Minimalism 7 Steps to a Simpler Life

8/7/2019 Minimalism 7 Steps to a Simpler Life

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MINIMALISM 7STEPS TO A SIMPLER LIFE


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Table of Content

Introduction to a New Lifestyle - 3 Step 1 Defining and Understanding Minimalism - 4-6 Step 2 Moving Forward - 7-9 Step 3 Changing Perception - 10-12

Step 4 Understanding the Challenges Ahead - 13-14 Step 5 What to Minimalize - 15-20 Step 6 The Jumping Off Point - 21-24 Step 7 Not Giving Up - 25 In Conclusion - 26 Sources - 27 Special Thanks - 28


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Introduction to a New Lifestyle

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read Minimalism: 7 Steps to

a Simpler Life! I am glad you have made the decision to enter the world of a

minimalist lifestyle. By doing so, you have chosen to make a positive difference,

not only in your life, but also in the lives of those around you. I cannot promise

that becoming a minimalist will not have a few downfalls. You probably will

become a person with a low need for stuff and a high need for happiness. You

might actually have to find activities to fill your new vast amount of free time. You

may even decide to share your story and experience with others. But I promise,

those downfalls will certainly open your world to endless opportunities.

If you are still wavering on whether or not you should implement a minimalist

lifestyle, I suggest you read the following articles:

Life as a Minimalist Why DONT You Want to Be a Minimalist? Attempting Minimalism

Becoming a minimalist has been one of my best decisions and I know, in
http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/life-minimalist/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/life-minimalist/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/why-dont-you-want-to-be-minimalist/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/why-dont-you-want-to-be-minimalist/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/attempting-minimalism/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/attempting-minimalism/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/attempting-minimalism/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/why-dont-you-want-to-be-minimalist/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/life-minimalist/


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Minimalism: 7 Steps to a Simpler Life -UNCOPYRIGHTED- Page 4

Step 1 Defining & Understanding Minimalism

My definition of minimalism is the act of simplifying ones life so that

only the essentials are present and absolute focus on the solely important

attributes in my life is possible. This definition literally changes weekly for

me. So there is definitely no right answer to defining minimalism. However,

the core principles of minimalism are extremely necessary when defining

your minimalist lifestyle.

The following are 3 core principles to minimalism that, when

implemented, highly improve your success at becoming more of a

minimalist.


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3 Core Principles to Minimalism

Limit Excess Do all that you can to limit the stuff in your lifethat takes up unnecessary time and/or space.

Limit Clutter Manage the few items you have by keepingthem orderly.

Minimalist Thinking With whatever aspect of your life, askyourself what action a minimalist would take. (LifeExcursion

Post:Minimalist Thinking)

These core principles will not give you detail into each and every decision

you make while becoming a minimalist. What they will do though is create

a base from which to branch your minimalist actions out from.
http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/minimalist-thinking/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/minimalist-thinking/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/minimalist-thinking/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/minimalist-thinking/


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What needs to be understood about minimalism is that each

individual approaching such lifestyle molds this aspect into their life. Forsome, there are extreme actions taken while others integrate smaller

aspects of minimalism. Once you understand your goals for implementing

minimalist ideals, you will be able to act successfully towards achieving

those goals.

Step 1 ACTION STEPS:

Write down what minimalism is to you Write a list of areas of your home that need are not in line with the

minimalist lifestyle

Now that you have completed Step 1, it is time to focus on

Moving Forward in Step 2.


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Step 2 - Moving Forward

Have you ever felt like you are just running in circles around a

problem or situation? Sometimes, our chosen paths have led us into a

never ending circle, or so it seems. With any choice or decision we make,

whether right or wrong, there is a way to change our circumstance and get

out of the endless circular rut. The first step is making the decision to

move forward.

