How to Lead a Simple & Minimalist Life...

How to Lead a Simple & Minimalist Life...

Tags: Simple Minimalist Life Rich Poor Satisfying Contented Reasonable Comfortable Spendthrift Occupation Office Work Home Family Idle Good Idea Brain Devil Income Expenses Online Tasks Self Movie TV Show Eat-outs Vacation Activity Walking Exercising Chores Clothes Impossible Wastage Time Effort Cost Metro Traffic Jams Groceries Commute Discounts Offers Restaurant Dinner Quality Ambiance Tickets Clean Water Metabolism Weight Soft Drinks Coke Pepsi Beverages Black Coffee Green Tea Healthy Diet Cooked Junk Food Vegetables Ice Cream Depression Spirits Sugar Sweets Budget Binge Mind Psychology Self Reflection Meditation Prayers Hobbies Writing Music Playing Sport

How to lead a simple and minimalist life... That is a question everyone (who is interested) will have a different view. More often than not, the views are bound to be radically different. Imagine the answers to that question when asked to a billionaire, the middle class and the poor - clearly, they are not going to be similar or anywhere near to that. Here is our take on what it is to lead a simple and minimalist life that is within your means, satisfying, contented, happy, reasonably comfortable and not spend thrifty.

1. Make sure that you have an occupation whether at home or office. Staying idle is never a good idea. As the saying goes, an idle man's mind is a devil's workshop.
2. Have clear boundaries on your working hours and make sure your colleagues know it, however unpleasant they may or may not find it.
3. You can not have more than 24 hours in a day. It is simply not possible though those die-hard enthusiasts at work and motivation shops will tell you "I want it yesterday" or "Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I M Possible". When you try to rush completion of tasks in an unreasonable manner, they are bound to suffer on quality. Therefore, plan according to your day.
4. Manage your income and expenses. Never spend what you do not earn! Your expenses should always be far lower than your income. Find ways to boost your income and cut down expenses. For example, these days going online for tasks actually serves to cut down expenses and save time + effort. Similarly, you can consider doing some online occupation on the side that can fetch you additional income.
5. Use your sources of funds wisely like your debit and credit cards. Use them only when you can pay them back or you have sufficient funds to collect reward points, special offers, etc. Be careful with loans. If you are not careful, it can spiral down badly. If you must take loans, make sure it is for very good reasons, on favourable terms and that you can pay back.
6. Allocate time for your self and family like watching a good movie or TV show, going on drives, eat-outs or vacation. 
7. Make sure that you spend a part of your day on activity like walking and exercising. It can be 1 hour or at least 30 minutes.
8. Try to do tasks or chores by yourself or share them with your partner in an equitable manner like laundry, dusting your home, making your room, chauffeuring, etc. It is part of your daily activities. And you do not need to hire a helper for everything.
9. Cut down wastage of time by eliminating or reducing redundant tasks that can be entrusted without any extra cost and give you tangible returns. In metros, traffic congestion are common - it makes sense to order your groceries online rather than wasting your time and effort on commute and traffic jams. You can also cut down expenses through online discounts and offers. Similarly, instead of always going to a restaurant for dinner, you can choose a good quality upcoming restaurant that is presently inexpensive and order home delivery. You can actually recreate the ambiance of a restaurant in your own home. Another example - you do not need to stand in ticketing queues for movies - book them online.
10. It is important to maintain a sound number of sleeping hours. It is required for the body to recharge itself. Your health depends on it.
11. Maintain a healthy diet. This means avoiding junk food. Minimise outside food as best as possible. Focus on home cooked food with melange of vegetables. Balance non-vegetarian food and do not go overboard. Whatever you need to have, even good food, eat proportionately - do not binge eat! Learn to eat in small portions. The only ones who need to eat considerably are those who have involved in hard labour - not you.
12. All of us have a sweet tooth and enjoy sweets. However, it is good to reduce intake of sugar and sweets. When you need sugar in your food or beverages, keep it low. Similarly with sweets, it is good to have them but not indiscriminately. Fix number of times in a month (be reasonable) and then keep a low budget so that you do not over-eat sweets or binge them.
13. Everyone will tell you that ice cream is not good for you. Take that view with a pinch of salt (not literally). Ice creams can actually be good if you schedule them over a period in reasonable quantity and do not go binging on them. Ice creams can counter depression and low spirits.
14. Drink lot of clean water. This is good for the body. It manages your metabolism and weight.
15. And oh yes! Stay away from soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi. They are definitely not good for your body!
16. If you must have beverages like coffee or tea, keep it balanced like scheduled number of times - say twice or thrice, not more than that. Mix your choice of beverages preferably with green tea, black coffee and the like.
17. One of the worst habits is consumerism. In this world of aggressive media, advertising and marketing, everything seems to be an absolute requirement - in reality, it is never so! Always think multiple times before jumping to buy something on an urge or impulse or peer pressure. Carefully examine whether you really need it. If required, delay the decision and conclude later. Never spend when you do not have the means and try to pay through loans or EMIs.
18. Always keep your home and work spaces in order and free of clutter. If you have not used something for the last 6 months, then it is probably good time to get rid of it. Follow the principle of "One In, One Out".
19. Stay away from bad habits like smoking, excessive drinking and drugs. If you are already into them, then get out of them as soon as is possible. Take professional help when required.
20. Simple and minimalist life does not mean being un-presentable. Be well groomed. How you look physically has an effect on your mind and psychology. Make sure you have a neat hair cut and are clean shaven or trimmed (as appropriate), take baths regularly and wear clean pressed clothes.
21. Allocate a reasonable time for self-reflection, meditation or prayers, howsoever you may call it. Dedicate some time for your hobbies. In our case, it is writing. For you, it may be music or playing a sport.
22. Contribute to charity - share your happiness and blessings with others based on your means. Donations can be through money or kind like volunteering your time for a cause or providing food and clothing to others. If you are contributing money, you can also get to save tax. However, always make sure that your contributions are being well used by monitoring them. Remember that while you are blessed, yet there are many who do not even get a square meal a day or clothing or shelter! That thought can be humbling!

These are just a few tips from our perspective. Based on your lives, you can add, delete or modify the list to make it more appropriate for you.

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