If you're new to minimalism and want to embrace a simpler, more intentional lifestyle, here are some simple steps to help you get started:
1. Take a moment to think about where life feels chaotic, overwhelming, dis-organised or out of control. What areas of your life do you feel you're not keeping up with - is it your pantry, the laundry, the kid's rooms or all of it? This will give you an indication on what areas you need to focus on first. The objective is to bring more ease to your days.
2. Take action. I always recommend starting small - spend just a few minutes each day skimming the surface of your home looking for 20 items you no longer need or love. Using a box or bag gather these items and then sort them into 4 categories - donate, sell, return, bin. By gathering just 20 items each day for a week will move 140 items out of your home.
3. Simplify your digital life: Extend minimalism to your digital world. Unsubscribe from unnecessary email lists, delete unused apps, organise your digital files, and declutter your computer desktop. Keep only the digital content that adds value and brings joy.
4. Practice mindful consumption: Before making new purchases, question whether you truly need the item and whether it aligns with your values. Avoid impulsive buying and opt for quality over quantity. Consider borrowing or renting items instead of owning them outright.
5. Regularly and ruthlessly edit your home (and your life). At the change of each season I like to take time to do a stocktake of what we own, where it lives and decide if it stays or goes. If the house has started to fill up with new things then it's time to make space for them. While the one in-one out rule is a great way to maintain a simple home it's not going to help you when starting out. In the early stages of minimalism its more like a one out-twenty out rule.
6. Know that minimalism is a long game. We don't get to a cluttered home overnight and we won't (sustainably) get to a simplified home overnight either. Radically and ruthlessly simplify then rest a little, then the following week simplify a little more. There's no hurry to any of this, just the bliss of a mindfully simplified home awaiting you.