I own nothing, therefore I have everything.

Now think about that for a moment…

Okay, minimalism has gotten a lot of hype in recent years, and it’s easy to understand why.

Despite our tremendous amounts of wealth and comfort, people in Western societies are less happy than ever and this is due, in large part, to our rampant consumer culture.

As we’ve slowly started to realize that “stuff” isn’t the key to happiness, we’ve begun looking for a better way.

Which has led us to minimalism.

Now…

I’ve been a self proclaimed minimalist for about 5 years.

And before I go any further, I want to make something clear.

Minimalism does NOT mean that you have to sell all of your posessions and live in a van.

Heck, I know minimalists with 4,000 square foot homes and Lamborghini’s.

How is this possible?

Because minimalism is about using your resources intentionally and buying only things that bring joy and value to your life.

It’s not about eating beans and rice and spending only $500 a month.

It’s about using your resources in a way that improves your life and makes you a better person instead of using your resources to keep up with the Joneses or uphold a social appearance.

With that in mind, here are 9 ways you can become a minimalist today.

1. Buy Only What You Need

At it’s core, minimalism is about purchasing only the things that you need.

However, when it comes to minimalism, we define the word “Need” a little bit differently.

When I say “Only buy what you need”, I don’t mean that you should only purchase beans a rice, a shed with a tin roof over it, and second hand clothing.

I mean that you should only buy things that provide real value to your life.

And here’s the kicker…

Only YOU know what those things are.

Personally, I spend money extravagantly on travel, networking events, healthy foods, and various gadgets to help me improve my performance.

However, I don’t spend much money on my car, my apartment, or my clothes.

Why?

Because having the latest Louis Vatton swag doesn’t make me happy, neither does owning an Aston Martin that I’d only drive twice a week, or an extravagant apartment with more space than I could ever use.

But for some people, nice cars, big homes, and high quality clothes add appreciable value to their life.

There’s no right or wrong way to do minimalism. But at the end of the day, if you are ONLY spending money on things that bring you joy and provide value to your life, you ARE a minimalist.

2. Run Lifestyle Experiments to See What Truly Makes You Happy

As we just discussed, minimalism is all about spending your money exclusively on things that make you happy and bring value to your life.

But there’s a problem…

Most people have no idea what actually makes them happy!

We’ve been fed so many lies and false expectations our entire life that we all automatically assume we’ll be happy once we have a mansion, 2 exotic sports cars, and a boat.

But after interviewing hundreds of millionaires (and even a billionaire) I can tell you that this simply isn’t true.

So, in order to figure out what makes you truly happy, I recommend running “Lifestyle Experiments”.

For example, once your current lease is up, live in different Air BnB’s for a few months all in different locations and of varying sizes.

See what living style makes you happiest.

Do you prefer having a studio apartment in the heart of downtown? A large town home in the suburbs? A simple cabin in the woods?

Test them out and figure it out for yourself.

3. Purchase High Quality Items

Another core tenant of minimalism is to eliminate waste.

As such, if you want to effectively adopt the minimalist lifestyle, you must become more conscious of the things that you buy not only in terms of the happiness that they provide, but in terms of their quality and life span.

For example, even as a minimalist, you might purchase an expensive $300 sweater because you know that it will last you for years and allow you to create half a dozen different outfits that you love.

It’s a versatile and quality purchase that will provide value, eliminate waste, and stand the test of time.

On the other hand, if you purchased a low quality Walmart sweater for $25, it will be worn out in a matter of months and you will have to spend more of your time and hard earned money finding another sweater that fits the bill.

You’ll be wasting our earth’s natural resources and your time.

Not a very minimalist thing to do.

Whenever possible, and especially with bigger purchases, always opt for quality over quantity.

When you buy high quality items, they are typically created in a more environmentally sustainable way (although not always) and they will last longer and work better than their cheaper counterparts.

It’s counterintuitive, but if you want to be a minimalist, you should actually spend MORE money on important things.

4. Ask Better Questions

As a consumer, the first question you typically ask yourself is “How much can I get”.

As a minimalist, you will ask yourself “How little can I get and still be happy”.

And therein lies another ninja tactic for adopting the minimalist lifestyle.

Which is to ask better questions.

The quality of your life is generally in direct proportion to the quality of the questions you ask yourself.

Consumers ask questions like:

• How much does it cost?
• What will my friends think about this?
• How many things can I find that are on sale this week?
• How much stuff can I buy and still stay inside of my budget.

Minimalists ask questions like:

• What’s the real value of this product?
• Will this bring joy to myself and the people I care about?
• What items do I NEED that are on sale this week?
• How little can I spend while still maximizing my happiness and performance?

When you ask better questions, you will get better answers.

Get into the habit of asking yourself unconventional questions about your lifestyle, spending habits, and desires and you will be one step closer to becoming the ultimate minimalist.

5. Get Off Social Media

Social media does very little for your quality of life.

Except to constantly remind you of all the things you don’t have and how everyone’s life is better than yours (On Instagram at least).

The solution?

Get off of social media.

It’s a waste of your time, it drains your energy, and it makes you think that you need things you don’t.

Instead, spend your time face to face with people you love, read a good book, or engage in a hobby you love.

Minimalism isn’t just about how you spend your money.

It’s also about how you invest your time.

And social media is the worst investment that I can think of.

6. Spend More Time Alone in Nature

If you want to become a true minimalist, then spending time alone in nature is the fastest way to achieve this goal.

By reconnecting with your primal side, you will remind yourself of what’s really important in life.

You will have the time and energy to really think about your life and contemplate your goals and ambitions.

You will have a chance to unplug from the rat race and think deeply about who you are and what you truly desire.

Aim for at least one day a week where you go to the beach, the mountains, or a local park without any electronics and just “be”.

It will change your life and help you crack the code to minimalism.

7. Practice Intentional Poverty

Nothing will help you realize how little you need to be happy than intentionally giving up everything you have for a short period of time.

Ancient stoic philosophers would regularly engage in “Intentional Poverty” where they would stay in the most basic accommodations, eating only porridge and rice, and wearing the most inexpensive clothes available.

If you are willing to do this for only a week out of every year, you will remind yourself of what is truly important and begin to ask yourself “Is this what I so deeply feared?”

When you engage in intentional poverty, you will eradicate fear from your life in a HUGE way.

Because you’ve tasted what failure is truly like and realized that it’s not as bad as you first thought.

8. Travel More Frequently

Travelling regularly forces you to downsize your posessions, open yourself up to new ways of living, and witness first hand the real poverty that other human beings live in while still living happy and healthy lives.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking a sabattical or gap year and travelling the world for 6–12 months.

I promise, it will change your life.

9. Chuck Your Credit Cards

If you can’t pay for something in cash, you probably don’t need it.

Chuck your credit cards and you will force yourself into a more minimalist state because, quite simply, you can’t spend money you don’t have.

Stay Grounded,
Andrew

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