10 Minimalist Rules That Have Improved My Daily Life
Over the past few years, I've built some simple minimalist rules that have improved my daily life. I hope it can improve yours as well. Read on for ten minimalist rules to live by.
1. The house-on-fire rule
Recently, on a trip through Europe, British Airways lost our luggage. We kept our backpacks, but we lost all of our clothes. It was at that point I had a cool realization. I didn't care about any of that stuff. If I never saw my clothes again, it wouldn't matter.
So, I've been practicing this rule recently. The rule is to think about your attic, closet, storage unit, whatever it is. What would happen if it just went away?
I realized that there are a few things in my house that I wouldn't love to lose. Mostly, it wouldn't affect me, my happiness levels, or anything if my house burned down. The more stuff I've gotten rid of, the more calm and mental clarity I've had.
2. The 20/20 rule, or just in case
I realized that we have so many things to hang on to, just in case. If people come over, I need to make 18 cups of coffee at once, just in case I go up or down a size. We've got all of this stuff, just in case.
So, as you're decluttering and figuring out what to get rid of if you can replace an item for $20 in under 20 minutes, just let it go without being wasteful. If you're on the edge with something, use the 20/20 rule. If it fits in there, just let it go.
3. The box rule
The box rule kind of expands on the last one, where if you're going through decluttering stuff, you're unsure about it, or maybe it doesn't fit in the 20/20 rule, throw it in a box, put it in your attic, put it in the garage.
Set a reminder on your phone for six months from now that you will go through that box and decide what to do with it.
When that time comes, and you realize that you haven't gone to that box because you didn't need anything out of it, you have two choices.
You can either go through it and decide to sell or declutter it, or you can just take the entire box and donate it because you don't need anything.
4. The two-day rule
This rule is super simple. It's pretty much that you're not going to miss performing a new habit two days in a row. I use this in a couple of different ways.
I read a page of a book every single morning, and it's okay if I miss one day because I've got an appointment in the morning or whatever's going on, but I can never miss two days in a row, and that has kept that habit highly consistent for over a year now.
One day, but I can never miss two in a row.
5. The investing rule
Instead of investing in stuff, we should be investing in experiences. Investing in stuff has generally led me to be more stressed. It all takes up space in my mind.
But experiences help change you. They're a great memory. They help you learn and expand your horizons.
6. Have a home rule
If stuff does not have a home, I just get rid of it.
Since I took the time and found a place for everything to go, I've stopped losing my wallet and my keys. My phone has a place to go. All my clothes have places they go. All the toys have places that they go. Everything in my house has a place where it belongs.
If it doesn't have a place where it belongs, it probably does not belong in my house.
7. Other people rule
A lot of times, we do things either consciously or subconsciously for other people. When we get the newest iPhone, it's partly because we want that new flashy thing and partly because we can show off. It's cool to have. It's a status symbol.
This one took me a while to get out of. Instead of worrying about what other people think, especially when buying stuff, I've focused on wants versus needs. Is this something I need, or do I want it because people think it's cool?
I don't care what other people think.
8. The 90% rule
I use this rule in two different ways. First, when looking at stuff to buy, I try not to buy it unless it is 90 or above. So, one out of 100, does this shirt reach 90% for me? Does it fit well? Will I wear it a ton? And if it's below there, I won't buy it. As a result, every shirt that I own is my favorite shirt.
I used to have a lot of stuff that was maybe 60 or 70, and I'd be like, oh, that's pretty cool, or it's not bad. I never wore it because I would wear my favorite stuff. Now everything's my favorite stuff, and since I found all my favorite stuff, I don't buy anything anymore.
So that's really strict criteria for buying everything in your house. The second way to use this is when somebody asks you to do something, an opportunity arises. Is that a 90 or above? Is it a heck yes? If it's not, then it's a no, and doing that has cleared up my calendar incredibly.
9. The two-minute rule
This is the quick version of a life-changing rule. If something takes two minutes or less, Just do it.
Put away the dishes, clean up your room, and bring that thing upstairs that's been sitting on the staircase for a month. Only commit to the smallest thing possible.
By doing that, you'll trick yourself into doing the big stuff, and you clear up a bunch of crap that you've been avoiding.
10. The nightly reset
Every night before bed, I walk through and reset my house. I lay out my clothes for the night before. I load or unload the dishwasher, so we never leave any dishes around. I fill up my kettle so that I can make coffee by just clicking the button in the morning. I set up my next day for success the night before, and it's been life-changing.
Minimalist rules
What minimalist rules do you follow? Share your rules for living a minimalist life in the comments below. Also, share how far you are on your minimalist journey.
Next, check out my 8 Easy Minimalist Habits for a Tidy Home.
Comments
Join the conversation