I Tried 150 Minimalist Habits Here Are 12 That ACTUALLY Work

So I've experienced with a ton of minimalist habits over the years. And today I'm sharing 12 minimalist rules that actually make life easier, even if you're not a minimalist. Many people think life gets easier by adding more structure, more motivation, more tools. But the truth is, life usually gets easier when you remove the noise, not when you pile on more. If we haven't met, I'm Peter. I've spent years simplifying my life and helping others use minimalism to create more calm, clarity and freedom. And in this video, I'll walk you through the 12 rules that created the biggest shift for me. Because for years, I woke up overwhelmed and thought that was normal. Maybe you can relate. Too many tasks, too much stuff, too much mental clutter. But the moment I remove things instead of adding more, everything changed. And these rules are the ones that made it happen. The two-minute rule. Do you ever have thoughts like, I need to text my mom and ask her how she's doing. Or I shouldn't forget to make a reservation for a favorite restaurant this Saturday. The two-minute rule has really helped me with those. Here's how it works. If something takes less than two minutes to complete, just do it now instead of putting it on your to-do list. Now when I finish my coffee, I just take it to the kitchen and rinse it out. Or when I get a quick email that only requires a short response, I'll do it immediately. These tiny tasks are so much easier to deal with in the moment than when they pile up into what I call life's mess, where everything feels overwhelming, whereas in reality is just a bunch of small things. What's cool about this rule is that it often creates a snowball effect of getting things done. When I knock out a few of these small tasks, I often find myself handling bigger ones too. And even if you're not into minimalism at all, this habit just makes life easier because your brain doesn't have to keep track of all these undone tasks that are still on your to-do list, and instead it can focus on things that actually matter to you. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the simplest but most effective habits I've picked up over the years. Let me just put on this jumper or sweater. I don't know how you call this because it's getting cold here. All right, good to go, I think. If this had dog poop on it, you don't need to be a minimalist to want to declutter some of your possessions every now and then. Marie Kondo's spark joy rule is a popular method to decide what to keep and what to discard. How it works is you basically pick up an item and ask yourself, does this spark joy? It's a good rule, but it doesn't always work well because for some people, they can convince themselves that almost everything they own sparks joy. And on the flip side, if you're feeling really down, maybe nothing sparks joy. And then there's things like my laptop charger that doesn't really spark joy, but I definitely need it. The dog poop test cuts through all of this. I came across this somewhere online and it made me laugh at first, but then I realized, you know, this rule is actually quite helpful. Instead of asking if something sparks joy, you ask yourself, if this had dog poop on it, would I clean it and keep it or just get rid of it? It sounds a bit gross, but it helps you be honest about the stuff you don't really care about. If your favorite sweater got dog poop on it, you probably would thoroughly clean it, but then keep wearing it, right? The same for my laptop charger, although I would first clean the living daylight out of it. So for most everyday items, the dog poop rule is surprisingly good at showing you what you truly value and what's just taking up space in your home. The digital sunset rule. I've noticed that if I'm on my laptop or phone right before I go to sleep, I tend to have a restless night. And it's not just the blue light exposure. My mind keeps racing with all the information I've just taken in, whether it's work emails, social media updates, or news headlines. So I started practicing what I call the digital sunset rule. And it really has made a big difference in how I wind down at night. You set a specific time each evening when screens get turned off. Now this doesn't have to be at the time of the actual sunset. I typically do this about an hour before going to bed around 10 p.m. I dim the lights, have a chat with my girlfriends, maybe I read a book or listen to a podcast. And sometimes I just make a cup of chamomile tea and do nothing, letting my mind drift. In Dutch, we call this nekschen, which I guess is kind of the Dutch art of doing nothing. I talk more about this in my video five easy Dutch habits for a happier, healthier life. What happens is that your brain gets a chance to slow down. The digital sunset rule creates a natural boundary between active time and rest time. My sleep quality has improved so much since I started doing this. Back in the day, when I worked as a corporate lawyer, I was glued to my BlackBerry right until going to bed. And it would always take me at least an hour before I fell asleep. Now I fall asleep much faster and I wake up feeling more refreshed. There's something really nice, cozy even, about ending the day like this. You're creating a little buffer between you and the rest of the world. But hey, if it is right before you sleep and you're enjoying watching this video, you might as well subscribe. It's free. And if you do, I promise I will send the Sandman your way so you won't regret watching YouTube videos right before going to bed. Less but better. Imagine your calendar is like a closet and the clothes in it, the demands on your time, the tasks on your to-do list. You decluttered your closet first thing this morning, but when you open the doors at noon, you find it's already full to the brim again. And what's worse, those shirts and pants aren't even yours. Other people have been shoving their clothes in there. How would you feel? And what if this happened not just once, but every single day? For many people, this is what their daily life looks like. How many times have you started your work day organized, you've written out your schedule, yet by 11 a.m., you were already behind or completely off track. That's because new demands on our time are coming at us constantly, filling up the closet of our lives, which leaves us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. So the question is, how can you take back control? The first thing to accept is that, yes, you can do anything, but you can't do everything. There just isn't enough time because