How to Mentally Prepare To Become A Minimalist In Today’s World

Living the minimalist lifestyle and minimalism itself is growing in popularity. As a result, more and more people are looking into how to become minimalists.

The romantic view of minimalism can be very different from how becoming a minimalist and living a minimalist lifestyle really is.

The problem occurs for many people when they realize there are no set rules. Minimalism can be very different from individual to individual. It boils down to living a minimalist philosophy that works for each individual.

Minimalism is something people might strive for, but they don’t know where to start. Here are ways to mentally prepare to become a minimalist in today’s world.

Create a detailed mental picture of how you would like to live as a minimalist and what you would like the minimalist lifestyle to add to your life before considering becoming a minimalist.

We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants.  Not wanting something is as good as possessing it. –Donald Horban

Realizing You Already Have Enough

Learn to be more content with what you have, visualize it! Sit down and really let that set in. If you have food, shelter, and a loving family that is safe you have all you need.

I admit that does not sound like much but need does not require much. To mentally prepare you will have to understand there is a world of a difference between want and need. Understand that wants should not rule your life.

Wanting and dreaming can be motivational and fun but being content with what you have is important and breeds happiness. If you can not grasp that concept all the minimalism and decluttering in the world won’t matter, because you’ll just want and add more.

Mentally prepare to embrace what you already have more because you already have what you need.

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. – Lao Tzu.

Start Cutting Back On Possessions and Declutter

So you still want to become a minimalist? You have to mentally prepare to get rid of some of your possessions. I know that is a basic fact of becoming a minimalist but many fail to believe it until that day comes.

Play that back in your mind. Go for the low-hanging fruit. Picture living without those things. Feels nice right? Nice and clean. This mental preparation will be a great help when the real decluttering and editing begins.

You are not a minimalist yet but you will have to follow through and start cutting back on your possessions, the clutter, and even more. Just like you are picturing it.

Simplicity involves unburdening your life, and living more lightly with fewer distractions that interfere with a high-quality life, as defined uniquely by each individual.  – Linda Breen Pierce

Start Simplifying Your Schedule

You have to mentally prepare to understand that there is no benefit to multitasking and burning the candle at both ends. Sure it feels like you are making progress but studies show it produces more harm than good.

Remove all unnecessary commitments from your schedule. Commitments that are unproductive, eat up time and take you away from the things you love. Finally, allow yourself room to breathe. You will see the world will not come to an end or collapse around you.

Then you will find time to focus on the important stuff. Your dreams, good friends, and family. More time to create great memories not seeking and managing useless stuff. Less is more.

You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. – Charles Spurgeon.

Begin Slowing Down Everything

Mentally prepare to begin slowing down your life. Living in crisis mode with your hair on fire can be addicting. But it really not fun or healthy. You are preparing to become a minimalist and develop a minimalist mindset. Seek simplicity.

Understand and know it will be a constant process. You will be evaluating and editing constantly. All that is unnecessary and harmful will be discarded. All that is positive and of value will remain. You will always be a work in progress working toward positive change.

Mentally understanding the minimalist evaluate and edit principle must permeate all facets of your life, diet, fitness, finances, friends, family, and everything else.

We go on multiplying our conveniences only to multiply our cares. We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties. – Anna C. Brackett​_

Would you still like to become a minimalist?

Here are my 10 Minimalist Lifestyle Tips to help you enjoy life more 😉