The Minimalist Mom Teaches You How to Simplify Your Life
Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Happy, and Organized Life is Rachel Jonat’s guide to helping you toss out your massive to-do list in favor of a more streamlined approach to managing your life. Jonat is the creator of the popular blog The Minimalist Mom and a widely recognized expert on the minimalist lifestyle.
Do Less includes sections on the basic principles of minimalism, organizing your home, adopting a minimalist approach to work, minimalist money management, and a minimalist approach to your daily routine and social commitments. The book is neatly organized so you can skip to the parts of greatest interest if you don’t want to sit and read it straight through.
There were several suggestions in Do Less that I found helpful. Jonat inspired me to do a major purge of my son’s old clothing and toys, instead of holding on to them in the hopes we’d someday need them. Creating a rotating weekly meal plan has cut out a considerable amount of stress related to grocery shopping and cooking. Creating a firm bedtime routine to resist the temptation to stay up late reading or watching TV has made me much more productive in the mornings.
That being said, there were some of Jonat’s suggestions I just couldn’t get behind. I like the idea of a minimalist wardrobe of just five outfits, but I can’t make up my mind which ones those should be. As an avid scrapbooker, her suggestion to “take less photos” to reduce digital clutter is simply never going to happen for me.
Fortunately, I don’t think Jonat expects readers to adopt every single idea. If you pick and choose what’s right for you and your family, I think Do Less will inspire you to move towards a happier, less stressed out lifestyle.
Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Photo credit: Amazon
