7 Surprising Secrets to a Minimalist Lifestyle You May Have Ignored

What are some of the top secrets to a minimalist lifestyle? A minimalist lifestyle seems simple enough, right (pun intended).

You get rid of stuff and stop buying stuff. 

Boom minimalist. 

This does seem oversimplified. And it is. 

There are some secrets to minimalist living that you may not already know if you’re looking to start your minimalist journey. 

Minimalism isn’t anything hidden, but there are common minimalist misconceptions that people may not understand when they first hear the word.

Minimalist Lifestyle Tips

Now minimalism isn’t for everyone but one of the best minimalist tips is to pick a version of minimalism that fits your needs and desired lifestyle.

Don’t try to be extreme if it doesn’t fit what you want your life to look like. The whole point is to live a life that you enjoy and that brings you happiness. 

That’s what minimalism is all about. 

Removing stuff that you don’t love so that you can enjoy doing what you love. 

7 Surprising Secrets to A Minimalist Lifestyle You May Have Ignored

1. Minimalism is Hard

If there’s one secret to minimalism that stands out it would be this one!

The fact that it’s so hard!

Now you may think what’s so hard about owning less stuff!!??

But just hear me out. Minimalism isn’t just all about your stuff and it may seem much harder in practice. Let me explain.

Minimalism can be challenging for the following reasons:

If you enjoy shopping  If you have a hard time letting go of personal items minimalism can seem daunting Getting rid of tons of stuff can be challenging Decluttering can take years in some cases

These factors make starting and keeping up with the minimalist lifestyle very difficult. 

This society has made it so easy to buy almost anything we want at the touch of a button. To say there is a temptation to impulse buy is an understatement. 

Even though minimalism may seem hard at first, however, it can become easier over time as you declutter more and more out of your life. 

As long as you have a solid goal for how you want your life to look, then working towards that minimalist ideal lifestyle doesn’t need to be challenging if you’re enjoying the changes you’re making. 

2. Decluttering Can be Very Challenging

This may seem very obvious, but getting rid of tons of junk is no simple task. Nor is it a fun one but it can be very rewarding. 

Clutter itself is overwhelming and the thought of decluttering a huge mess can be even more overwhelming. 

This is also evident when these items hold sentimental value or when emotion is tied to our possessions. 

These factors make it very difficult to declutter effectively and not to mention the fact that it can really take a long time in some cases depending on how much stuff has accumulated over the years. 

Even though taking on a serious home decluttering project can seem daunting, there are some ways to make it enjoyable:

Listen to music  Put on a movie or show in the background Listen to podcasts Play youtube videos in the background

By combining pleasant things with unpleasant tasks, we can make these things less daunting and unbearable. 

3. Decluttering is a Long Term Game (if you have a lot of stuff)

Many people have probably seen decluttering videos or challenges where you attempt to declutter your home in 30 days or something along those lines. 

However, this may be possible for some, but for others, this can only be a dream.

This is because a lot of people have so much stuff that they’ve bought over the years, that it could take them years just to get rid of it all. 

I’m talking from personal experience with family, there are items like couches and sofas and large appliances and furniture that can’t just be thrown away in one effort. 

Some of this stuff may still have value and may be worth selling. Other things may just need to be placed in bulk trash. Either way, getting rid of larger items can be a time-consuming process. 

Not to mention the fact that even selling and donating can take a while. 

Decluttering an entire home can be a 6-month plus endeavor maybe even years depending on how much clutter you have accumulated

4. Your Ideal Minimalist Lifestyle May Change Over Time

Another secret or something you may not have thought of when considering a minimalist lifestyle is the fact that your lifestyle may change over time. 

This can mean that maybe you wanted to live out of a suitcase and travel full-time, but now you have a family and need to find some roots. 

Changes like this happen and even though they can change the way we live, our minimalist lifestyle can adapt to our new situation. 

You may realize that with kids you may need to buy more things than you’re used to. But now the goal is to maintain that same type of lifestyle but incorporate it with your family. 

A huge misconception about minimalism is the idea that minimalism looks the same for everyone. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Everyone and every situation have its unique circumstances. A minimalist who is single and lives in a studio apartment is gonna have different needs and lifestyles compared to a married mom of three kids that lives in a larger house. 

The point is that your ideal minimalist lifestyle may change over time, but it’s okay to add more or less depending on your needs and what you enjoy. 

5. Minimalism is More Internal Than External

One large thing people miss about minimalism is the fact that they only focus on the external and how much stuff someone has. 

Sure a lot of minimalism has to do with how much stuff one has or how little, but the point of minimalism is more about why.

Why would someone get rid of most of their stuff or try to live with less?

This is because minimalism is about finding your ideal life and prioritizing what’s important for you in your journey. 

It doesn’t even necessarily have to be minimalism. You could have certain aspects of your life that are minimal and if that brings you joy then that is what matters. You don’t necessarily need to be minimalist to live a simple life. 

This emphasis is coming from more of an internal place where we’re really digging and looking for what we enjoy in life and what brings us happiness. 

These are the things we should chase after instead of material possessions. And I think that’s the point that many people miss when they think of minimalism. 

Overall, for me simple living and minimalism on an internal level involve a drastic mindset shift towards internal contentment rather than a feeling of wanting or needing more to be fulfilled.

Once you can make these internal changes, then the whole entire point of this practice is to live a happier life, and it’s as simple as that.

If you asked me why I would want to live a simple lifestyle or be more minimal, my answer is to live a happier life. 

6. Minimalism May be Harder to Maintain With a Family

This is another big one when it comes to any type of lifestyle shift. This can be evident in situations where a family member goes vegetarian and influences the family to also eat that way or to prepare meals that way.

In the same light, practicing minimalism and getting your family on board may not be a seamless transition. 

The main factors that make minimalism with a family difficult include:

Family may not be on board with the lifestyle If your significant other enjoys shopping, they may buy unnecessary items  If family brings more clutter into your living space it can hinder your decluttering process Kids will naturally need more things like toys and supplies to take care of them Christmas and gifts from birthdays can bring tons of extra toys and possessions into your home

Even though minimalism with a family may seem rough, it’s definitely possible! Even if your family isn’t 100% on board, you can make simple efforts to ensure your family does their best to keep your home simple and decluttered. 

These tips could help when trying to be minimalist with a family:

Keeping your kids’ toys in special places and bins Talking with your significant other before making lots of impulse purchases Agreeing to have all family members try their best to embrace simple living to their own standards

7. Minimalism Isn’t About Buying Less or Having Less

Finally, a minimalist lifestyle as stated above isn’t really about your possessions. 

It’s about your contentment with life and trying to live the optimal way to allow your fulfillment to grow. 

So even if you have a good amount of physical things, if you find happiness and enjoy what you have (and use what you have) then your version of minimalism or simple living or whatever you wanna call it is all that matters. 

Not what I or anyone else says it should look like or be like. 

Any type of advice regarding simple living or minimalist living is just meant to guide and provide a framework, but when it comes down to having less and how much stuff you need to enjoy life, that all depends on you and how you want to live!

But overall I advise following these principles:

Be content with less  Remove the clutter to make space for what you love Enjoy life and experiences and the people you love 

***

About the Author: Miguel desires to help you realize the benefits of Simple Living and inspire you to practice intentionality with your spending habits by learning to budget! His goal is to help beginners learn how to live a simple life, become intentional with spending, and manage their money right! Find more from him at thesimpleparadise.com.