A minimalist lifestyle involves living with fewer resources whether in terms of a house or possessions in general. It is a part of the thought process, how a person chooses to live with all the minimal things in life and yet be satisfied at the same time. A minimalist lifestyle is by no means a radical lifestyle but rather an optimal one.

Some might call it extreme, depending how many changes you make to your life. Not all of us are going to throw out every thing and sit in an empty space. Small changes over time will make it easier and more acceptable. The benefits, however, are huge in every aspect of your life.

It is a good idea to plan your way into minimalism. Start with the obvious, your house.

Got through your home, room by room, and take a look at what you have and what you can get go without with the intension of removing it, giving it or throwing it away.

We put too much stock into “things” we own. We value our lives by what we have and not by who we are and the experiences we have. It is as simple as decluttering your home first.

Your living room/lounge - do you really need everything in there? Perhaps you have too many seating areas? Do you use all of the chairs? Decide which couches and chairs you use the most and toss out the rest. You can always make money by selling it online or if you are happy to, donate it. You will only need one coffee table or a side table or two.

What do you have on the walls? Some have tons of photos or pictures taking up most of the wall. Get rid of mundane pictures that don’t mean anything to you. Your room will already look so much bigger and more put together when you do this. Those family photos could possibly be scaled down and the left-over ones can be placed in an album or box. An alternative is to place them in storage and rotate them every few months, giving yourself a chance to appreciate them whilst they are up.

Let’s not forget the ornaments, or as they are better known, dust collectors. It is not easy keeping them dust free and it takes so much more time lifting them off the shelves, dusting and then putting them back. Perhaps you could take half away and store them if you are not sure of letting them go due to emotional attachments. You could also use the rotational system here. After a 6-month period (or less), re-examine your decision on these items. You may feel that you have grown unattached whereby you could sell or donate if you like.

How many lamps does one actually require in a room? Are they old or out of fashion? You find second-hand shops have tons of lampshades, giving you the opportunity to swap out the old for something new to appreciate. We don’t really need as many as we have. Consider your power usage if you have the main lights and lamps burning at the same time. We are all for saving money, and my minimising the lighting in your spaces, it’s amazing how much you can save.

How about that bookshelf in the corner, when last did you go through it to see what can be donated to a charity? If you cannot see yourself reading that book for the tenth time, then give it away to someone else who will appreciate it. We often clutter our bookshelves with other objects, other than books. It’s a bad habit, and one that should be avoided.

Your TV cabinet is another place we tend to store items that don’t have designated spaces for in the home. Clear out the items and you will be surprised how your area will look and how you will feel.

These are the basic first steps in obtaining that minimalistic lifestyle. As you go through your house, room by room, you will see how many “things“ you can do without.

You’ll be surprised how you much you will love the feeling of being free from clutter, that you may even start the process again from the beginning and do with much less. Soon enough you will have less than half of what you had a year ago or in as little as six months ago. Keep the process going until you find that your house might be too big for you and your family. Then it is time to scale down.

The best outcome you can achieve is spending less time cleaning and more time living. Not to mention the financial benefits of living without too much “stuff”.