Most People Overcomplicate Life — 10 Minimalist Rules That Fix It
Minimalism isn’t about owning nothing - it’s about removing what drains your time, money, energy, and focus.
If you want to change your spending habits, change your relationship with your stuff, or simply find ways to streamline and simplify your life and your space, then I think minimalism is really great.
But at least in my experience, it’s also very easy to take it a little too far. And I’m not the only one.
There’s been a lot of content popping up on the internet talking about how minimalism is dead, and how the concept of minimalism can sometimes be difficult to make work in the long term.
In my experience, at least, I think the key to minimalism is to just live with intentionality and think before you buy.
So even though I don’t call myself a minimalist anymore, I have way too many clothes for that, the internet police in the comments would really come for me.
And I definitely lean into more of a minimalisti is type of Lifestyle. There are some minimalist rules that I still stick to even to this day.
And I still see a lot of benefits from it in my everyday life. So I firmly believe that you don’t have to identify as a minimalist or make what you consume or don’t consume your entire personality.
But I do think there are some minimalist rules that I think could be helpful for anybody who’s looking to streamline their life and simplify a little more.
So, in this story, I wanted to share with you the 10 minimalist rules that I think actually work, whether you’re a minimalist or not.
These are the rules that I still adhere to in my day-to-day, that really just help me slow down and be more intentional in my everyday life.
Rule#1: Buy Nice or Buy Twice
I have a series on my TikTok Channel and Instagram called “You’re too broke to buy cheap, and I think because all of us are.
And that’s kind of a wise word, saying straight from your grandmother, in the sense that you want to make sure that you can buy the highest quality item that you can afford.
Because if you just go for the cheapest thing, it may not be high quality, and you end up spending more money in the long run looking to replace it.
And buying is nice to avoid buying twice, not only does this maximize the chance that you are buying a higher quality item.
That you’re going to use and keep for a very long time, but it also, in a way, slows down your buying because it takes a bit more work upfront to buy the thing.
- You have to research it
- You have to compare Brands
- You have to go test it out to see if it’s right for you.
So I think having the motto of buy nice or buy twice, or my personal favorite, I’m too broke to buy cheap.
It helps slow down the buying and just ensures that you fill your space and spend your money on things that are higher quality, that are going to last, and things that you’re actually going to use.
For a long time, and this doesn’t necessarily mean that you buy the most expensive thing either.
I think the key here is to focus on buying the best that you can afford and just using the heck out of it.
Rule #2: If it’s not a “HELL YES,” then it’s a “NO”
For so much in life, it is really as simple as that, because if you allow things into your life that feel lukewarm, I think that’s when it’s really easy to either build up a whole lot of clutter.
In your life, physical clutter can also lead to things like resentment and burnout.
Because if you don’t say no for yourself, then people are going to start saying yes for you, and that sucks.
And when I started applying the simple if it’s not a hell yes then it’s a no mindset, it’s really helped me weed out a lot of noise, a lot of clutter, and just a lot of Mayes from my life.
If I don’t feel excited or sure about something, then in my gut it really means that I don’t want it.
It’s really about listening to your gut, and I think it’s as simple as that.
Rule #3: Decluttering Before Organizing
Look, I love an organized space. I love ASMR videos where everybody’s like organizing their fridge and restocking their pantries and things like that. It’s very satisfying to watch.
But I think a lot of those videos also really focus on buying more stuff to organize your stuff, and sometimes, yeah, you do need to do that.
But the first step before you get there is to declutter. A lot of times, if my space is feeling really cluttered up, overwhelming, disorganized, then it usually means that there’s too much junk in the way.
I think truly being organized doesn’t require spending a lot of money or any money at all.
It’s often more of a stuff problem and a clutter problem first. So start there, get rid of what’s in the way, and then organize it.
Rule #4: If You Don’t Use it, You Lose It…
This is a rule that I think about when I am decluttering and evaluating whether or not something still brings me joy, use, or value.
