10 Most Popular Minimalism & Simple Living Posts of 2017

It’s hard to believe 2017 is almost over and the new year is quickly approaching. I always love starting a new year. It feels like a fresh start, a blank slate, like anything could happen! As the year comes to a close, and the first anniversary of my little blog is approaching, I thought it would be fun to share a round-up of my 10 most popular minimalism & simple living posts from 2017.

It all started one year ago

On December 31, 2016, I bought the domain for this little blog of mine and began building my site. I published my first blog post shortly after and my life changed as I knew it!

I started Simply Lionheart Life as a place to share my love for simplified, minimalist living. But I was also looking for a creative outlet for myself. I love being a stay at home mom, but I was also looking for something to do for myself. Something I’m passionate about, challenges me, engages me and lets me be a person outside of “mom”. I’ve found all of that and more with this venture, and I love it. Even when I’m up until midnight cursing at my computer trying to fix a tech problem! ?

Creating connection and community

This blog has given me an outlet to share my passion for minimalism, decluttering and simplifying. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone in a lot of different ways. But most importantly, it’s given me a place to connect with so many like-minded people. And for that, I will always be grateful.

I love sharing my thoughts on simplifying and minimalism. But I love hearing from you and getting to know you better even more. Knowing what I’m writing is resonating with, inspiring and encouraging others to simplify and consider minimalism is awesome.

Thank you to each and every person who has ever read my blog, left a comment, sent me an email, followed me on social media, etc. You’ve given me the confidence and motivation to keep going on this blogging and minimalism journey and I am so thankful for all of you!

If you’ve been reading since the beginning, this “year in review” will be a chance to re-read some of my most popular and favourite posts. And if you’re new to Simply Lionheart Life, hopefully, you’ll find some new content you haven’t seen before! Either way, I hope you enjoy this round up of my 10 most popular minimalism & simple living posts!

Without further ado, here are my 10 most popular minimalism & simple living posts from 2017!

10 Most Popular Minimalism & Simple Living Posts of 2017

1. 12 Reasons We Keep Clothes We Don’t Wear & How to Move Past Them

Clothes can be hard to let go of. Not only can they be expensive, but we also have a lot of emotions surrounding our clothes. There are a few common stumbling blocks many of us are faced with when decluttering our clothes.

But understanding why it’s hard to let go of clothes you no longer wear is the first step. Often, once we understand what’s making us want to keep clothes we don’t wear, it’s easier to move past these mental blocks and more effectively purge our closets.

This post discusses 12 of the most common reasons we struggle to declutter and let go of our clothes. Along with practical tips to overcome these decluttering roadblocks so you can purge your clothing and create a wardrobe you love!

I wrote this post as I was putting together my first capsule wardrobe last winter. It started as I was noticing some common themes showing up over and over again when I was struggling to let go of certain items of clothing. Even though I knew I wasn’t wearing them! Once I understood why I was struggling to let go of an item, it became easier to think it through and let the item go.

I figured if I was struggling with these decluttering stumbling blocks, other people probably were too! And judging from the response to this post, I think it’s true. I hope this post will help you overcome some of the common struggles we face when decluttering our clothes. And help you declutter your closet and create a wardrobe you love!

2. Why Highly Sensitive People Need Minimalism

Until a few years ago, I didn’t even know what a Highly Sensitive Person was. One day I read an article about Highly Sensitive People, and it was as if I was reading about myself! I realized many things I thought were just my own little idiosyncrasies, were actually things other people experience too. And better yet, there was even a name for it!

After realizing being a Highly Sensitive Person is a “thing”, it became easier to acknowledge and accept these aspects of myself. And make adjustments in my life where possible. I realized by accepting them as part of who I am and working with these traits, rather than against them, I could live a happier, calmer life.

Minimalism plays a key role in improving my life as a Highly Sensitive Person. A lot of people feel stressed or unsettled in a cluttered environment, but Highly Sensitive People are particularly affected by clutter.

After realizing I am a Highly Sensitive Person, it because even more important to strive for a simple, minimalist life. In fact, I think Highly Sensitive People NEED minimalism.

I spent a lot of my life not knowing I am a Highly Sensitive Person, and feeling like I was the only one who felt so easily overstimulated and overwhelmed. I know the relief I felt when I learned about Highly Sensitive People. And receiving so many comments and emails from readers who felt the same, but learned they were also Highly Sensitive People from my post, has been an awesome feeling.

3. The Minimalist Mindset Shift: 9 Ways Minimalism Changes the Way You Think

Minimalism is more than decluttering and simplifying alone. While those are important parts of the minimalist journey, truly embracing minimalism involves shifting the way you think to a minimalist mindset.

Minimalism is about committing to owning less, rather than decluttering more often. It is about changing your view of what you own and why you own it.

This minimalist mindset shift happens gradually and subtly, in small ways. Until one day you look around and realize your relationship with “stuff” has changed. Your journey towards minimalism has changed your mindset, to what I like to call the minimalist mindset shift.

Read the post for 9 ways minimalism changes your mindset and the way you think about what you own.

4. How to Shop Like a Minimalist: 18 Ways to Shop with Intention

Although the idea of minimalism is choosing to live with less in order to simplify your life. And in turn, making the choice to buy less and bring less into your home. Even minimalists have to go shopping and buy things sometimes!

