Hit 'reset' on your life: Learn to live as a minimalist

Most of us are so busy being busy that we don’t notice how much of our life is focused on accumulation: of possessions, of status, of debt.

Americans have an average of 300,000 objects of various sizes cluttering up their home and have typically amassed around $16,000 in credit card debt. But there is a way to solve this...

Learning to live minimally is an opportunity to evaluate the objects in your life and get rid of anything unnecessary. It does not mean being a Luddite or depriving yourself of things for the sake of it.

Simplicity is the key. For example: learning to live without the internet at home may seem unthinkable, but it would actually motivate you to get out more and spend your time wisely. You’ll find yourself committing to fewer things over time, creating space in your life.

Minimalism helps you replace accomplishment with significance. By bringing added clarity into your life, you’ll stop chasing things blindly and start to see what truly matters to you.

If you’ve bought something “just in case” you need it, you probably don’t need it. Try the 20/20 rule: if it can be replaced for under $20 in less than 20 minutes, just get rid of it.

Decluttering your life means being honest with yourself. Apply the 90/90 rule: if you haven’t used/worn something in the last 90 days, and won’t use/wear it in the next 90 days, it’s time to let go and give it to someone else.

Play the 30-day game: find someone you know who also wants to shed excess stuff. For a month, you both get rid of one thing on the first day, two things on the second day, and so on. The numbers aspect builds momentum; doing it with someone else helps with accountability.

Throw a “packing party”: pack up everything in your home into boxes, as if you were about to move. For the next three weeks, only unpack something you absolutely need. This will open your eyes to just how much stuff you can live without.

Bottom line: Living minimally is about making room for what’s most important in life. To do that, you just need to shed anything you don’t 100% need. Start to switch off more and question the belonging of every single object you own. You may be surprised at how freeing it feels.