Want To Become a Minimalist? Start Here.

A Gift for Mom! 🤍

I am going to preface this by saying I am not a die-hard minimalist (yet!). If you walk into my home, you won’t see one lamp and one chair. You will see a home that two children living in it. You will see furniture, toys and some clutter. Trying to be a minimalist and having children is HARD! Trying to be a minimalist without children is HARD!

So, if you’re interested in minimalism remember: it’s a journey, not a destination.

Minimalism isn’t simply about owning nothing. It is, as minimalism advocate Joshua Becker says, about living simply. “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.”

I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my life and I started thinking about what truly makes me happy. I kept asking myself, “How can I find happiness right where I am?” What I realized was that “stuff” was taking up a lot of room, not only in my house but also in my thoughts.

Do you plan your day around the things you NEED to buy or the stuff you HAVE to clean? This creates a significant amount of stress and anguish in our lives. I want to be more present in my life and discover a purpose not centered in stuff.

This is where the having less stuff aspect comes into minimalism. But there are other parts to minimalism as well. Items hold value and when those items are no longer serving us or bringing value into our lives, then it is time to let go of them.

So how do you start? Here are a couple small tasks to get you on your way to living a simpler life.

I started by going through my junk drawers, I dumped everything out and only kept the items I use on a regular basis or needed for the future.
Then I went through my utensils drawer and organized. For me, having the things that I want to keep and that add value to my life organized helps me to have a clearer mind.
I went through my closet and donated all of the things I haven’t worn in a year or more. Some of the things were just downright ugly, but this is one of the areas I struggle with the most. When you look at an item, if it brings up any negative thoughts or bad memories, get rid of it! This concept can be applied to all items, not just clothing.
I went through my Facebook friends and deleted everyone I don’t actually consider a friend. Minimalism is not just about getting rid of objects; it is also about getting rid of things (or people) that don’t add value in our lives.
I went through my son’s playroom (he helped!) and we got rid of any old or broken toys.
I went through my garage and recycled all the old boxes and donated or threw away the old and broken stuff.

Keep a box by the door and as you find things to get rid of—fill the box! When the box is full—donate it!

These are all simple tasks you can do to start on your journey to minimalism.

Originally published on the author’s blog

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Brianna Mason

I am a lifestyle blogger. My passions lie in self improvement, minimalism and attachment parenting. Please visit my blog at Sugarmamablog.com. You can also visit my Facebook and Instagram.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and So Many Moms Are Quietly Drowning

In: Living

I’ve given birth to four beautiful boys and lived through four postpartum experiences. Each one has been different, yet there are familiar threads that run through them all. In the first couple of weeks after my first baby was born, I felt carefree…until that bubble was popped. My newborn got sick and was admitted to the PICU at a children’s hospital 30 minutes from our home. At one point, doctors mentioned the possibility of meningitis, but after many tests and a several-day admission, we were sent home. When we were discharged, a doctor left me with these words, “It’s your...

Keep Reading

The Hard Truth about Friendship in Your 40s

In: Friendship

No one can really prepare you for how much friendships change in your 40s. We expect life shifts—kids grow, schedules fill, jobs demand more, and aging parents need us in new ways. Time becomes tighter, priorities change, and naturally, friendships have to adjust. That part makes sense, right? But what doesn’t get talked about enough is the quiet, hard shift, the one where it’s not just time or distance creating friendship gaps, but something deeper. What happens when you look around your “table” and realize it no longer feels like a safe place to land? What happens when you start...

Keep Reading

Sisterhood is So Special

In: Living

There’s something about sisterhood that’s so special. It’s having someone who’s seen every version of you—every awkward, messy, beautiful version—and loves you through it. Someone who holds a piece of your heart in a way nobody else can. Someone who remembers the little things that made you…you. And my sister? She’s that person for me. We couldn’t be more different. She’s extroverted, the life of the party, spontaneous, the more the merrier, always seeing the good in everything. I’m the cautious one, the loner, the guarded one, more comfortable sitting on the sidelines. I’ve always admired her and secretly wished...

Keep Reading

No One Plans to Wear the “Scarlet Letter” of Divorce

In: Living, Marriage

Divorce often feels like the scarlet letter no one talks about. Some in our generation may call it “trendy”—particularly as women have become more independent and empowered—but whether it’s socially acceptable or not, it is still a label no woman enters marriage expecting to wear. Women are often self-sacrificing—sometimes to a fault. We give and give until our souls feel nearly drained. And in marriages marked by abuse, substance abuse, infidelity, inconsistency, or dishonesty, we still convince ourselves that if we just give a little more, love a little harder, try a little longer, something will change. Divorce is not...

