Minimalism tips
Appreciate things more
Since they only have a few items, Minimalists tend to put greater appreciation on the stuff they own. They take great care of them and generally feel more thankful for having it in their lives. A kid who owns a dozen toy cars will usually find no great inclination towards a specific car but a child who owns just one 4×4 toy truck can play with it all day long.
Flat interfaces
The days of shadowed, embossed, and 3D CTA buttons are gone with the advent of minimalism. In minimalist UX design, icons, buttons, and all other elements are stripped bare to their most basic forms. The navigational ease, in this case, comes purely from layout and placements. For example, the F-pattern of content is very popular in order to smoothen navigation. Flat interfaces involve the use of flat icons, textures, and other graphic elements. They don’t use shadows, highlights, fancy textures, or any other glossy and 3D elements to highlight visuals.
Get estate documents in place
Make sure you have the right estate documents in place. This varies for everyone so I always recommend seeing an attorney. But don’t be intimidated by me saying that – if you are married, have kids, or have anyone else who is financially connected to you, it’s really important you have the right estate documents in place. I see way too many of my friends with kids not having an estate plan. My two cents is that it’s worth the couple of grand you may have to pay to protect your family.
Get the right insurance coverages
It’s important to have the right insurance coverages in place to protect you and your family financially. This includes property and casualty insurance, medical insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance, just to name a few types. It’s easy to overlook insurance, but if something tragic or unexpected happens to you, it would be even more devastating without the right insurance.
Set financial goals
The best way I know of to change where you are financially is to set goals. Goals give you a target to plan ahead for. If you need to payoff debt, save for a house, or something else – you can use goals to help you get there. Setting financial goals can change your life. Next steps:
- Read: How To Set Goals
- Listen: Impossible Goals (podcast)
- Read: How To Plan Your Best Year Ever
- Take: How To Live An Intentional Life (free course)
Reach Out To The Minimalist In Your Life
If you have a minimalist in your life, reach out to them. Ask them about their best tips and tricks on how to declutter. Trust me, they will be more than happy to guide you through the process.
Make Memories Out Of Sentimental Items
Sentimental items can pose a problem, especially when you are wondering how to declutter them. You don’t want to just throw them away. And yet maybe you don’t have enough space for them either. One way to address this is by digitizing. Take a picture with it and save a soft copy. Or repurpose multiple items into one. For example, make a quilt from the old band t-shirts. Or a Christmas ornament from a trinket. Make new memories out of your sentimental items.
Follow The One In One Out Strategy
Limiting your purchases reduces the necessity for decluttering. One great way to start this habit is with the one in one out mindset. When you buy something, make sure to donate or sell or give away one item. This way the number of things you own will never get out of hand.
Find Donation And Re-Selling Spots
When you purge your space, you will end up with unwanted items in perfectly good condition. The best course of action for such things is to either donate or resell them. So, before you begin the actual task of decluttering, do a bit of research. Find out places that will accept donations. These could be your local thrift stores and charitable organizations. Some of the places operate online as well. Look into ‘buy nothing’ groups in your area. Then there are websites and marketplaces where you can sell your stuff also. Related Read: Decluttering Tips- 10 Things To Say GoodBye To ASAP
Give A Home To Everything
You must have already heard of this one on your quest about how to declutter. Designating a specific home for your things helps you to maintain order. Decluttering is of no use if after a few days you end up with a mess again. Think baskets, boxes, drawers and cabinets. Assign a particular space to most of your items. Return things to their homes after every usage. A little will go a long way if you can maintain this.