The Minimalism Mindset: Finding Joy in Simplicity

Before I begin, I want to say two things.

First, what I’m about to share is not the way to live. What has worked for our family may not work for yours, and you may have discovered practices that work even better for you. I don’t consider our family “extreme minimalists” by any means. We have a home that feels peaceful and decluttered, without being filled with things we can’t keep up with—and we have developed a desire to continue living this way.

We have gotten rid of so much stuff.

This is simply our story and our journey. My hope is that by sharing it, I can give you a picture of what minimalism can look like and what it could look like in your own life. Ultimately, you need to find your version of minimalism.

Second, I’ve been influenced by many people and resources throughout this journey. I’ve taken what I’ve learned, applied it to our own life, and figured out what works for our family. Three of my favorite voices on minimalism are Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, and Shira Gill.

I’m not here to tell you to copy someone else’s life. I want to share what I’ve learned and give you practical steps you can take as you discover what simplicity looks like for you.

Our Why

For years, we accumulated stuff.

When we lived in a small place in Utah, we used my parents’ basement for storage. We eventually got rid of some things, but when we moved to Texas, we brought a lot of that stuff with us. Before long, we had a room in our house dedicated to storage. Then there was the garage. Then the shed. And eventually, I realized something:

We didn’t need more space. We needed less stuff.

Our life is also busy. Ministry can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be busy and emotionally draining. We didn’t need more chaos. We needed more calm. More peace. More margin. I wanted our home to be a peaceful environment for our family.

Work, ministry, school, activities, appointments, and schedules can already make life feel full. When we come home, I want home to feel different. I want it to feel peaceful.

I also wanted our home to be ready for people at any time. People stop by our house often, and having less stuff makes that so much easier. There isn’t a constant feeling that I need to clean, organize, or hide things before someone walks through the door. And then there was comparison.

I was tired of comparing our home and our life to everyone else’s. Other people’s homes. Pinterest. Movies. Social media. The perfectly decorated spaces we see online. But here’s the truth:

You don’t have to live like everyone else. In fact, you’ll probably be happier when you stop trying to.

I challenged myself to develop a more abundant mindset—and surprisingly, that meant getting rid of things rather than acquiring more.

What Is Minimalism to Me?

For me, minimalism is about much more than having an empty house.

It is:

Simplicity
Contentment
Rest
A slower pace
A peaceful home
More time and margin in my schedule
Less chaos
Less stress
Less spending
Fewer distractions and more focus
Less comparison
Learning how to let go
Getting creative with what I already have
Learning that the less I need, the better I feel
Creating a mindset I hope to instill in my children

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist defines minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing anything that distracts us from them.”

I love that definition because minimalism isn’t simply about decluttering.

It’s about creating freedom.

And minimalism doesn’t have to apply only to your house.

You can practice minimalism with your:

Home
Work space and desk
Car
Schedule
Email inbox
Computer files and bookmarks
Phone contacts and texts
Apps
Photos and videos
Social media

The goal of a minimalist mindset is to eliminate the distractions that drain our energy and take away from our joy.

You can create the home you want in the house you already have. And often, the first step toward crafting the life you want is getting rid of the things that are distracting you from it.

Five Steps to Begin Your Minimalism Journey

When I think about simplifying, I come back to five steps:

Clarify. Edit. Organize. Elevate. Maintain.

1. Clarify: Know Your Why

Before you start throwing things away, determine why you want to simplify. What do you want your home and your life to feel like? Maybe you want more peace. Maybe you want more time with your family. Maybe you’re tired of constantly cleaning. Maybe you want to spend less money. Maybe your clutter is creating stress. Whatever your reason is, identify it.

Think about the goals you have for your home and your life. Consider the obstacles or roadblocks you anticipate. And remember this:

Everything you own requires some of your attention and time.

It needs to be cleaned, organized, maintained, stored, moved, found, repaired, or eventually replaced. When you realize that every possession comes with a tiny responsibility attached to it, letting go becomes a little easier.

2. Edit: Get Rid of What You Don't Need

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this:

Owning less is better than organizing more.

It is tempting to buy another bin, basket, shelf, or organizational system. But sometimes the solution isn’t better organization. Sometimes the solution is simply less stuff. When you pick up an item, ask yourself:

If I were starting from scratch, would I buy this again?

Then be methodical. Start with easier spaces and projects before moving into emotionally difficult areas. Ask yourself, Do I need this? Then decide whether the item needs to be relocated, donated, sold, thrown away, or kept.

Two systems that have worked well for me are lists and the box/bin system. Whatever system you use, finish each space completely before moving on. There are also several mindsets that can make decluttering difficult.

“What if I need it someday?”