Keep Reading

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

In: Living, Motherhood

Hannah Harper American Idol winner sings with her young son on her lap

By now, you’ve probably seen the posts flooding your feed: A young mom. Three little boys. A guitar strap embroidered with her children’s drawings. And a crown. When Hannah Harper won American Idol this week, moms everywhere erupted. And honestly? Same. There is something collective about watching a stay-at-home mom win on such a large stage. The celebrations have been pouring in. Moms, we can do it. She didn’t abandon her dreams. She went for it. And all of that is true, and all of that is worth celebrating. But I want to add something to the celebration. Not to...

Keep Reading

To Those Who Dreamed of Something Different on Mother’s Day

In: Living

Mother’s Day is one of the hardest days of the year for me. The truth is, I always wanted to be a mom. I’m not a mother. Not in the traditional sense. And while I usually stay quiet on days like this, today I want to speak for the ones who carry this ache quietly…without cards, without flowers, without answers. In college, I was the girl with pillows under her shirt, daydreaming about baby names and planning a future I never got to hold. I once bought a house and made a nursery for children who never came. I remember...

Keep Reading

In Your 30s the Stakes Feel Higher

In: Living

I’m in the years where I’m not old, but I’m no longer young. Some women my age are just announcing their first pregnancies, while others like me are navigating pre-teen and teenage years. The 30s hold a different kind of tension. The days move faster now. Not because little feet are toddling through the house, but because the calendar is always full. Afternoons are spent running kids to practices, sitting in parking lots, and juggling dinner between drop-offs and pick-ups. The conversations are deeper. The questions are bigger. The stakes feel higher. This season isn’t about sticky fingers and sleepless...

Keep Reading

Sometimes You Just Need a Day Off—Give Yourself Permission To Take One

In: Living

I didn’t need a sick day. I needed a well day—and I didn’t realize how much until I finally took one. We’ve labeled our time off into neat, acceptable categories. Sick days are for fevers and doctor appointments. Personal days are reserved for emergencies and obligations. But what about the in-between days? When there’s no real diagnosable health issue and no major event or appointment that needs attendance. The days when there’s nothing technically wrong, but everything feels off. A day when you’re barely hanging on, but still showing up. That’s where the well day comes in. On behalf of...

Keep Reading

I’m Learning To Feel Like I Belong In a Room Because I Want Her To Know She Always Does

In: Living, Motherhood

It took me 39 years to like myself. I mean really, honestly look in the mirror and say, “You go, girl.” I understand the concept of progress, not perfection, but the idea of always working on myself became a tiring and unrelenting objective. Here I was shrinking that waist, smoothing my skin, studying hard, working way too late, and often burning the candle at both ends to yield results that were still less than the ideal. It’s all well and good to be a doer who sets reasonable and sometimes unreasonable goals, but throughout my teens and into my early...

Keep Reading

8 Truths for the Graduate Still Figuring It Out

In: Living

Teen girl sitting on grass looking at fountain

Dear Graduate, I know you’re feeling it all right now. Anticipation, trepidation, and then other times, you don’t know what to feel at all. I know because I once felt the same. I graduated from high school several years ago, and here’s what I want you to know: It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. Sounds cliché, but it’s true. Whether you plan to attend college, take a gap year, get a job, or you don’t know yet what you want to do, it’s okay. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. It’s so easy to fall into the...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter, You're a "Follower" and That's OK

Kids

Dear Daughter, You're a "Follower" and That's OK

Why We Opted Out Of Valentine's Day For Good

Relationships

Want To Become a Minimalist? Start Here.

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Brianna Mason

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and So Many Moms Are Quietly Drowning

The Hard Truth about Friendship in Your 40s

Sisterhood is So Special

No One Plans to Wear the “Scarlet Letter” of Divorce

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

To Those Who Dreamed of Something Different on Mother’s Day

In Your 30s the Stakes Feel Higher

Sometimes You Just Need a Day Off—Give Yourself Permission To Take One

I’m Learning To Feel Like I Belong In a Room Because I Want Her To Know She Always Does

8 Truths for the Graduate Still Figuring It Out

Get It Now

So God Made a Mother

Want To Become a Minimalist? Start Here.

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and So Many Moms Are Quietly Drowning

The Hard Truth about Friendship in Your 40s

Sisterhood is So Special

No One Plans to Wear the “Scarlet Letter” of Divorce

Hannah Harper Is Every Mom with Babies in Her Arms and a Dream In Her Heart

To Those Who Dreamed of Something Different on Mother’s Day

In Your 30s the Stakes Feel Higher

Sometimes You Just Need a Day Off—Give Yourself Permission To Take One

I’m Learning To Feel Like I Belong In a Room Because I Want Her To Know She Always Does

8 Truths for the Graduate Still Figuring It Out

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like