Guest blog by Donna Sherriff - theleanminimalist.com
The New Year is a great time to consider taking steps to lead a simpler life with less in 2019. If you are considering minimalism, or even just have a desire to live more intentionally and more simply, thinking about how you will approach the coming year is a good place to start.
Before you jump into a flurry of life changes with your fresh New Year’s motivation, spend some time over the holiday period considering your values and beliefs. Make sure any resolutions you make are centered around things that you value or are passionate about.
Focus on yourself as if you were the customer of your life. What do you want out of your life as a customer? What are you willing to spend time on? Or more importantly, what are you not willing to spend time on? Whether you are looking to change your life in a radical way, or just looking for some tips to make things simpler, here are some ideas and links to great websites with tools and articles to help you get started.
1.
Clear out excess stuff and items that are not contributing to your life with the 30 Day Minimalism game by Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn of the The Minimalists. This game is a great starter for decluttering your home. You start by getting rid of 1 item on the first day of the month, 2 on the second and 3 on the third. If you complete the whole game you will remove an amazing total of 496 items! Play on your own or make it a competition with a friend.
2.
Refresh your closet with Project 333 by Courtney Carver, the author of the intentional living blog Be More With Less. The challenge is to dress with no more than 33 items of clothing, shoes and accessories for 3 months. You’ll be amazed at how liberating a minimalist wardrobe can be.
3.
Feeling a bit blah after the indulgences of the holiday season? Check out the inspiring posts and great recipes at Rebecca Shern’s Minimal WellnessThe focus on simple cooking and eating will provide inspiration for a healthier you in 2019.
4.
If you’re over the kids’ clutter or want to live with less but find the idea of doing this with children overwhelming, Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist has some great suggestions for living a simpler life with kids. His book, Clutterfree With Kids has some great tips for parents trying to manage clutter and balance life.
5.
Want to create new habits and need some inspiration? Breathe with Leo Babauta at Zen Habits. Leo started his own personal change journey in 2005 and has a huge range of inspiring blog posts, books and programs with a focus on how to form new habits and achieve your goals.
6.
If the holiday season has left you feeling that your finances are out of control and you need to confront your debt in 2018, there are many examples on the web of people who have achieved their financial goals through living a more intentional life with less. Check out this great post that summarises the 33 lessons that one couple learned on their journey to pay off US$66,000 in 3 years.
If you are really keen to simplify your life and you’d like some support along the way, there are a number of sites offering support and guidance on intentional living. Sign up to A Simple Year, a year long program that focuses on a new minimalism topic for each month such as clutter, busyness, travel and mindfulness.
If you’re wanting some guidance on a smaller scale, No Sidebar has a 30 Day Simplify course that will help get you started on the living with less path.
Spending time thinking about what you want to achieve in the New Year before the holiday season starts will give you the opportunity to get excited about what things inspire you and find you ready to live a more meaningful life with less in 2019.