Let go of “someday.” We can keep an incredible amount of stuff because we imagine a hypothetical future when we might need it. But how often does that actually happen?

“But it reminds me of the past.”

Sometimes we cling to things because they represent a season of our life. There is nothing wrong with remembering the past. But we don’t have to preserve every physical object from it Focus on where you’re going rather than feeling obligated to preserve everything that came before.

“I paid good money for that.”

That money is already spent. Keeping something you don’t use won’t bring the money back. Letting it go can at least give you back some space and freedom.

“Someone gave this to me.”

You do not have to keep every gift someone has ever given you. You can appreciate the person and the thought behind the gift without keeping the object forever. And I can say this from experience: I have gotten rid of thousands of things. Once the bag or box leaves the house, I often can’t even remember what was in it. And I have not once regretted it.

You Don't Need a Million of Everything

Before keeping a duplicate, ask:

If I didn’t have this, what could I use instead?

We don’t need five brooms, ten sets of cleaning supplies, or an enormous collection of dish towels. If something breaks, sometimes it is okay to spend $10 and replace it. We don’t need to stockpile our lives.

What About Clothes?

Clothing can be especially difficult because we attach identity, memories, and aspirations to it.

Ask yourself:

Does this bring me joy?
Would I buy it again?
Does it fit?
Have I worn it in the past year?
Do I really need that event T-shirt from 2006?
Do I need multiples of the same thing?

I used to want new clothes and new outfits all the time. Now, I love simple and repetitive things. It makes getting dressed easier. It makes organizing easier. And there is something incredibly freeing about walking into a store, seeing something I like, and realizing, I don’t need to buy that.

The same principle applies to hair products, body products, shower products, makeup, and all the other little things that accumulate.

Get Rid of Visual Noise

Sometimes something doesn’t technically create a mess, but it creates visual noise. If something constantly catches your eye, makes a space feel busy, or makes it harder to relax, consider whether you really need it.

One rule I’ve found helpful is this:

If you’ve thought about getting rid of something five times, maybe it’s time to get rid of it.

And, in most cases, I don’t believe we need storage units full of belongings. Those things are sitting somewhere, costing money to store, while still taking up mental space in your life.

3. Organize: Strategize Before You Buy

Once you have edited your belongings, then you can organize.

Edit before you organize.

There is no point in beautifully organizing things you don’t need.

Before buying bins, baskets, or other organizational products, figure out your system first. For example, our refrigerator and pantry work best when everything has a purpose and a place. But putting something into a pretty bin doesn’t automatically mean we’ll use it more. Sometimes we just need less.

As you organize, ask yourself:

Is this space calming?

If the answer is no, keep going.

4. Elevate: Make Use of Your Space

One of the hardest things for many people to embrace is that empty space is okay.

You don’t have to fill every wall.

You don’t have to fill every shelf.

You don’t have to fill every corner.

You don’t even have to fill every drawer.

Our bedroom is a good example. There are areas of our home where we intentionally leave space, and I’ve learned that the emptiness itself can make a room feel more peaceful. You can also simplify the appearance of a space without buying anything new.

Remove unnecessary packaging when you can. Paper towels, drinks, food, and other everyday items can sometimes look much cleaner when they aren’t surrounded by excessive packaging. Use baskets and attractive bins when they genuinely help.

Try not to overfill cabinets and drawers. I like the idea of leaving them about two-thirds full or less. And remember:

Sometimes simplifying a space makes it look better than adding something new to it.

5. Maintain: Create Simple Habits

Decluttering your house once doesn’t mean you’ll never have clutter again. Minimalism requires maintenance. The first step is realizing that everything you bring into your home will eventually need to be organized, cleaned, maintained, or removed.

So stop bringing things in simply because they’re cheap. Don’t take something just because it’s free.

Free stuff isn’t free if you have to store it.

One of the biggest habits we’ve developed is simple:

Don’t put it down. Put it away.

A place for everything, and everything in its place. I even taught this concept to our 4-year-old daughter the other day, and she repeated it after me. I’m not sure if she fully understood it (haha!) but we are still teaching it to our children in hopes that one day, they will have that desire in their own lives and homes.

Make your bed.

Do your dishes.

Do your laundry.

These small things make a huge difference when they become habits rather than occasional projects. I also love the idea of doing a quick reset every night.

Even if you’re going to use the house again the next morning, take a few minutes to put things away. For us, this should take no more than about 20 minutes. Then you wake up without immediately feeling behind. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence isn’t simply an act; it becomes a habit.

“Why Is It So Hard for Me to Get Started?”

Honestly, getting started is often the hardest part. You may be waiting to feel motivated before you begin, but sometimes motivation comes after you start. So start small.