I personally live in a small space anyway, so everything that I own and bring in here needs to meet one of those three criteria.
If it doesn’t, then it’s just taking up space, and it needs to go. Because the thing about maintaining a more minimal, organized, or decluttered space is that it does require some level of Maintenance.
So it’s important to regularly evaluate your things, evaluate your spaces, decide whether or not you’re still wearing or using something, checking things like your medicine cabinet and your makeup collection to see what you’re no longer using or what’s expired.
Decluttering and keeping a minimal and organized space isn’t usually a one-and-done thing; it requires some level of Maintenance, and your taste, use, and need for things is going to change over time.
Rule #5: Wishlist & Wait
So when I see something that I want, putting it on a wish list is basically a non-negotiable for me at this point.
Because what it does is that it separates the initial impulse of wanting from the actual buying of it.
Since I started keeping a wish list, it has significantly minimized the number of things I bring into my space and the impulses that I act upon, and it’s basically gotten me into the habit of delaying gratification.
All I do is whenever I see something that I’m interested in or that I want, I’ll just put it on my wish list.
I keep it in the notes app on my phone, and I just set it and forget it.
Sometimes I’ll journal a little bit more deeply about it, like I’ll add the price of the item and maybe why I wanted it.
And I really make sure to be as honest with myself about that why as possible.
There are a lot of reasons why we want certain things, but a lot of times, they are really impulsive, and all you need to do is give yourself a little bit of breathing space.
This is especially helpful for things like online shopping and when you’re scrolling social media, because that is a huge trigger of wanting things.
But it also works to help you shop more intentionally in the future. If I put something on my wish list, then I know that when I’m ready to go shopping, I end up sticking to that list, and it really helps minimize distractions when I am shopping so that I stay focused and only buy what it is I want or need.
Rule #6: A Place For Everything
This is such a great rule to help you stay neat, tidy, and organized.
The one thing about minimalism is that, yes, it really focuses on minimizing what we bring into our space, but it also helps you keep your space feeling curated, tidy, and clutter-free when you’re in it.
A cluttered space does lead to a cluttered mind, and it’s very difficult to focus and feel at peace in a chaotic environment.
And one of the ways that I just minimize that feeling is by putting things away where they belong.
Now, sometimes things here and there still end up on the chair, you know the one, everybody has one. But I think it’s a good habit to get into.
To minimize the amount of work and overwhelm that needs to be done later on.
Sometimes there’s nothing more overwhelming than having to clean up a huge mess.
This way it keeps the mess a lot smaller and easier to manage, but it just keeps your space tidy and organized most of the time.
Plus, you’ll always know where to find things. And you can get as macro about this or as micro as you’d like.
For example, in my purse or in my backpack, I always put my wallet in the same place every time, so I’m not searching for it in some bottomless pit.
Or I always know which adapter I need where. I’m never searching in a big pile of Tangled cords or dongles when I’m working in my office.
And it helps in places like my wardrobe too, because then my closet stays organized based on garment type and even by color.
So I know exactly where everything is at all times, and it makes getting dressed really, really easy.
So if things are put back where they belong, not only are they going to be easy to access, but it’s just going to make your space that much more functional and feel so much better.
Rule #7: Don’t Buy a Problem
Oftentimes, we buy things to solve a problem, but just make sure that thing doesn’t create more problems than it solves.
For example, let’s say you bought a new rug for your living room to refresh your space.
But then you start realizing that, “Oh, but now my couch doesn’t match this rug, and now I need new throw pillows, and this doesn’t match this aesthetic.”
Or this can apply to when you buy a piece of clothing. Remember the rule of if it’s not a hell yes, then it’s a no.
Think not buying a problem goes hand in hand with that.
Because I think it helps you tune in to the feeling of meh or maybe about something.
So let’s say you’re out thrifting and you find this really unique one-of-a-kind piece, maybe it’s like a really cool brand, but it’s three or four sizes too big for you.
It could end up being a lot of work for a tailor to transform that garment so that it actually fits you, in which case you’re probably buying more problems than the thing is worth.
