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Top 10 Minimalist Living Tips - #10


Note: In this series of posts, I will share the 10 most valuable minimalist living tips that I have learned in the past four years. These guidelines are helping me a lot in my continuous walk in the path of simplicity, and I would like to share them with you. At the end of the series, I will gather them all together for a synopsis.

Minimalist Living Tip #10: Do not adhere to any preconceived rules.

 Most people who wanted to try minimalism have been discouraged by the many rules that seem to come with it. Ironic, but they find simplifying complicated, so they just gave it up altogether.

Including me, at least in the beginning.

You may have read about these “minimalist rules” in other blogs and websites. Limit my personal possessions to 100 things? Wear 33 clothes in 3 months? Give or throw away 1 item a day for 365 days? Go offline for 30 days? And so on and so forth.

Confession: While my personal possessions naturally went down below 100 as I practiced minimalist principles and concepts, and I also intentionally pared down my wardrobe to only 25 items since I joined Project 333, I haven’t really followed any strict rules when it comes to minimalism.

What I did was try to be consistent in living out its main principle: less excess, more essentials.

When I learned to let go of all my life’s excesses – clothes, possessions, commitments, activities, beliefs, and even some relationships – I suddenly found myself having sufficient time to do the things that I really love to do, with the people that I really love to be with.

I had more time for my family, reading and writing, and serving in our local church. I had more time to create, which led me to eventually become a published author. I had more time to focus on my own set of priorities.

I believe you also have your own distinct set, so it will be different for you. And it’s okay.

As Leo Babauta of Zen Habits pointed out in one of his posts at mnmlist.com, “There are no set rules. There’s no one way. What I suggest for living minimally isn’t what someone else would recommend, nor is it how you would live your minimalist life. In general, however, you want to live simply without too many unnecessary possessions, distractions, clutter, or waste. You want to live frugally, debt-free, sustainably, naturally.”

In short, minimalism is personal. As long as you consistently apply the principle of eliminating unnecessary things to focus on the necessary, you will naturally find your spot in the broad spectrum of minimalism.


Top 10 Minimalist Living Tips

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