If you are a mom, you’ve got a lot on your plate!

You’ve got got a family to feed and clothes piled up.

Toys scattered around the house in attempts keep electronics at bay.

Meal planning, cooking, buying groceries, laundry- Oh the piles of laundry!

You have a million decisions to make around the home and decision fatigue is real and so is the cluttered house!

There\’s no way around it: You\’re going to have stuff . The good news is that you can learn how to become a Functional minimalist with these simple steps!

When you think of minimalism do you automatically think of the instagram moms who share photos of their -pristine-interior-white houses?

I definitely do.

Surely these women are:

• A. Wealthy enough to be minimalists,
• B. Don’t have children.
• C. Maybe they DO have kids, but prob dont let their kids touch anything in the house?

What is minimalism?

Minimalism goes by many names these days.

When you think on minimalism maybe you think of “the minimalists”, Kon Mari, The Home Edit, etc.

But, ultimately, Minimalism is a lifestyle that is focused on having less so that you can do more.

It is at its core, a life of intentionality.

What is “Functional Minimalism”?

Functional minimalism is living very practical for your living situation.

Quick disclaimer, I came up with the whole functional minimalism, because often times. I would see a minimalist home and think…

“how in the world is that functional? Or that isn’t functional for a family?“

Its not about going to the extreme and only having one set of dish for each person and 5 pairs of underwear.

But, more power to you if this is what you decide to do!

Functional minimalism is for moms and families who want practical solutions to the overwhelm of clutter, but are also not ready or wanting to go into extreme minimalism.

What is the goal of functional minimalism?

The goal of Functional minimalism is that your home is “functional” for your family.

• No need to remove all the decor off your walls if you and your family love it.

• If you love color in your home, don’t pair down and paint walls white!

Functional minimalism is not a trend- its a way of living that best suit you and your family needs.

The key is to ask yourself: Is decluttering this item functional for my family?

Step 1: Do some soul searching to define your values

The next step is to think about what\’s important to you and your family?

• What are your core values? What are your families values?
• What is your family purpose, mission, vision, goal and objective?
• What is your mission statement?

Your core values:

Your core values are the things that matter most to you in life – they\’re what make up who you are at the deepest level.

They might change over time or become more refined as we grow older but they help guide us through life by making sure we consider certain aspects before taking action or making decisions.

Your vision:

A vision describes how you see yourself achieving a particular goal or objective in the future.

It\’s also something that gives direction when no one else can help guide us through difficult times because it contains inspiration based on who we really want to be when all is said and done (this could also be called an outcome).

Step 2: Start with a goal in mind

The first step to becoming a minimalist is to understand the problem and set goals.

Before you start, it’s important to define your goal in concrete terms.

This will ensure that you don\’t get overwhelmed or discouraged along the way.

Don’t worry about what other people\’s goals are; focus on what matters most to you and how much clutter impacts your life.

Make sure that your goals are both ambitious enough to motivate you but realistic enough for success within 3-6 months.

For example, if I had a goal of running five miles every day for three months, this would not be an appropriate amount of information because it\’s too vague—I would need more specifics like how many days per week I want this done (four), how far I want each run (one mile), etc.

Step 3: Make a list of your minimalist goals

Make a list of your minimalist goals.

This will help you stay focused, but it is also important because it will make you accountable to yourself and others.

You could write down your goals on a notebook, piece of paper or spreadsheet or journal.

Step 4: Declutter everything (yes, everything)

The next step is to declutter everything.

While it may seem like an impossible task at first, don\’t despair! Here\’s how:

If there\’s something in your home or office that serves no purpose anymore and hasn\’t been used in years (or even months), get rid of it!

Even if it\’s something as small as a pair of shoes or an old phone charger—get rid of it!

Trust me when I say that keeping these items around will do nothing but weigh on your conscience and distract from what really matters (like spending quality time with family and friends).

When deciding what needs to be thrown away, ask yourself this question: \”Does this bring me joy?\” If the answer is no then don\’t hold onto it any longer than necessary; just get rid of whatever item has become obsolete without remorse!

This one rule will change everything about how you feel about clutter moving forward because now when something comes into the house—whether it\’s clothing or electronics—it\’ll only be allowed through if its presence brings us pleasure (and not just because we impulsively bought something new).

Step 5: Re-evaluate what you bought the year before

Now that you have a better idea of how much stuff you actually need and use, it’s time to re-evaluate what you bought the year before.

This may be easier said than done if you just spent the last 12 months buying things on a whim.

But think about it: do you still use all those new purchases?

Do they serve their purpose in your life or are they just taking up space?

If an item is broken or has become useless, toss it out!

If the item is still usable, the donate it! Bless someone else with the object.

To help keep clutter at bay this year, try writing down all the things that came into your home during 2022 and decide whether or not each one was truly necessary for its purchase; then get rid of anything that doesn\’t make sense anymore or isn\’t being used regularly by transferring it into storage bins and selling any items on Craigslist/ eBay/ Facebook Marketplace etcetera…

Step 6: Start to limit your possessions for the next year

• Set limits on how much you will buy.

• Set limits on how much you will keep.

• Set limits on how much you will give away.

• Set limits on how much you will spend on entertainment, such as going out to eat or seeing movies at the theater.

• Set limits on how much you will spend on food, such as eating out or buying groceries (like frozen dinners).

Being a minimalist can make your life easier and less expensive.

Minimalism can be an antidote to the modern world\’s excesses and distractions.

It can help you focus on what\’s important in your life and reduce the things that don\’t matter.

With a minimalist mindset, being a parent becomes easier, cheaper and more enjoyable.

How?

Minimalism helps us save money because we only buy things that are essential to our lives and don\’t waste money on stuff we don\’t need (or want).

By cutting out unnecessary items from our homes, we free up space for better investments like savings accounts or retirement funds.

We also spend less time cleaning up clutter than those with cluttered homes do—but let\’s face it: no one likes cleaning!

Worldly possessions aren’t everything.

Minimalists recognize that material goods aren\’t everything.

They care more about experiences than things because they know these experiences will bring them more happiness in the long run than any possession could ever provide.

So, with this mindset, being a parent becomes simpler since you have less responsibility when it comes to housing your child(ren).

Minimalism is a lifestyle choice that can help you live with less and save your hard-earned money.

It’s not just about throwing away things, but also looking at your values to see what truly matters most to you.

You can start the process right now by decluttering everything in your house and reevaluating what you bought the previous year.

Keep in mind, that being minimalist isn’t always easy; it takes time and effort on your part