From Scarcity to Abundance: 4 Steps to Minimalist Living

Minimalist living is just a fad, right? Maybe, but it’s really catching. Since minimalism is all about removing the things that distract from what matters, I think it’s going to be pretty popular for a while.

Consider this: the words I hear from many clients at our first meeting are “I just want to simplify.”

Ok, it’s one thing to want this, and another thing to implement. How do you get to a place where you really are living minimalist? Where your thoughts change from scarcity to abundance?

Today I’m sharing the resources that helped my family move toward minimalist living.

Right now, there are so many great books and podcasts that can help you shift your mindset, but in the end, it all starts with you.

Step 1: Get to the heart of the matter

I wasn’t really on a road to become minimalist. I just wanted to educate myself and my clients. But as I read more and experimented with minimalist living, I realized how much happier I was.

At the same time, Matthew and I started listening to the Dave Ramsey Show and decided to start on our debt-free journey.

It became pretty clear that deciding to own less and shop less would help us get to the lifestyle we wanted. If we spent less on things we don’t really need, we’d have more money for the things we really deeply desire.

In other words, we discovered the reason why we wanted to shift to minimalist living.

Step 2: Read up

The best place to start is to read. The book that changed my mind more than anything was The More of Less by Joshua Becker. I loved the real life examples of people living a minimalist lifestyle. It convinced me of the opportunities and benefits of having less stuff.

The Joy of Less by Francine jay is another book that can help get you in that minimalist mindset and help you to actually declutter your stuff.

Other books to read for inspiration:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Clutterfree with Kids

Step 3: Experiment

After I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I experimented with her method to keep only the things I loved. Suddenly my closet wasn’t full of clothes that made me feel guilty and I wasn’t trying to puzzle together my kitchen cabinets to fit things I didn’t even use.

I didn’t miss the stuff I let go of. Instead, it was totally freeing.

The only way to know how you’ll feel is to go for it. I started shopping differently or avoiding stores altogether. I also found ways to keep myself in the minimalist living mindset whenever I started falling back into my old ways.

Step 4: Stay influenced

I love podcasts. One of the first podcasts I started listening to was the Dave Ramsey Show, and that can definitely get you pumped up for minimalist living. I mean, debt-free and minimalism seem to go together like …”peas and carrots,” as Forest Gump would say. (Sorry, we’re into movie quotes.)

It’s really easy to get derailed, especially when you’re on social media or Pinterest. I catch myself wishing I had a Insta-worthy house and all these nice things. But then I have to remember to keep my eyes on the prize. So, I listen to podcasts to keep me in that mindset of minimalist living.

Some of my favorites are:

The Dave Ramsey Show (Specifically the Debt-Free Screams and the Millionaire Hour.)

Cohesive Home (Sometimes a new episode doesn’t come out for a while, but this lines up with their message of keeping the things that matter front and center.)

Minimalist Moms (They’re so honest about their minimalist journey as moms, so it makes it feel doable.)

If you want to start simplifying and shift toward minimalist living, these are some of the things you can do to get into it. Understanding why you want to and arming yourself with knowledge can get you started on the right foot. Then experimenting and keeping yourself influenced helps to keep it going.

So here’s what you can do right now: ask yourself what you really want and think about how living with less can help you get there.

Read one of the books recommended in the post to get inspired!