Don’t begin with the hardest, most emotional category in your house. Maybe don’t start with your children’s baby clothes, artwork, or sentimental items. Start underneath the bathroom sink. Clean out one cabinet. Declutter one drawer. Organize one closet.

Try a 15-minute challenge.

You can do almost anything for 15 minutes. Set a timer and see what happens. You may be surprised by how much you can accomplish—and once you start, you may find that you want to keep going.

“What If My Family Isn’t On Board?”

Don’t nag. Instead, find a compromise. Ask them to try it. Brainstorm a plan together. And most importantly, lead by example.

You can create change in your own spaces and demonstrate the benefits without demanding that everyone live exactly the way you do.

Minimalism and Kids

Minimalism with children requires balance. Kids are kids. They need books, toys, blankets, stuffed animals, art supplies, and room to play. I’ve had to remind myself that childhood is short. There won’t always be books scattered around, toys everywhere, and little people asking me to build something with them. So let them be kids. But teach them how to care for their things. Get them involved in the process and explain why you’re simplifying.

Have a place for memories, artwork, and special projects. Use bins or designated spaces rather than allowing memories to take over every corner of the house. Give experience gifts or gifts that are genuinely useful. Teach them to put things away when they’re finished. Create a simple cleanup routine. And remember:

Not everything has to be about aesthetics.

A peaceful home doesn’t have to look like a magazine.

What About Sentimental Items?

This is one of the hardest areas of minimalism because objects can carry tremendous emotional meaning. One thing that has helped me is displaying one meaningful item instead of storing twenty. When someone we love passes away, for example, we can choose one special item that reminds us of them and give it a place of honor. For me, that might mean displaying something that belonged to my grandmother rather than keeping boxes and boxes of everything she ever owned.

You don’t need a million bins of memories. Take pictures of meaningful items and create a memory book. Keep the things that really bring you the feels.

Maybe it’s Landon’s stuffed penguin that’s missing an eye, but I’ll always remember when he asked for it. Maybe it’s a few shirts that you want to turn into a blanket someday. Maybe it’s a handful of your children’s artwork. Keep what matters. And remember:

Memories exist inside of you. Stuff is just stuff.

What About Collections?

Minimalism doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you love. If you have something you collect and genuinely enjoy, keep collecting it.

Our home is very decluttered, but we have a lot of books. Our family loves books. We have books in almost every room, and we have an entire wall that is a bookshelf—and it is full. That doesn’t contradict minimalism for us because books are something we value. Josh also collects Monopoly games. He has probably 40 of them! Nate loves collecting PRIME bottles, and that’s okay - it’s fun for him!

Minimalism isn’t about getting rid of things simply because you have a lot of them. It’s about intentionally deciding what deserves space in your life. You don’t have to get rid of things you genuinely love. But if there is a way to simplify, display, or organize a collection in a way that works for your home, do that.

What Do I Do With the Things I Don't Want?

This is important:

Get them out of your house quickly.

The longer unwanted items sit in your garage or by the door, the more likely they are to become permanent residents again.

You can:

Throw things away.
Donate to organizations such as women’s shelters, homeless shelters, or pregnancy centers when appropriate.
Give things to someone you know who needs them.
Sell larger or valuable items when the time and effort are worth it.

We generally don’t sell $10 items because, for us, the time and hassle aren’t worth it. We would rather give them away or donate them. We do sell larger items when it makes sense and then put the money toward something we actually need. The key is simple:

Get it out of the house.

That physical separation helps you stay motivated and continue moving forward.

The Two Sides of Minimalism

As I close, there are really two parts of minimalism for me:

Physical minimalism and emotional minimalism.

They go hand in hand. We can have a cluttered house, but we can also have a cluttered heart. We can be overworked, exhausted, discontent, distracted, and constantly comparing ourselves to other people. We can feel heavy-laden and weary while simultaneously looking around at everything we own and still feeling like we don’t have enough. That’s why minimalism, for me, is about more than getting rid of stuff. It is also about releasing a materialistic and consumer-driven mindset. Because if you aren’t content today, there is nothing you can buy that will ultimately change that. We were never meant to spend our lives accumulating more and more things.

Joshua Becker has written about the idea that we were made to enjoy the experiences, people, and journey of life rather than continually accumulating possessions. Consumption promises fulfillment, but it often leaves us wanting more. And I think there is something deeply important in that idea.

When I look at minimalism through my faith, I see the need for both a physical decluttering and an emotional and spiritual renewal. None of this is really ours anyway. It all belongs to the Lord. So perhaps the goal isn’t simply to have less. Perhaps the goal is to align our hearts with an eternally focused way of living. And when we do that, something interesting happens.

We may move from a life that appears abundant because it contains so much stuff to a life that is actually more abundant because it contains more of what matters.

More peace.

More time.

More margin.