Adopting a Minimalist Mindset: How the Pursuit of Less Changes the Way you Think.
Over the last year, I’ve realized living with less has transformed more than just the feel of our home.
What started out as an experiment to bring less stress and more meaning into life has shifted the way I see the world.
To suggest that minimalism changes who you are as a person is a strong statement to make. But it’s true. By identifying the essentials, embracing simplicity, and decelerating the speed of life, your mindset really does shift.
Here are 8 ways the pursuit of less changes the way you think:
1. You stop comparing your life to others.
When you are content with what you have, you stop looking at what other people have. Your friends may have a beautiful four-bedroom house with a three-car garage full of the latest electronics – you’ll be happy for them, but never envious. You realize that the life you’re living is fulfilling, but not because of what you own. You don’t consider ways you wish your life was different because you’ve already crafted a life you love – a life full of essentials, which oftentimes aren’t actually “things.”
2. You stop doing things a certain way, just because that’s the way they’ve always been done.
Minimalism stretches you to embrace change and become more intentional about your choices. No longer will you do things “just because that’s how it’s always been done.” You’ll begin asking yourself questions to find the why behind your actions. You stop living by default and start living by intention.
3. You no longer say “yes” when you really mean “no.”
You realize boundaries are critical to simplifying your schedule. You stop over-committing and become comfortable with saying “no.” This allows your “yeses” to become more impactful. And by saying “no” to commitments you didn’t fully feel called to make, you say “yes” to other important things – like more time with family.
4. You care much less about what people think.
While it’s a bit in our blood to care what others think (historically speaking, we needed to be accepted into a tribe for survival), minimalism reduces your need for other’s approval. By identifying what’s most important, you realize that doesn’t include other people’s opinions of you.
Your lifestyle doesn’t align with the “American Dream” and you are comfortable with that. You feel free to express your true self and feel your lifestyle keeps you in touch with who you were created to be. You create space to know and love yourself. And you realize your intrinsic self-worth (it doesn’t come from what you own or your collection of social media “likes.”).
5. You don’t let your past dictate your future.
Minimalism helps you keep the past in the past. As you let go of unnecessary possessions, belief patterns, and commitments that weighed you down, you become more free to live in the present. Your awareness of the “now” increases and you believe you have the ability to change. Your past no longer calls the shots – and the things in your home reflect this. You keep what supports who you are today and the ways you feel called to grow.
6. You stop spending time on what doesn’t align with your values.
By removing the nonessentials, you have more time to focus your time, energy, and attention on what really matters. You no longer find yourself doing hours of housework a day, filling up your weekends maintaining your stuff, or spending hours online shopping deciding what to buy next. You know the essential activities that bring joy, such as prayer, meditation, connecting with family or friends, exercise, and creative projects. By living with less, you now have the time and space to pursue them.
7. You rarely experience decision fatigue.
Fewer daily choices reduces decision fatigue (the brain’s reduced ability to make a decision because it’s already made too many that day). With fewer clothes in your closet, you quickly know what to wear. With just “enough” items in your home, you better know how to implement simple maintenance routines and keep order. Order and consistency in daily routines lowers your stress, increases productivity, and even increases your creativity.
8. Your stop second guessing your decisions.
Regularly deciding which possessions, commitments and thought patterns to keep and which to discard sharpens your decision making skills. You find that when it’s time to make a decision you have more mental energy (thanks to less decision fatigue) and an increased clarity of what matters most.
Clutter is often a result of delayed decisions (you set something on a counter, thinking you’ll deal with it later). The more you work to reduce clutter in your home, you find yourself making decisions more quickly in all areas of life and second guessing yourself much less.
On the outside, the minimalist lifestyle looks very different depending on who you are. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to minimalism. One minimalist may own only 55 items and travel the world. Another may be a homeschooling mom of four living in a beautiful, good-sized home who considers herself a curator of things not an accumulator.
However a minimalist actualizes their lifestyle, a changed mindset remains a common denominator. Living simply and focusing on what matters most will transform your world.
And there’s a good chance that your life – both inside and out – will be richer for it.