A minimalist challenge offers you a structured path to change your living space from chaotic to calm, one small step at a time. Instead of spending entire weekends drowning in decluttering marathons, you use methods like daily 15-minute sessions, room rotations, or category-based sorting to create lasting change.
At Made Minimal, we help families declutter their homes and then fill them with beautiful, functional furniture that supports their new minimalist lifestyle.
In this article, we’ll guide you through a practical 30-day approach that sticks. You’ll discover:
- Simple daily tasks that take just 15-20 minutes each
- Room-by-room strategies that prevent you from getting overwhelmed
- Smart ways to decide what stays and what goes
- How to choose quality pieces that serve multiple purposes
- Tips for maintaining your newly simplified spaces
Your calmer, more organised home is just 30 days away. Let’s dive in and make it happen together.
Getting Started with the 30-Day Minimalist Challenge
You can get started with the 30-day minimalist challenge with just a few boxes, some sticky notes, and a simple plan. And the best part is, you don’t have to go fast at all.
In fact, that’s where most people get it wrong. We know how it feels to rent a skip bin and try to clear out your entire house in a single weekend. That approach usually leads to burnout and regret when you realise you’ve thrown away something important.
But when you take the 30-day challenge, it works best because you make manageable decisions daily rather than overwhelming yourself with many choices all at once.
Now, let’s break down exactly what this challenge involves and how you can set yourself up for success:
What is the minimalist challenge?
Ever wonder how to start your minimalist lifestyle? It’s pretty easy to begin if you think about it step by step. The minimalist challenge is a fun way to start your journey by getting rid of a specific number of things each day. Treat it as a game and play with the numbers.
For example, you ditch one thing on day one, two things on day two, three things on day three, and so on. Some people donate books, clothes, or kitchen gadgets they never use. Others focus on paperwork, old magazines, or random items stuffed in drawers. The method you choose depends on your schedule (and energy levels).
By the end of the month, you’ll have said goodbye to 465 possessions and freed yourself from a lot of external clutter. Your home will feel lighter, and you’ll spend less time cleaning and organising. Isn’t that worth 15 minutes a day?
Preparing for a more minimalist lifestyle
To prepare for the challenge, first make a simple to-do list of which areas of your home you want to tackle. So, start with the easiest rooms (like bathrooms or laundries) before moving to emotionally charged spaces like bedrooms. And if you feel overwhelmed during the process, don’t be hard on yourself and give yourself permission to take breaks.
The whole idea is to have only the things that truly add value and more meaning to your life.
Helpful Tip: Before you begin, take a moment to mentally prepare and think about what you want your life to look like with fewer things. Maybe you’ll finally see your kitchen bench again, or perhaps you can park your car in the garage for the first time in years.
Once you’ve got your mindset sorted and your basic supplies ready, you’ll want to tackle your home strategically. The most effective way to do this is to work through each room systematically rather than jumping around randomly.
The Minimalist Challenge: A Room-by-Room Guide
Which room in your house makes you feel the most stressed when you walk into it? That’s probably where you should start your minimalist challenge. Every home has those problem areas that seem to collect stuff like magnets, and tackling them first gives you the greatest mental relief. Plus, you’ll build confidence with quick wins before moving on to tougher spaces.
Here’s how to work through your home systematically without feeling lost:
Tackling your clutter hotspots: A to-do list
We suggest starting with the obvious trouble spots like kitchen benches, dining tables, and that chair in your bedroom where clothes pile up endlessly. These areas should be first on your to-do list for a clutter-free house because they impact your daily routine the most. When these high-traffic zones stay organised, the rest of your home feels instantly more manageable.
What many people don’t realise is how much mental energy clutter drains from us. Research shows that cluttered environments overload our cognitive capacity, as the brain struggles to prioritise attention amidst distractions. Your mind works harder just to filter out all the visual noise around you.