whenever you say yes to one thing, you're also saying no to 10 other things you could be doing in that same timeframe. By being intentional about how you spend your days, you're working on things that actually move the needle. So you may be doing less, but you're doing it better. You can apply the same rule to the stuff you own. In my case, I don't have a closet full of clothes that are just okay. I have fewer pieces, but they fit well, they last longer, and actually make me feel good when I wear them. Want what you already have? I think one of the biggest traps we can fall into is constantly looking for new things to buy. The next phone upgrade, or the next shiny object that promises to make us happier. But what if the secret isn't more stuff, but appreciating what you already have? This is something I've been working on myself, learning to want what I already own, instead of constantly craving new things. It begins with gratitude because it's so easy to take the things we own for granted and only focus on the things that are wrong or missing in our lives. But for most things that we own, they once made us feel good when we first brought them into our home. The technique I sometimes use and find very powerful is negative visualization, which basically means imagining losing something that you own. I'll sit down, I'll close my eyes and bring an item that I own to mind and just think about how it has served me, what good it has brought to my life. And then once that's clear, I imagine losing it and how that feels. And I'll ask myself, what would it be like if I missed this item, if it was no longer in my life? Would my life be any different? When I do this with everyday objects like my coffee mug, scarf, or even my old sneakers, it makes me appreciate its value again. It's like rediscovering what I already have. The 24-24 rule. Do you ever walk into a store for one thing, but then you walk out with two full bags? This is where the 24-24 rule comes in. This rule has saved me from so many impulse buys. Here's how it works. Whenever you attempt to buy something on an impulse that costs more than $24, whether that's in a physical store or online, wait 24 hours before making the purchase. It's that simple. Just go home and think about it. It's like buying a donut. It's much harder to resist when you're in the donut store than when you're at home and you can think it through because it's not right in front of you. At home, I'll ask myself, does this really add value to my life? And more often than not, that shirt or gadget that seems so amazing in the store often loses its appeal once I'm home. And if I still want it after 24 hours, I see the value of it, I'll happily go back to the physical or online store and buy it. What I like about the 24-24 rule is that the $24 threshold is high enough that it doesn't really affect impulse purchases like getting a coffee or lunch somewhere, but it does catch all those purchases above that that you may regret later. You don't need to be a minimalist to benefit from all of this. It's more about making sure your money goes toward things rather than toward things that seemed important for all of five minutes. If you're not a minimalist but you want to keep the amount of stuff you own under control, the 1-in-1-out rule is your friend. The rule is simple. Whenever you want to bring something new into your home, you first have to get rid of something old, something you already own. Buy a new pair of jeans? Donate an old pair. And when you want to buy a new pan because the old one is showing cracks, let go of the old one when you buy the new one and don't keep it around just in case. What you let go of has to be a similar item. Buying a new jacket and then letting go of a fork, that doesn't count. What I like about this habit is that it prevents me from impulse buys because whenever I want to buy something, I have to ask myself, do I want to let go of a similar item that I already own just to bring this new thing into my home? Sometimes the answer is yes, but other times it makes me realize that I don't really need this new item at all. You don't need to be a minimalist to benefit from the 1-in-1-out rule. It just keeps your home in a natural balance without the need for any big decluttering sessions. By the way, if you're new to minimalism and you don't really know where to begin, you can download my free how to get started with minimalism checklist in the description below. The 50-30-20 budget. Some people like to track every single penny, even adding yesterday's cappuccino to a spreadsheet. That's not me. I like to keep things simple, but at the same time, I do like to have a broad idea of where my money goes. And the 50-30-20 rule is one of those simple frameworks that can transform your finances if you don't want to track every single penny. The idea is simple. Allocate 50% towards your fixed expenses like rent, mortgage, utilities, 30% towards things like entertainment or travel, and 20% toward building a financial secure future. So that's savings and investment funds, emergency funds, paying off debt. These are not hard fixed percentages, especially in these times, it may be hard to allocate 50% of your income to your needs, your fixed expenses, because a lot of people, including myself, are dealing with the increased cost of living. But the 50-30-20 budget can still be something to aspire to, to use as a North Star. And this is where minimalism can be really helpful. Minimalism is an approach to life that has helped me live and be content with less. And it has also helped me realize that things I may have labeled as needs are really wants. Like I don't need to live in the heart of an expensive city or go out for cocktails twice every weekend because I deserve it after a hard week at work. You don't need to be a minimalist to apply the 50-30-20 budget rule. What I like about it is that it's super simple. You don't need to track 25 different budget categories or use complicated spreadsheets. Just these three simple buckets. Buy time, not stuff. I once heard someone say we don't work hard just to buy things we don't love. But that's kind of the trap that many people fall into. They buy shiny things to impress people they may not even know or like. And to pay for it all they may have to keep a job they hate but can't do without or even get into debt. You and I, we work hard for the money we make. So we shouldn't waste it on pointless things, right? That's why I prioritize spending my money on things that give me back time. Because time is a most valuable non-renewable resource. When I'm considering buying something, I'll