In my previous article about the law of attraction, I mentioned how kicking my minimalist lifestyle up several notches increased savings and even less clutter.
I’ve been a minimalist in one form or the other since my childhood but I only started practicing conscious minimalism a few years ago.
This article will discuss the minimalist lifestyle, the benefits of minimalism, and the best way to start a minimalist lifestyle in 2024.
What is the Minimalist Lifestyle?
A minimalist lifestyle involves simplifying your lifestyle and reducing the number of material things in your life.
Conscious minimalism is intentionally, with clarity and purpose, removing the things in your life that has no value and serve only as distractions.
In other words, a minimalist is a simple person.
What Are the Benefits of Minimalism?
1. Clarity of Mind and Purpose
I mentioned in How to Declutter Your Life & Home Fast that when I was a kid, I didn’t like clutter or crowded places because it translated to a cluttered mind for me.
This was likely because as a writer, I cannot think clearly or find my ideas in the midst of clutter.
Being in a cluttered environment or living a life bogged down by things or the need to own things can affect mental and emotional health.
2. More Time for Yourself
Guess how I am when people are having a stroke because Nike will release a pair of limited must-have celebrity shoes worth $500 in the next 24 hours?
Completely unmoved sitting on my minimalist couch and eating my home-cooked dinner while people waste their time standing in line at a Nike store.
This applies to a lot of things in life and the perceived importance of things that aren’t really that vital in the overall scheme of things.
When you adopt a minimalist lifestyle, you have more time for yourself because you will stop caring about so many things that zap your time.
3. Savings, Savings, and More Savings
This should be first on this list because this is by far one of the most important benefits of being a minimalist.
When you practice the minimalist lifestyle, you spend less, which translates to more savings – a welcome benefit if you’re also trying to pay down debt.
4. Freedom
A minimalist lifestyle means you are less tied down to a specific place. You can pick up and go at any given moment.
Freedom to travel, freedom to move, freedom to become self-employed, and most importantly, freedom of soul and mind.
5. Focus on What’s Important
You’ll be amazed at how much you start realizing a lot of the things you thought were vital, important or must-haves are actually nothing.
For instance, I used to have a raging addiction to VS lingerie. A peek at a new catalog and the promise of a freebie was enough to send me into a lingerie shopping frenzy.
At first, I curtailed the spending but as time wore on, I curtailed the addiction altogether because I realized it was nonsense.
No, I don’t sleep naked. I still like lingerie. I just don’t spend a psychotic amount of money on it anymore.
When I removed things like this from my life, I began focusing on much more important things and filling up my life with meaningful activities.
Disadvantages of Being a Minimalist
Some people would argue that the disadvantage of minimalism is whenever you free up something in your life, a similar less intrusive thing will jump in to replace it.
What am I referring to? An example is canceling cable but you replace it with Netflix. You don’t have to replace it with Netflix though. You run your life. You’re the boss of you.
The purpose of minimalism is to teach you to let go of things. The point to note here is balance in everything.
If you understand what being a minimalist is and practice conscious minimalism, you will learn to turn the things that may be a disadvantage to your advantage.
How to Begin a Minimalist Lifestyle
So, how can you begin a minimalist lifestyle in 2024 and start manifesting this awesomeness for yourself:-
1. Find Out the Why
Why do you want to become a conscious minimalist? Because it’s fashionable? Because everyone is doing it? Because you’re sick of living paycheck to paycheck?
List out the reasons why. What’s the point of this exercise? Visualization helps you identify a purpose and propel you into action.
2. Declutter and Donate
It always starts with a good declutter. Decluttering frees up your internal and external space. Declutter your wardrobe, your kitchen, your bedroom, your home office, everywhere.
I wrote an in-depth article about how to declutter some time ago – How to Declutter Your Home and Life Fast. Start there.
3. Get Your Financial Life Under Control
If you’re struggling with debt, how to organize your finances, and/or plan your finances so you spend much less than you make, I highly recommend Take Control of Your Financial Independence.
4. Stop Buying Non-Essential Things
What are non-essential things? Why do you need new shoes? Are the old ones still fine? Why do you want a new dress? What’s wrong with all the other dresses?
Just stop buying.
Make a conscious decision when it comes to spending money. The other day, I met a friend for coffee.
On the way out of the mall, we diverted into a discount store where I had a 10-minute debate with myself about picking up something I could do with but I could live without.
You could do with it but can you live without it? If you can live without it, you may not need it. Read How to Bridge the Gap Between Your Wants and Needs.
5. Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Eat simple foods and exercise regularly. There is a direct correlation between a healthy mind and body and spending money on things you don’t need.
If you struggle with simplicity in cooking, try out meal planning.
Related Content: How to Save Money and Look Better with Meal Planning
Try each of these activities one at a time, implementing bit by bit. Lean into the minimalist life slowly. You’re less likely to give up this way.
A vision board will come in very useful here. Have a look at my vision board archives for more information.
A minimalist lifestyle is not a short-term project or activity. It is a lifetime of conscious living. It might take you a few weeks, months, or even years.
However long it takes you, you can be sure it starts with the first step and staying the course.
Have any questions about becoming a minimalist, ask in the comments sections. Be more with less in 2024!
Anna gave up her 9 – 5 to implement her life plan after paying off over $40,000 in debt. She started The Writer Entrepreneur to share her journey and encourage other people to pay off debt and pursue their life plans. She has been featured on HuffPost, YouQueen & Fitnancials among others. Learn more about Anna HERE.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. Read full disclosure HERE.