Minimalist Values | A Guide to Find Your Values

“For you to live a luxurious life, you first need to live a simple life with less.” 

Confusing, I know.  The concept of living in luxury with less seems unreal.

But if you want to understand this statement, you need to know what “Luxury” means. We can define luxury as being in a state of great comfort and extravagant living.

From this approach, we can see that luxury is defined by material possessions, like a gigantic house or a fancy car that seems to increase your value or social status. But this perspective is wrong because it only focuses on the surface meaning of luxury.

If you go deeper, then you’ll realize that luxury can be obtained through possession, yes, but also through owning less. Luxury is not a logo or status, luxury is a state of being. So how can you own less in life and still live a luxurious and more fulfilling life?

Here is where minimalist values come in. Minimalist values are the values that allow us to eliminate all the clutter in our life and only bring in stuff that adds value to our life. If you want a closer look at minimalism before diving into values, our guide to minimalism is a great place to start.

What is Minimalism: Is Minimalism a Value?

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist defines minimalism as “The intentional promotion of the things we value and the removal of anything that distracts us.” The definition of minimalism by Joshua Becker is perfect. From the definition we can see that minimalism is all about having a clear picture of the things you value the most in your life — the stuff that takes most of your space and time. Then intentionally removing everything else that impedes what has value in your world.

Simply, minimalism is knowing how you want to live free and only allowing the core values in your life to take your space and time.

Ways of Finding Your Version of Minimalist Values and Minimalism

Use core values to shape and mold yourself into who you are so you can improve and grow to reach that ultimate point in life where you are free and comfortable.

Determine Your Core Values

The first thing you have to do to achieve a life full of minimalist values is determining what your core values are.  There are many ways to approach this, but the first one is to take a step back and look at your life and the moments in your life when you felt the best.  Maybe you feel the best when you’re spending time with your family or friends.  So your core value could be your family or friends in your life. 

Or maybe you feel complete when you’re working out on a daily basis. So your general health and fitness is your important value. Make an effort to write down your core values and print them and put them somewhere you can see regularly (by your bed or bathroom mirror).  You can arrange your values in 2 different categories: the high-value and the low-value. The ones you place in the high-value category are the crucial items to your life, and the ones you place in the low-value category are things you still cherish but you can go a few days without.

Create a Mantra

Create a mantra or a catchphrase that will help you remember and focus on your values and know why they’re important to you. Your mantra will not only help you to stay true to yourself but also stay true to your values and items that you consider important to your lifestyle.

The mantra will remind you that you’ve chosen to eliminate everything else that doesn’t add value to your life and only focus on the important stuff. Always stay true to your values and the stuff you find essential in your life. So, what’s your mantra? If you already have one, well and good.  But if you don’t, start thinking about one.

Take Your Values and Turn Them to Action

You’ve already determined your core values and created your mantra. It’s now time to take your values and turn them into actions — something you have to do every day. So if your core value is to be with your family, then actively spend time with them every day and make an effort to build a happy and healthy relationship with them. If you want to be fit and healthy, then take that morning run you always plan on but never do, visit your local gym and burn off some calories, or change your diet and starting eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Make your physical health a priority each day.

Your values should guide you at every step.  As a minimalist, you should know your core values so that you can strip away anything in your home or everyday routine that does not align with those values. That is truly what minimalism is all about.

Own Less

Once again “less is more.” Fancy items don’t bring happiness, and if it brings happiness, it may be short-lived. Your values should help you achieve long-term happiness, and one way of doing this is getting rid of the material you don’t need in your world.  Make more space in your life for happiness to flourish and stress to disappear. Living in a less cluttered environment is less stressful because you can easily control the surrounding things at ease. That way, your personal belongings cannot suffocate or paralyze you.

Embrace New Experiences

Change the way you do things to receive new experiences.  Your values should set you on a new path of enlightenment, not back to where you started. If you’re stuck using social media or technology, try to adopt a more traditional way of doing things and start reading hard copy books or writing letters to your loved ones.

Put your phone down for a day and you’ll realize that you don’t need it to get that extra dopamine. Try taking a walk in the park and, trust me, you will feel more fulfilled than ever. Walking for self-care is surprisingly effective. Don’t miss a chance to embrace new experiences that come your way.

Value Quality Over Quantity

Instead of having a large wardrobe filled with clothes you don’t wear regularly, fill your wardrobe with a few high-quality pieces that are comfortable, durable and timeless. This gives you the opportunity to get rid of clothes to homeless shelters or as hand-me-downs to a family in need. It will also free your morning as you will have less decision-making to do to get ready for each day.

Minimalism often takes on this value that quality is more important than quantity. This not only applies to possessions but to your experiences too. Your values may allow you to live a high-quality life that you can truly appreciate.

What is the Value of a Minimalist Lifestyle?

First, you live a better luxurious lifestyle than those people with luxurious cars and beach houses. Many people want to take advantage of all the different inventions and luxuries the world can give you, but the reality is that all these things can overwhelm you.

Not only do they take money from your pocket but they also add less value to your life than participating in a simple family meal or another activity that supports your core values. Minimalist living is humbling and can offer you a lot of benefits, some of which you might not be aware of. 

Here are some of its benefits:

Decluttering Helps You Breathe

Once you get rid of the stuff you don’t need in your house, whether closets, attics, or drawers, you’ll create enough open space in your home. You’ll be removing the stuff that adds less value to your life. You’ll get to breathe easier without having to worry about the things that weigh you down.

Financial Freedom

Buying a bunch of highly-priced items adds up and you will quickly find yourself continuing to buy these to stay on top of trends or simply pay to maintain those high-ticket items. Through minimalism, you can find yourself with just a few high-quality (and sometimes high priced) items that are easier to maintain.

You’ll find yourself with the freedom to do. To do whatever it is your heart desires, without the burden of your financial situation. You can take an international trip for a few weeks or pop over to the neighboring town for a weekend.

Room to Refocus

When you have too many things going on, it means you don’t get enough time to think about yourself. If you spend your time getting extra stuff that you don’t need or trying to maintain them, then you need to remove them from your life. From here, you will be able to focus all your time and energy on the important things like family or the activities you love to do.

It Creates More Time

A minimalist lifestyle grants you enough time to be creative — you can start that business you dream of or pick up guitar, painting, graphic design or whatever it is you desire. This comes from living without the distractions from needing to own or do more.

More Energy at Your Disposal

People with a materialistic lifestyle often lack the energy to focus on their well-being because they’re working to maintain their possession and status. However, minimalists have all the energy at their disposal, meaning they can focus on their health and general well-being.

Overall, adopting a minimalist lifestyle is your ticket to both happiness and personal growth. Once you understand your values and the values of the people surrounding you, then you’ll learn how to live into your values better.

This will improve your relationships and help you grow in unexpected ways.  I hope this guide will help you set you on a path of value and give you a clear focus to be the best version of yourself possible.