Moving forward is not as easy as it sounds or as easy as you may

hope. Comfort and anxiety have kept us in a stand-still. Our current

circumstance may be so comfortable that we choose not to improve our

situation for fear that the comfort would be lost or impeded upon forhowever short or long it may take to change. Also, the anxiety that comes

with changing the behavior we have molded in our lives is usually tough to


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change. We have become so familiar with the same day-to-day actions that

altering major parts of our life can cause a lot of stress.

Despite the tough road blocks that we have set up for ourselves, life

always allows us to move forward. Reading this eBook is just one of the

many actions you have been and will be taking to achieve moving forward.

Starting that progression in the right direction is a major step towards

achieving success. Everyone can say they could change if they wanted to,

but you have actually started that metaphorical ball rolling.

Step 2 - ACTION STEPS:

Reflect and decide on what path you want in life Write down a list of goals and dreams Make the conscious decision to change habits


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With that, you now have completed Step 2 on your path to a minimalist

lifestyle.


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Step 3 Changing Perception

Your perception of life may be of many things. For some, it may be of

the need to accessorize their lives with stuff. For others, it may be the

desire to please everyone they encounter. Your perception of what life has

to be, changes right now. You must change your perception of ideals to

become a successful minimalist. This does not mean you must be

minimalist in every aspect of life (more to come on the definition of

minimalism), but you do need to understand and accept the principles

behind minimalism. I cannot state strongly enough the importance of

changing your mindset to accept such a radical lifestyle modification.

Those around you may have no idea why you are taking theunnecessary out of your life. They perceive your actions as illogical, but this

is because they are not grasping the concept. Changing the perception of


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minimalism within yourself first, will allow you to adapt to a world where

minimalism is not widely appreciated or accepted.

Perception is only that which you make of any action, situation, or

object. You are the controller of what the meaning of everything around

you is. Unfortunately, through subliminal messages and a highly influential

society, we have become accustomed to molding ourselves with the norm

lifestyle. Uniqueness is something that may be spoken a lot about, but is

rarely, truly, lived out. Minimalism is rare. Minimalism has not become a

major part of society because of two things, consumerism and materialism.

Consumerism has led to an onslaught of advertising being pushed on us at a

constant rate. Materialism has developed from the idea that we need

STUFF to feel satisfied with our lives. Both of these have led to a society

that tends to reject such a drastic, difficult lifestyle change like minimalism.

Through your control, you can change that perception today.


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Now that you have thought through the action of changing your

perception on lifestyle design and minimalism itself, you should be able tosuccessfully navigate the sometimes difficult undertakings of creating a

new lifestyle.


Simply sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and think of what aminimalist lifestyle is going to be for you.

Focus on the path ahead thinking about each level of lifestylechange you want to build upon.

Now that you have a better understanding of what minimalism is, we can

move forward to Step 4 Understanding the Challenges Ahead


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Step 4 Understanding the Challenges Ahead

It wouldnt be very fair of me not to give you a heads up. So here I

go. A minimalist lifestyle can be difficult to grasp and control at the

beginning. There will be many people against your positive actions and

going against that social norm of consumerism is tough. I had my own

difficulties focusing at times. However, I continued to jump back on the

minimalist horse. All that really matters is that you learn from your

missteps and move forward. There is never going to be a perfect day in a

minimalist lifestyle. But when you think about it, there is never going to be

a perfect day in any lifestyle. By choosing this path, you can focus on the

important aspects of life while other lifestyles may be wandering through a

lifestyle that is cluttered and unproductive.


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Always remember that there will be challenges with any aspect of life

you take on. The challenge of becoming a minimalist is just another oneyou can be proud of beating.

Step 4 - ACTION STEPS:

Practice patience. This major lifestyle change can be shocking. Takeyour time and keep moving forward at whatever pace you choose.

If you happen to lose focus, jump back on track without worryingabout your mistakes.

Enough of the downside, lets move forward to Step 5 What toMinimalize?


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Step 5 What to Minimalize?

What to minimalize? is probably one of the first questions you

asked yourself when approaching the idea of a minimalist lifestyle. The

important question to really ask is, What aspect of my life is cluttered?

