With the new year around the corner, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the minimalist blog posts I wrote this year and to share a few of my favourites!
Included in this list are blog posts on a variety of topics, from cultivating a minimalist mindset to practical minimalism tips and advice. There are also a few personal stories about how minimalism has changed my life.
I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing them for you. I’d love to hear which is your favourite, so if you have time let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading and I’m looking forward to sharing even more about minimalism with you in 2020.
The Minimalism Mindset
In 2019, I really noticed a shift in my thinking about minimalism. Yes—decluttering is important—but you can’t create a long-term minimalist lifestyle if you don’t work on the beliefs that caused your clutter in the first place.
This is what inspired the following posts and you can definitely expect to hear more about the minimalist mindset in the new year.
WHY YOUR LIFE IS BUSY + CLUTTERED (PLUS WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)
This post about why your life is busy and cluttered is probably the one I’m most proud of this year. It wasn’t easy to write because it meant facing some uncomfortable truths but I’m glad I did it anyway because it opens the door to an important conversation.
If you’re interested in understanding where the clutter in your life really comes from (so that you can stop it at the source) then this blog post is a must-read.
HOW TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE + STOP WANTING MORE
Have you ever told yourself, “I just need ____ and then I’ll be happy?”
Yeah, me too! As a former shopaholic, this was practically a motto for most of my life. I told myself over and over again that I just needed one more thing… but then I’d buy it (or achieve it) and the effect would be short-lived.
There was always something else and for the longest time, I felt like I was stuck in a never-ending cycle. If you can relate and you want to break free, this blog post about how to be happy with what you have is a great starting point.
Practical Minimalism
Looking for practical minimalism advice? Here are a few blog posts I think you might enjoy.
MY MINIMALIST DAILY ROUTINE: EMBRACING SLOW + SIMPLE EVERY DAY
This post about my minimalist daily routines was a surprise. I don’t consider myself a very structured person—freedom and flexibility are very important to me—so I wasn’t sure how much I’d have to say on the topic of routines.
Turns out… a lot! (In fact, I actually had to split the post and write a second one about my cleaning routines because the original was so long.) Once I started writing, I realised I had more routines than I thought, they’re just not super structured in the traditional sense.
Instead, I create routines that follow my natural rhythms and energy levels—and if you’re interested in creating similar routines, this post has lots of tips to help you get started.
MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE GUIDE: HOW TO HAVE MORE OF WHAT MATTERS
This blog post is a summary of everything you need to know about how to live a minimalist lifestyle. I’m constantly updating this post with more resources so you might want to bookmark it so you can refer back later!
10 SIMPLE DECLUTTERING TIPS FOR WHEN YOU FEEL STUCK
I wrote this blog post about my top decluttering tips because I receive emails every day from readers who have gotten “stuck” decluttering their homes.
I know this feeling all too well (if you’ve read my minimalist story, you’ll know that it took me years to declutter my home and life!) and this blog post sums up a lot of what I’ve learned about how to break free and finally move forward.
Hopefully, if you’re feeling stuck with your own decluttering project, something here will help you move forward too!
My Minimalist Stories
The next set of blog posts are all personal stories about how minimalism has impacted my life. These are my favourite to write but before you dive in—a quick disclaimer.
As with everything on this site, I share my stories to inspire you but this doesn’t mean that my way is the best way. Minimalism is personal; there are no rules and you need to decide what it means to you. Please know that it’s never my intention to preach or to imply that your path through life should look exactly like mine.
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy these stories!
MINIMALISM BEFORE AND AFTER: HOW IT CHANGED MY LIFE
OK… technically I first published this minimalism “before and after” post back in 2016… but earlier this month I made a lot of updates and decided to republish it.
I wanted to make sure this post didn’t get lost in the archives because it explains why I’m so passionate about minimalist living. It really is so much more than just decluttering—minimalism changed my entire life and I have no doubt that it has the power to change yours too.
HOW MINIMALISM HELPED ME BECOME DEBT FREE
In the four years that I’ve been blogging, I’ve always avoided talking too much about money even though it’s obviously a big part of all of our lives. I’d drop hints about how minimalism helped me become debt-free but on some level, it still felt taboo to come straight out and talk about it.
Then earlier this year, I receive a gently worded email me asking me about my story and I realised it was time to get over my fears. Debt is a problem for so many people and if sharing my experience can help even one person find their way out, then it’s a story worth telling.
HOW MINIMALISM HAS INFLUENCED MY CAREER
This blog post about how minimalism has influenced my career is another one that I was hesitant to write at first.
If I’m honest with you, I carry a lot of shame about my career path—as a young woman, I was always told I had “a lot of potential” and there’s a part of me that worries I haven’t lived up to it. I’ve come a long way with these fears (and minimalism has definitely helped me a lot) but they aren’t gone completely so talking about my career online wasn’t easy.
I decided to take the leap anyway, allowing this quote from Brené Brown to inspire me:
“When we deny our stories, they define us.
When we own our stories, we get to write a brave new ending.”
Minimalist Tips + Advice
It’s always fun to write blog posts with minimalist tips and advice—these are two of my favourites.
MINIMALISM DO’S AND DON’TS
As a teenager, I was obsessed with a popular fashion magazine that featured a “Do’s and Don’ts” list on the last page… so I decided to have a little fun and write one of my own about minimalism and how to live well with less.
17 HEART-CENTRED WAYS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE
Finally, I really loved writing this blog post about heart-centred ways to simplify your life.
I was inspired because sometimes I feel like minimalism can be a bit… cold? Do you know what I mean? Almost a bit clinical or perhaps even ruthless—especially with so much focus on decluttering.
Of course, sometimes tough love is needed but when I wrote this, I was in the mood for a more holistic approach to minimalism. Perhaps save this and read it on a day when you’re in need of a little self-care and gentle encouragement.
Thank You For Supporting Simply + Fiercely
I still have a few more blog posts planned for this year but given the spirit of this post, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support.
After many years of hard work, Simply + Fiercely has grown from a passion project to a small business capable of supporting my growing family (baby #2 will be joining us next year!). I feel incredibly grateful that I can do work I love while also helping people from all over the world transform their lives.
So to everyone out there who has read one of my blog posts, shared one of my pins on Pinterest or bought one of my courses… thank you from the bottom of my heart. None of this would be possible without you.
What was your favourite minimalist blog post of 2019? And what would you like to hear more about in 2020? Let me know in the comments! x