Or if you buy a piece that doesn’t go with anything else in your wardrobe, and you feel like you need to buy this accessory, and now this color doesn’t match.
And you can see how it really easily snowballs into potentially feeling like you need to buy more and do more.
If I start feeling that way about anything I’m buying, or I feel like I really need to rationalize my way into making the purchase, then I know that it’s probably not for me.
And this can even simply apply to buying things that you can’t afford. If you find yourself often relying on credit and using debt to buy things, especially things that are wants and not needs, then no matter what you are buying a problem, and that problem comes with interest.
Rule #8: Have a Why Before You Buy
Now that you know all the benefits of keeping a wish list, this is where you can also think about why you want to buy something in the first place.
But if you don’t know why you’re buying something, then it’s probably really not worth the money.
I think one of the cornerstones of intentional buying, intentional living, and intentional spending is having a why behind it.
Because if you feel like you don’t have a good reason to buy something, then it’s not worth your money.
I think breaking down the why before you buy is such a helpful exercise.
And reflecting on your wants, needs, and even your own shopping triggers.
Because if I were really honest with myself and dug deep into some reasons behind some purchases that I made, a lot of the time, they were kind of really embarrassing and not great reasons.
Like, I want this just because it’s on sale. I want this because I can’t pass up the deal. I want this because of the brand, not because I like it.
So if you get really honest with yourself and kind of dig a little deeper into that why before you buy, then I think it can really slow down a lot of those impulses.
Rule #9: The “Spark Joy” Rule
We’ll thank Marie condo for this one. Basically, if the item does not spark Joy, then it’s your sign to get rid of it.
And if you’re shopping and looking to buy something new, again, if the item does not spark joy, then you probably shouldn’t buy it.
I like this question because I think with minimalism, it’s really easy to get caught up in the primarily utilitarian side of your stuff, as in a lot of the advice really focuses on keeping only what you need and what you use.
And then you know, instead they’ll give you advice like take a picture of your sentimental item, you don’t need that.
And I just, I don’t know, I don’t vibe with that. I think it’s important and okay to have things simply because you like them, but I think it’s important to also be honest with that.
So for me, Spark Joy has to be an honest Spark Joy. It has to be that immediate hell yes, and not that kind of waffling meh I’m not sure I don’t know type of feeling.
Because I think the Spark Joy rule is a really easy one to let your stuff get away from you.
But I think it’s just a bit more of a gentle and realistic approach to whether or not you should keep something or even bring something in.
Rule #10: If You Can’t Pay For it in full Cash, You Can’t Afford It…
We live in such an instant gratification society, and a lot of us don’t want to hear the word no, let alone tell ourselves no.
And that’s where I think it’s really easy to get caught up in Reliance on credit cards or using buy now pay later apps like Afterpay, because we don’t want to wait.
And coming from a former shopaholic and stuff hoarder, I did this all the time.
When it came to the skill of delaying gratification, I had none of it, and I used things like credit, and it’s because I didn’t want to tell myself no.
But I find the more you do that and the more you delay gratification, and being able to pay for something in full is a way to implement that, it just simply forces you to slow down and reflect on whether or not you even want that thing to begin with.
I can’t tell you how many times I absolutely convinced myself.
That I needed something, and by the time the package arrived, I didn’t even know what it was I had ordered.
This really goes to show you just how much impulse buying and acting on those impulses, AKA not delaying that gratification, basically bleeds your bank account dry and clutters up your space at the same time.
So if I want something, yes, I put it on the wish list, yes, I wait, but I also need to be able to fully pay for it.
And if I can’t, then I have to come up with a plan to save for it, and even doing that in and of itself makes the purchase that much more intentional.
So those are the 10 minimalist rules that I think actually work, and that I still live by even to this day.
I don’t think you need to be a minimalist to benefit from some of the habits and lifestyle changes that it does promote, and this is just an example of how I use it in my own life.
Let me know some rules or habits that have helped you become more intentional in your life.
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