This question will show you what facet of your life to tackle first.

Here is a list of some general areas you may want to address first:

Finances Clothing Schedule Living or Family Room Desk

Most Frequented Space Car Bedroom(s) Kitchen Garage


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These are just a few of the hundred areas of your life you can address

first or later down the minimalist road.

Lets tackle a few of these areas together. Hopefully, this act

will help motivate you once you focus on areas you are not as thrilled

to minimalize.

Finances: Do you have a million receipts, tax papers, paystubs, bills, checks, and so on and so forth lying around

unorganized? Well, knowing where and how your

money is flowing is a great motivator to minimalize your

financial section. You need to first obtain a few manila

folders, designate for each financial aspect (such as car

loan, mortgage, etc.), and start filing your jumbled


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paperwork. Eliminate any and all paperwork that has no

use in the future. An even better way to approach this isto try and scan and organize all important documents on

your computer. It can be timely, but well worth having

no paper filing to be done. Along with focusing on the

physical paperwork clutter, you should try and work on

reducing the financial liabilities that you have. This stresscan lead to a disorganized lifestyle in which re-focusing

on minimalism is extremely difficult. For more help on

budgeting and debt reduction, check outEnemyofDebt,

ManvsDebtandBudgetsareSexy

Schedule: If your schedule has 10 To-dos, eliminate halfof them right away. I bet half of those were not going to

improve your life anyways. Now, with your new list,
http://enemyofdebt.com/http://enemyofdebt.com/http://enemyofdebt.com/http://manvsdebt.com/http://manvsdebt.com/http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/http://manvsdebt.com/http://enemyofdebt.com/


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spend quality time accomplishing your goals. By

minimalizing your schedule, you will free up more timefor what is important which is why you are probably

becoming a minimalist in the first place.

Most Frequented Space: Attack the area you spendmost of your time. This may be your desk or it may be

your lounge chair or some other area. Either way,minimalize that entire section. Take everything away

from the section and only put back what is absolutely

necessary.

You can find out more on this process by checking this

past article 5 Simple Ways to Minimalize TODAY
http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/5-simple-ways-to-become-a-minimalist-today/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/5-simple-ways-to-become-a-minimalist-today/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/5-simple-ways-to-become-a-minimalist-today/http://lifeexcursion.com/index.php/5-simple-ways-to-become-a-minimalist-today/


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Once again, a key action to becoming a minimalist is minimalizing the

areas that are important and life changing for you. I cannot tell youwhat areas are of extreme importance that you must minimalize

today. But, this may guide you. You need to sit down and think of the

important areas of your life that will be better once a minimalist

touch is added.


Focus on the important aspects to your life. Always ask yourself honestly, Do I really need this? Implement household rules for areas of focus


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Now that you have decided what could receive a minimalist

makeover, its time to move to Step 6 The Jumping Off Point


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Step 6 The Jumping Off Point

So far we have addressed many aspects of minimalism. Now

its time to act. You have probably been antsy to get this process

going. Well, sometimes, especially in this minimalist lifestyle change,

jumping headfirst can be dangerous. That is why we have focused on

our approach before and now can take the leap of faith and start

acting.

This is the easy part in my eyes. I never mind seeing progress

and there is no better way to see minimalist progress than by

implementing what we have learned.

I have provided a checklist of steps that you can print and cross

off as you tackle each step of the minimalist process:


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MMiinniimmaalliissttCChheecckklliisstt

oClean Slate Remove everything from sectionoPick 2 Absolute Necessities Place backoKeep Between 0-10% of what is left Place backoNow take one more item out of sectionoList What is Left on Craigslist or eBayoDonate What is Left of That to Local CharityoDO NOTPull STUFF Back from Charity Pile


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That checklist may look simple enough, but once you start to be

limited by it you will soon realize how powerful it is.

Use that checklist as a jumping off point for every area of your

minimalist makeover. Print one for each section and commit to staying

to the rules of the checklist.

From this point forward, you should have a general idea of your

goals, where to start and how to act.