ask will this give me more time or take more time? Just think about how back in the day laundry had to be done by hand. Now we have washing machines and we don't even think about it anymore. But they're a huge time saver. For me it can be AI tools that help me with video ideas script writing or video editing. Now AI can't replace those things but even if I can just save 10% of the time that would make a big difference because all of those are huge time sucks. The question will this give me more time or take more time is also a powerful filter in another way. Many things we buy come with hidden time costs we don't consider in the moment. A car needs regular checkups a bigger house means more time spent cleaning cute decorative items need dusting and video games and streaming services consume hours of your attention. I'm not saying don't buy things I spend money on things but I want to be mindful about what I spend my money on. I care about freedom more than anything else and I want to be in control of my time so I see money as a tool to buy freedom rather than just stuff. If you can't afford it you can't have it. As an outsider it seems to me that one reason why so many Americans have credit card debt is that it's so easy to get credit. My friends in the US tell me that they just get credit cards sent in the mail from random companies unsolicited. In the Netherlands where I'm from most people pay for things with their debit card using money that's actually in their bank account. I have a credit card but I only use it when I have no other option which usually is when I travel internationally like when I need to book a hotel or rent a car and I get no points or benefits whatsoever for using my credit card. That really sucks like that's something I think is quite great about the American system. If you can be smarter with your credit card you can really like max out on points and you know get free flights and stuff that I would really love. Paying for things with the money that's actually in your bank account creates a natural limit to spending and prevents getting into debt for things that are just wants not needs. If you do use a credit card to pay for everything I think it's important to be strict with yourself to prevent going into debt. A simple rule you could follow is if you can't afford it you can't have it. If you can't immediately pay off your credit card bill when it's due don't buy it yet. This doesn't mean you can never have nice things it just means you plan for them and save up rather than mortgaging your future for immediate gratification. Like I still remember when I was 15 I had to deliver papers for a whole year in order to save up enough money to buy a PC. This was in 1995. It took forever but when I was finally on my desk I really felt like I had earned it. When you buy something on credit you're not just paying for the item you're also paying extra in interest and you're paying with your peace of mind. If it's not a hell yes it's a hell no. So I love Derek Ziver's blog and books and he writes that if you're not saying hell yeah about something say no. In the moment saying yes is often easier. We say it out of obligation FOMO or because we think we should say it. But when you apply the hell yes or no filter you create space in your life for things that generally light you up. Whereas whenever you say yes too often it's easy to get overwhelmed especially if it goes at the expense of things you really care about like spending more time with your family pursuing your interests or living more slowly. I used to be much more of a yes person but I realized that if I want to have full control over my time I need to start saying no to things I just feel lukewarm about. I also apply this rule when I'm considering buying something. Like early in this video I shared that I ask myself questions like what value will this add to my life and I apply the 24 24 rule to prevent impulse buys. But even when I believe it will add value to my life I may still sit on it for a couple of days or even weeks and if I'm still excited then I know it's definitely a hell yes. It's not about becoming a no man. When you say yes to fewer things you don't spread yourself too thin and you can give your full attention and energy to those few things. It's about quality over quantity. Not just with your possessions but with how you spend your most valuable resource your life. Don't buy a problem. In 2007 I bought my first and only car. I had an accident a few years later and I haven't owned the car since. It was a second-hand Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0. When I picked it up for a test drive somewhere in the countryside it wouldn't start. That was a red flag. I should have just left it then and there but I so badly wanted to have a car and this was all I could afford. So eventually it started and I bought it anyway. Driving back home I remember thinking did I just buy a problem? You know that feeling that the price I just paid was only the beginning and that turned out to be true. The car had a coolant leak. One day I was driving on the highway and I remember thinking what is that burning smell and it came from the engine. I've also had a few times where I parked at a client or at the Ikea parking garage like one and a half hours away from home and the car wouldn't start and even after I brought it in for a couple of repairs I just kept having issues. So sometimes the initial purchase price is just the tip of the iceberg. What I've learned from that is that being intentional about your purchases means considering your future self not just your present day desires. The cost of an item goes beyond the price tag. That amazing deal on a complicated espresso machine may not be such a bargain if it ends up causing a lot of frustrations every single day you want to make a coffee. And there's also the opportunity cost to consider. The money you spend on a problem you can spend on something else. And I'm not even talking about the time you might need to maintain the item or the space in your home that could be used differently. Speaking of money a while back I read the book The Psychology of Money by Morgan Household which is one of the best books I've read about being intentional with your money and not spending it on problems. I made a separate video about the 15 lessons I learned from the book like using money to gain freedom or planning for the plan not to go according to plan. You can check it out right here. So thanks for watching let me know if any of these minimalist rules resonated with you and I hope to see you in the next one. Take care. Bye-bye.