7 Easy Minimalist Habits to Start in 2024

1. Taste your coffee

This may sound stupid, but it is life changing. I have recently realized that I have not been taking the time to actually experience the small but beautiful things in my life, like the flavors of my coffee or the colors of the sunrise in the window.

Once you stop functioning automatically and start noticing the little things and truly taking pleasure in them, your life changes drastically.

2. 15 minutes a day

I have been reading a book a week for most of this past year, and it has completely changed my mindset and improved my life.

Generally, in order to do that, I had to read at least an hour a day, and I was doing audiobooks and other things as well, so I have pared it down a little bit this year.

Even if it is only for 15 minutes a day, consistent and steady learning does wonders, and I highly recommend you get into the habit of it, too.

3. The 90% rule

There are different ways in which this rule is valid. One is that if something is not a 90+ on a scale from 1 to 100, then you should not be getting it. Every piece of clothing that I buy, every purchase that I make, has to be a 90+. Will this be my favorite thing that I would love to wear, that I will use a ton? If it is not a heck yes, then it is a no.

The second interpretation of the 90% rule is applying it to things that I do. If somebody asks me to do something or an opportunity comes up, and it is not a 90+, then I am saying no.

Of course, there are complexities here, with obligations and people getting offended, but if you are constantly doing stuff and do not have five minutes to yourself, this is a red flag. It means you need to start saying no some things so that you can say yes to amazing, life changing things, which will truly improve your life.

The third application is similar to the 80-20 rule, only reading essentialism has taught me that it is actually closer to 90-10 or 95-5. Only 5-10% of things actively change your life, and the rest does not matter.

At work, there are a few things that actually matter. So try to cut out those unnecessary things as much as possible to make time for the important stuff.

4. No spend month

Have a no buy month, or week, or even year. We do this two or three months out of the year. We will not buy anything that is not a necessity. We get food, gas, pay for our housing and all that, but anything that is not a necessity we do not buy.

It is an amazing experience, especially if you are caught in the cycle of constantly buying things and shopping just for fun. You will be amazed at how little your life changes and how much you have saved, and you might also realize how little all of that crap that you think about and spend so much time and money on matters.

5. The endowment effect

The endowment effect says that we value things that we own more than things that we do not own. That is why it is so hard to get rid of things we own. Even if we do not use or even remember we own something, we tend to keep it just in case.

Now that I know this, during my decluttering sessions I ask myself: if I did not already own this, would I spend money to buy it? This reframing makes me realize how little those items mean to me and how little value or joy they bring, and it is so much easier to let them go.

6. Make space

When we hear “space” and “calm”, we might think of the woods or the Pinterest version of relaxation, which is something we do not normally experience in our own lives. Make it a habit to schedule time to wind down and have space, so you are not constantly running.

Building a clutter-free home is the first step to that, as our home is where we spend a lot of our time, and having it organized and simplified makes us feel comfortable and relaxed within it. Take the time to take a walk, go on a hike, or just be bored for a minute without going on your phone.

7. Create instead of consuming

With all the ads we see daily, we are programmed to be consumers. It convinces us that buying stuff will make us feel better, but in reality it makes us escape our problems instead of facing them.

Being a creator is a much more rewarding lifestyle, as you are putting something out there and making a positive impact on other people’s lives. It could be through making videos, like me, creating a physical product or a digital product or a piece of media or sharing your thoughts with friends or writing or drawing.

Shifting the focus from self to others and striving to make the world a better place is a life-changing mindset change.

Minimalist habits

These seven habits are a great way to start your 2024 as a minimalist. What perspective shifting habits have you implemented into your life? Let me know in the comments, and let’s start forming minimalist habits together today!