Set aside 30 minutes to an hour to focus on minimalizing an area


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MUST DO: -Print and Use checklist provided. Sell/Donate/Trash left over items ASAP

Our last step may be the toughest. So, with no further adieu, I

present Step 7 Not Giving Up


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Step 7 Not Giving Up

Now that you have become a minimalist, dont give up staying one.

This lifestyle is one that will bring about benefits for the rest of your life.

So when you slip here and there, dont worry. Just pick yourself back up

and focus on the goal at hand. Approach a lifetime of being a minimalist

as you would anything else you want to succeed at. Dont give in to the

temptations of society. Friends will question your lifestyle, but instead

of falling to their peer pressure, show them the benefits and help them

enjoy the same great lifestyle you now are.

Always remember, there is never a time you cant get back to being a

minimalist.


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Get your family and friends involved, so when you feel the urge togive up, they can help you get back on the horse.

Remember, it will never go perfectly as planned. Dont let that swayyou from a great lifestyle decision.

Be positive. Nothing good ever comes from being negative. Think ofany applied minimalist practice as a brighter side to your life.


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In Conclusion

The path you have traveled to become a minimalist may have been

tough. You may not see right now that the effort poured into changing

your entire lifestyle to that of a minimalist was worth the sacrifice. But,

as time goes by, you will be thankful that your life is simpler and more

productive than ever before.

Thank You for Reading and I Hope This eBook Changes Your Life

Forever!

David Damron

The Minimalist Path
http://theminimalistpath.com/http://theminimalistpath.com/http://theminimalistpath.com/


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Sources:

In addition to the links provided throughout the 7 Steps to a Simpler Life in

7 Days, I have provided some incredible sources to help motivate, guide,

and inspire you down the minimalist path

Mnmlist An essential site to becoming a minimalist. Authored by Leo Babauta of

ZenHabits.net

Frugal Bachelor A bachelors tale of living the simplistic lifestyle and its challenges.

Becoming Minimalist The perspective of a suburban family making the change to a

minimalist lifestyle

The Minimalist A look at the many factors of a minimalist lifestyle.

Simple. Organized. Life. A great look at how to simplify, one step at a time.
http://mnmlist.com/http://mnmlist.com/http://frugalbachelor.blogspot.com/2009/08/minimalist-lifestyle.htmlhttp://frugalbachelor.blogspot.com/2009/08/minimalist-lifestyle.htmlhttp://www.becomingminimalist.com/http://www.becomingminimalist.com/http://theminimalist.net/http://theminimalist.net/http://simpleorganizedlife.com/http://simpleorganizedlife.com/http://simpleorganizedlife.com/http://theminimalist.net/http://www.becomingminimalist.com/http://frugalbachelor.blogspot.com/2009/08/minimalist-lifestyle.htmlhttp://mnmlist.com/


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Special Thanks

I just wanted to send out a special thanks to the following people

who have helped guide me down a minimalist path as well as perfect this

eBook for my great audience.

Leo Babauta:ZenHabits

Brad Chaffee:Enemy of Debt

Karen Hill:Dreamin the Life

Ken Kurosawa: WasabiBurger

J.D. Bentley:WageSlaveRebel

Photo Credit:Arne Jacobsen
http://zenhabits.net/http://zenhabits.net/http://zenhabits.net/http://www.enemyofdebt.com/http://www.enemyofdebt.com/http://www.enemyofdebt.com/http://dreaminthelife.com/http://dreaminthelife.com/http://dreaminthelife.com/http://wasabiburger.com/http://wasabiburger.com/http://wasabiburger.com/http://wageslaverebel.com/http://wageslaverebel.com/http://wageslaverebel.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2653214015/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2653214015/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2653214015/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2653214015/in/photostream/http://wageslaverebel.com/http://wasabiburger.com/http://dreaminthelife.com/http://www.enemyofdebt.com/http://zenhabits.net/

Minimalism 7 Steps to a Simpler Life

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