5 Minimalist Rules That Simplified My Life (and Just Might Simplify Yours Too)

Let’s face it: simplifying your life is like trying to fold a fitted sheet. Some people make it look easy; others (most of us) end up in a tangle, wondering how we’re legally allowed to adult. For me, minimalism has been my cheat sheet for untangling life. It’s helped me in areas like career, finances, relationships, and even my mental health, and it’s saved me from feeling overwhelmed.

So here they are—five minimalist rules that actually made a difference. Let’s dive into these rules that took me from overwhelmed to (mostly) focused and may just make your life feel a whole lot lighter.

1. Quality Over Quantity: Less is More

If you’re a fellow ‘90s kid or earlier, you probably remember the core message of the 2000's ; You were a bum if you didn't have lots of luxurious things. They fed us series such as MTV 'Cribs' and VH1's 'The Fabulous Life of the Rich and Famous.' The message was loud and clear: more stuff = more success. Big houses, fancy cars, and sneaker collections that probably needed their own insurance. But after a while, we all realized that to afford that “more,” we had to work more, earn more, maintain more, worry more, and, it was a never ending cycle.

And that's where minimalism changed things for me. Quality over quantity isn’t just about choosing better products; it’s about choosing fewer things with more meaning. I stopped rushing to upgrade everything and started investing in items that lasted, brought me joy, or made my day-to-day easier.

And it’s not just about stuff. I stopped investing my time in relationships that didn't have long term potential, and instead spent that time with people I'd miss if they weren't here. I invested time into hobbies that made me lose track of time, and goals that didn’t just feel like a rat race. It’s like compounding interest for happiness—the more I focus on quality, the more fulfilling life gets.

2. Form Follows Function: Set Up Spaces (and Life) with Purpose

Growing up middle class, every living room I knew had one central figure: the TV. All the couches faced it, family time meant watching whatever was on, and even if the TV was off, it felt weird to sit there without it on.

Looking back, it’s pretty wild because living rooms are supposed to be about connection, right?

The principle of “form follows function,” is a design approach from American architect Louis Henry Sullivan, that put in simple terms means things should be designed based on their core purpose. While I can't speak to him myself, I'd argue that he'd say if the living room’s main function is connection, maybe the couches should face each other instead of the TV. Or maybe he'd suggest a TV room in one area and the living room be another.

But this principle goes beyond room design. If you leave your smartphone phone out of the bed, you'll get more of the benefits of the bed, since the smart phone opposes the outcome of sleep. If you’re on vacation, leave the work emails behind to get the benefits of 'rest'.

When I started aligning my spaces and choices with their core purposes, things clicked into place. Now, if something doesn’t align with my purpose, I'll get rid of it, because what sense is it to actively work against your own best interest?

3. The 10/10 Rule

Here’s a simple rule that can save you from obsessing if somethings valuable or not : if you're cleaning your house and debating whether to keep something and it’s under $10 and takes less than 10 minutes to replace, just toss it. This is what the 10 / 10 rule is, and its a powerful, practical tool to learn to put yourself over 'the potential multiple uses of things'. When I first started downsizing, I was weirdly attached to the most random things—old T-shirts, chipped mugs, you name it. Minimalism taught me to let go of this “just in case” mentality.

The 10/10 Rule is really about living with confidence. Letting go of small things we’re attached to builds a habit of letting go of bigger things that don’t serve us, like unhealthy routines or even relationships.

And honestly? In five years, I’ve only had to replace two things.

The freedom I gained from letting go of things has spilled into every area of life. Once you realize you can survive without something, you build confidence to live with only what matters.

4. Automate Everything

Human nature is to complicate things. Let's look at eating healthier?

Once you've made the decision to be healthier, you’re reading every label, counting carbs, fats, proteins, and researching the best diet plans. Add in the fitness apps, the extra time finding glucose free food in the grocery store, time on health blogs and it becomes exhausting!

That’s where automation changed the game for me. Automating decisions is about finding the path of least resistance to your goals. It’s looking at the outcome you want, and finding the simplest way to guarantee success, then making those into habits that you can default to.

In my own life, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel every day, I set up routines that fit my goals without taking all my energy. Sticking to the gym example, I eat the same meals most days, and I have a few go-to workouts that hit my fitness needs without hours of prep.

This principle applies to everything here are some that have been accepted by mainstream society:

Save 20% of each paycheck, so you won't have to think about if you have enough for a rainy day.
Default to an expert when making home improvements so you don't have to learn everything from scratch.
Meal Prepping for fitness.

When you automate the little stuff, you get your brain back for the fun things in life.

5. The 5 by 5 Rule

If it won’t matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it. This one is easy to remember and essential to function at your best—trust me, I’ve spent plenty of time worrying over emails with typos and packages running late, and it's not only me...

A recent study showed that 73% of adults feel anxious about things they can’t control. This 5/5 rule helps break that cycle by giving you a mental filter.

Think about how many things you worried about five years ago that matter now, chances are that it's less than 10%. You may not even remember the things you worried about on a day to day basis 5 years ago, to which I say congrats. Because that's the point James Altucher (the writer that coined the rule) has made. Most worries are pointless.

Wrapping Up: Minimalism Isn’t About Less; It’s About Better

Minimalism isn’t a contest to own as little as possible; it’s about getting more from what we have. Whether it’s choosing quality over quantity, setting up spaces with intention, letting go of unnecessary things, automating decisions, or dropping needless worries—minimalist philosophy can give us more peace, freedom, and time for what we really love.

Try out these rules, and see what clicks for you.