video games and social media. There are other methods of digital minimalism, such as photo and storage reduction, but I won't go into those areas here.

And that's what digital minimalism is: being more intentional with what technology you interact with, just like how you want your environment to reflect your life goals. You don't have to cut the cord, but you should unplug it.

I'd argue that the benefits do not outweigh the costs, but it's not like we can escape the need of some of these platforms entirely, and I wouldn't expect anyone to. Even I still use Twitter and Facebook occasionally.

But here's where you should draw the line: You choose when to interact with those platforms, not the other way around. At the very least, block most notifications on your phone. Acceptable things might be texts, messages, and calls for pertinent communications. But do you really need to be on everyone's speed dial? Do you really need to know when someone posts a photo that doesn't even involve you anyway only to get sucked into your feed for an hour? Do those people have the right to draw your attention away from living in the moment and the life you want?

Better yet, remove everything but the messaging apps from your phone. You can still use the full platforms and feeds on a computer or browser and it empowers you to choose when to interact with them. Consider removing shopping applications, too. Not only will it cut back on time scrolling endless shopping feeds, it will also help you save money.

If you want more resources, go watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix, and I'd definitely recommend the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport for a much longer read about digital minimalism.

Many of us (or most of us) want to adopt new habits into our life. Brushing our teeth more frequently, practicing mindfulness, or creating art, and it's as they say: consistency is key in changing tasks into habits, and habits into lifestyles.

A great way to reinforce these new habits and streamline your routine is by doubling up tasks or engaging in 'task stacking'. This involves pairing two activities together to complete them simultaneously, saving time, promoting efficiency, and making the new habit come more naturally.

A simple way to increase the amount of books you read may be to pair it with your morning coffee instead of checking your email and all your socials. They are two tasks that can be done together rather easily (just don't splash coffee on your books, no one likes that).

A way to improve your mindfulness, mental health, or spirituality, could be by listening to a podcast as you do your daily tidying. Want to improve your relationship with a friend or a family member? Start calling one person during each daily walk to foster a better relationship with them.

There are so many different ways that you can utilize this tip, it's all up to you!

The wardrobe challenge is a minimalist fashion experiment that encourages you to simplify your wardrobe and promote a more intentional approach to dressing. The idea was conceptualized by Courtney Carver, who introduced it in her blog "Be More With Less", but the rules are as follows:

Limit your wardrobe to 33 items.
This includes your jewelry, shoes, and outerwear.
Things that don't count towards your 33 items are your wedding ring, undergarments, and your workout clothes.
Courtney suggests that first timers start with an "I Love" pile, and define their own signature items, such as a pair of sunglasses or a trench coat.

Trust me, simplifying your wardrobe into outfits can make your mornings much more simple and save you time so you're not rushing before work.

Keep a maximum of one of each kitchen prep tool. This goes for wooden spoons, ladles, spatulas, you name it. If this worries you, see the 20/20 rule.

Whittle your way down to one box or tote/tub of keepsakes. Chances are, you don't remember what 80% of your keepsakes and hand-me-downs are. If you cut it down to only one container, it will make those things you keep more valuable to you.

Besides, your memories of your family aren't in those items. Your memories exist only in your mind, and holding onto their remnants with an emotional attachment might not be the healthiest.

I really like this method of releasing your attachment to things we have emotion tied to. It goes well with the tip above.

In Japan, wrapping things in paper or fabric is a way to show that we care bout them and that we are thankful. If we're considering getting rid of something, wrap it up. Not only do we show our appreciation of things by wrapping them like a gift, but it also makes it easier to let go of when we can't see what's inside it.

How many people are in your household? Two? Four? You should only hold on to double that number of dishes, or two days worth. Not only does this mean less clutter around the house, but it will also force you to keep the dishes you do have clean. This could also include food storage containers.

Attention-grabbing name, huh? Swedish Death Cleaning is simple. As you go about cleaning and decluttering your home, consider who in your family would treasure that item if you die. Who would want it, and who would take care of it how you would like it to be? If you can't think of anyone, or if you think that no one would want it, get rid of it.

Your possessions won't last forever, and neither will you. Don't leave your family with a burden of trinkets that have no practical value or won't be treasured.

This rule is pretty simple: if you buy something, you have to get rid of something. This rule is best implemented once you have a good start on your decluttering journey because it challenges your every purchase and makes you consider what you're going to get rid of.

If you've already tossed of a lot of your belongings you're likely down to only a handful of things you truly love or do truly improve your life. It's a lot harder to pick between loved items, and it really makes you compare the item you're considering buying and the items you already have.

Another simple shopping rule. You can't buy it if you only use it once. While that just makes sense for things like expensive tools or clothes, it also applies to things you wouldn't expect:

Fast food / eating out.
Books (borrow from the library first)
Travel-sized toiletries (get reusable containers)
Gift wrap (consider reusable fabric)
Specialized exercise equipment (make sure you can do multiple workouts)

Don't hold on to "just in-case" items if you can replace them for less than $20 within 20 minutes. You rarely actually need these items, and holding onto extras is only clutter. Not to mention, your situation might be different later on and that extra item might not even apply.

If you haven't used it in 90 days, chances are it isn't vital to your lifestyle. Either change your lifestyle to utilize the item (if its within your three most important things we defined earlier), or get rid of it.

This can cover a whole range of use cases:

Create a system for your mail with an In, Out, and Pending box. Have a process that determines how and when you tackle your mail.
Organize your time with a planner or schedule.
Have a system for your laundry. Like outfits.

You don't need to be a master chef, but keeping recipes on One Note Or Logseq (my favorite note app) will help you stay organized. By planning and making the same meals, you can cut down on clutter and the amount of groceries you need to buy. It also makes choosing what to make simpler and easier. Avoid that decision fatigue!