On top of this mental fatigue, overwhelming feelings often come from sentimental items that you’re scared to get rid of. That’s completely normal. However, keeping everything “just in case” turns your home into a storage unit that you happen to sleep in. “I swear I’ll use my high school prom dress again,” but let’s be honest, it’s just taking up space. You don’t want to live in a museum of your past decisions, right?
Pro Tip: Use Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method and ask yourself if an item sparks joy or serves a purpose. In this way, you’ll make decisions based on what adds value to your current life rather than holding onto things from your past self.
Adopting the digital minimalist challenge
Now, what about the clutter you can’t see? A digital mess can be just as stressful as physical piles of stuff. Your phone buzzes with notifications, your computer desktop is covered in random files, and your photo gallery has thousands of blurry shots you’ll never look at again. It’s like having a junk drawer that follows you everywhere you go.
The constant noise of this digital chaos creates the same anxiety as a messy room. That’s why it’s important to understand that part of a minimalist lifestyle is getting a handle on digital and mental clutter, too.
We recommend turning off annoying push notifications and deleting old files, photos, and apps you haven’t used in months. You’ll see the result immediately when your phone stops pinging every five minutes, and you can find the photo you’re looking for.
Getting the whole family involved
The best way to make minimalist living last is to get everyone on board. When one person declutters while others keep accumulating stuff, you’re fighting a losing battle. Teaching kids about minimalism is like convincing them that vegetables taste better than lollies. It takes patience and a bit of creative presentation.
That said, you can make decluttering a fun game for your family members by setting up donation boxes and seeing who can fill theirs first. You can also create a friendly competition where everyone finds one item to donate for each new thing that comes into the house. This “one out rule” prevents clutter from creeping back in while teaching everyone to be more intentional about their purchases.
The challenge doesn’t end when day 30 arrives, though. You have to create lasting habits and follow the right strategies to keep your spaces from returning to their old chaotic state. Let’s look at how you can maintain your progress long after the initial excitement wears off.
Beyond the 30 Days: Maintaining a Minimalist Life
After the initial 30 days, you’ll have to create daily habits, set monthly check-ins, and stick to purchasing rules to keep the rewards flowing. The most difficult challenge comes when the excitement wears off and you’re tempted to slip back into old patterns. This is where most people struggle.
Don’t worry about this. You can make your simplified lifestyle permanent with the right approach.
One of our clients, Rachel, shared how she saved $3,000 in her first year just by avoiding impulse buys at shopping centres. She also gained back nearly 8 hours each week that she used to spend looking for misplaced items or cleaning around clutter. Now she uses that extra time to spend with her loved ones and pursue hobbies she’d forgotten about.
Beyond the financial benefits, decluttering can reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed that used to hit you every time you walked through your front door. There’s a genuine sense of calm that comes from seeing clear surfaces and organised spaces. The takeaway from here is clear: your mind feels clearer when the space is cleaner.
What’s more important, though, is that maintaining this progress requires a change in mindset. Instead of treating your minimalist lifestyle as a one-time event, you need to make decluttering a regular process in your life. This means doing quick 10-minute tidy sessions weekly and asking yourself tough questions before bringing new items home.
The most effective way to avoid falling back into old habits is to remember why you started:
- Less stress from visual clutter
- More money in your savings account
- Extra time for meaningful activities
- Freedom from constant tidying up
When you feel tempted to buy something you don’t need, pause and remember the freedom, money savings, and positive impact that came from your minimalist living. Your future self will thank you for staying committed to this healthier way of life.
Your Path to a Clutter-Free Home
Home clutter affects millions of Australian families, creating stress and wasting precious time. You don’t have to be one of them. With simple daily actions and the right approach, any home can become a calm, organised sanctuary.
This article walked you through a proven 30-day system that works room by room. You’ve also learned how to get your family involved and how to maintain your progress over the long-term without falling back into old patterns.
Your simplified, peaceful home is within reach. When you’re ready to furnish your newly organised space with beautiful, functional pieces, we’ll be happy to help you choose wisely.