The key to learning to shop like a minimalist is being intentional about what you buy. Making intentional purchases lets you avoid ending up with a cluttered home full of things you neither use nor love.

This post has 18 different strategies to help you shop like a minimalist and make more intentional purchases. Use these strategies to help make more thoughtful purchase decisions and buy things that will add value to your life, not clutter!

5. 9 Things I’ve Learned Dressing with a 36 Item Capsule Wardrobe

Dressing from a capsule wardrobe is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made with my clothes. I had no idea how much simpler and better my life would be after massively purging my clothes and creating a capsule wardrobe. I feel so much lighter and more peaceful knowing I have fewer clothes, but I love to wear all of them. My closet is simplified, getting dressed is fast and easy, and I’ll never go back to a closet full of clothes again!

If you’re on the fence about making your own capsule wardrobe, I highly recommend trying it! Although I was hesitant about trying it at first, I now know it makes life easier in so many ways.

Check out this post for 9 important lessons I’ve learned from dressing from a capsule wardrobe. I hope it will encourage and inspire you to consider simplifying your own wardrobe!

6. What is Minimalism? Plus 8 Things it’s NOT

Minimalism a concept that can mean different things to different people. And that’s ok! Minimalism should be personal and unique to the person living it. There is no single set of rules or standards you must follow to be a minimalist.

But it is important to have a clear vision of what minimalism is to you, to keep you focused and on track about what you want to achieve by embracing minimalism.

Minimalism involves having a clear understanding of what you value most. Then removing anything in your life that distracts you from what you value most. The concept of minimalism will look different for each of us because we all value different things.

Rather than trying to include everything that minimalism IS, it’s more helpful to rule out what minimalism is NOT. There are a lot of common misconceptions about minimalism. Ideas that make minimalism seem hard to relate to, undesirable or out of reach for the average person.

This post discusses not only what minimalism is, but also what it’s not. By addressing what minimalism is, and the common misconceptions around it, I hope to show you that minimalism is attainable for and can benefit anyone!

7. The Best Trick to Purge Your Closet + 6 Questions to Help You Purge & Create a Wardrobe You Love

Before making my first capsule wardrobe, the idea of creating a capsule wardrobe was very appealing to me, but I was hesitant to take the leap and ruthlessly purge my clothes.

I was slowing weeding out my wardrobe, getting rid of a few things here and there. But I wasn’t seeing much change because I didn’t know how to decide which items of clothing were worth keeping and which didn’t look or feel good on me.

Read this post for to find out my best trick to use when purging your closet. It was an absolute game-changer for me and is how I was finally able to ruthlessly declutter my clothing.

I also give you six questions to ask yourself when deciding if you should keep an item of clothing or not. Use these six questions to effectively and efficiently declutter your clothing!

Getting rid of the things that you don’t truly love or wear is the first step to creating a wardrobe you love. One that flatters your body and your life, and makes getting dressed a lot more fun!

8. 11 Easy Ways to Make Decluttering Fun

When you begin decluttering your home, it can often feel like a daunting and overwhelming task. Even if you have been decluttering for a while, and have already made good progress clearing the clutter, sometimes the amount of “stuff” and work ahead of you can feel like a lot to tackle.

Decluttering a lifetime worth of stuff from your home is hard work: physically, emotionally and mentally.

If you feel overwhelmed or stuck on your decluttering and minimalism journey, shifting your perspective and your approach to decluttering can help. Believe it or not, with a little creativity there are ways to make decluttering fun!

Even though decluttering is a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be a chore or something you dread. Decluttering can be a lot easier when you take the time to find the fun in it. Use these 11 tips to help make decluttering something you might actually enjoy!

9. Kick-Start your Decluttering: 30 Easy Things to Get Rid of

As I said, decluttering can be a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Sometimes the hardest step is the first step. Meaning actually starting to declutter can be the hardest part. Often once you get going, you get into a decluttering groove and it’s easier to keep going.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t know where to start, or have just lost your decluttering momentum and motivation, this list is for you! It has 30 quick and easy things to declutter to kick-start your decluttering efforts and keep you going.

10. What is Simple Living? My Vision for a Simpler Life

The concept of “simple living”, much like minimalism, can mean different things to different people. Each person defining it differently according to their intentions and values.

It’s important to clearly define what simple living means to you if you are working towards simplifying your life. Clearly, decide what kind of life you are striving for by simplifying. You don’t want to strive for someone else’s version of simple living. You need to create a clear vision of what you want for your home, your family and your life.

To me, simple living hinges on less – both owning less and doing less. Making time and space for the people and experiences that are most important to me.

In this post, I explain what my goals are for my vision of a simpler life. Use my vision for a simpler life as encouragement to create your own vision for simpler living that works for the values, goals and dynamics in your life.

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I hope you enjoy this round up of my 10 most popular minimalism & simple living posts from 2017. This year has been an awesome year, and I really am so glad to have connected with all of you! Here’s to 2018, and all the wonderful things to come!

What is your favourite post on this list? Do you have a favourite Simple Lionheart Life post that’s not on the list? Let me know in the comments below!