Top 11 'Default-Resetting' Minimalist Tips to read for building a more intentional life from scratch this year. - Goh Ling Yong
Have you ever reached the end of a week, a month, or even a year and thought, "How did I get here?" It's a quiet, unsettling feeling. The days blur into a routine that we didn't consciously design, filled with possessions we don't remember choosing and commitments that drain rather than fulfill us. We're living on autopilot, running a program written by society, marketing, and outdated versions of ourselves.
This is life by default. It's comfortable, familiar, and easy. But it's rarely intentional. An intentional life, on the other hand, is built from the ground up. It requires questioning the defaults, challenging the norms, and making conscious choices—big and small—that align with who you truly want to be. It's about trading a cluttered, reactive existence for one of purpose and clarity.
Minimalism is one of the most powerful tools for hitting that reset button. It’s not about owning nothing; it’s about making sure everything you own, do, and commit to serves a purpose. This year, instead of just tidying a closet, let's reset our life's defaults. Here are 11 foundational, 'default-resetting' minimalist tips to help you build a more intentional life from scratch.
1. Define Your 'Why' Before You Discard a Thing
The biggest mistake people make when adopting minimalism is starting with the stuff. They grab a trash bag and start purging, but without a clear vision, they often feel empty afterward or simply refill the space with new clutter. The default is to focus on the what (decluttering). The reset is to start with your why.
Before you touch a single object, take a quiet hour with a notebook. Ask yourself the big questions. What does your ideal day look like? What activities make you feel alive and energized? What values are most important to you—freedom, creativity, community, security? Write it all down without judgment. This document becomes your constitution, your North Star. Now, when you look at an object, a commitment, or an opportunity, you can ask a more powerful question: "Does this support the life I'm trying to build?"
For example:
- If your 'why' is "more time for creative writing," that third streaming subscription and a calendar packed with non-essential social events suddenly look very different.
- If your 'why' is "financial freedom to travel," the daily impulse buys and the closet full of fast fashion become obstacles, not rewards.
2. Conduct a Full-Spectrum 'Life Audit'
Our lives are cluttered with more than just physical possessions. We have cluttered calendars, cluttered minds, and cluttered digital spaces. The default is to tackle one area, like the garage, while ignoring the constant notification dings that are causing the real stress. To build a life from scratch, you need to see the full picture.
Set aside a weekend to conduct a 'life audit'. Create categories: Possessions, Commitments, Digital Habits, Relationships, and Information Diet. Go through each one and assess items based on your 'why'. Does this energize me or drain me? Does this add value or just take up space? This isn't about harsh judgment but about honest awareness. You can't chart a new course until you know exactly where you're standing.
Try this:
- Commitments: List every single recurring meeting, social obligation, and project. Mark each with a plus (energizing), minus (draining), or neutral sign.
- Digital: Check your phone's screen time report. Which apps are taking the most time? Does that usage align with your values?
3. Declutter Your Digital World First
Your physical environment is important, but your digital environment is where you spend a shocking amount of your conscious hours. It's also less emotionally taxing to declutter than your grandmother's heirlooms, making it the perfect place to start and build momentum. The default is to let our phones be a chaotic portal of endless information and demands. The reset is to curate it into a tool for focused, intentional living.
Start by treating your phone's home screen like your living room. Would you want it cluttered with junk mail and screaming salespeople? Unsubscribe from every marketing email you've been deleting for years. Turn off all non-essential notifications (you don't need to know someone liked your photo from 2018 right now). Delete apps you haven't used in three months. Unfollow social media accounts that make you feel envious, angry, or inadequate. The mental clarity you gain is immediate and profound.
4. Master the 'Intentional Entry' Rule
The 'one in, one out' rule is a classic for maintaining a decluttered space. But it's reactive. A more powerful, default-resetting approach is to focus on the front door of your life. Be an intentional gatekeeper for everything that tries to enter—possessions, commitments, and information.
Before anything new comes in, pause. For physical items, implement a 30-day waiting period for non-essential purchases. If you still want it and have a clear use for it after a month, then consider it. For commitments, instead of an automatic "yes," make your default a polite, "Let me check my schedule and get back to you." This small gap gives you time to consult your 'why' and decide if the request truly serves you. This is a core principle I talk about on the Goh Ling Yong blog: intentionality isn't a one-time purge; it's a continuous practice of mindful decision-making.
5. Redesign Your Environment for Focus
Willpower is finite. Motivation comes and goes. The most reliable way to change your behavior is to change your environment. The default is to live in a space designed around our old habits—the TV as the focal point of the living room, the phone charging on the nightstand, the work laptop open on the kitchen table. The reset is to architect your space to make your desired actions easier and your undesired actions harder.
Want to read more? Create a cozy reading corner with a comfortable chair, good lighting, and a small stack of books. Leave your phone in another room. Want to stop mindlessly snacking? Move the junk food to an inconvenient top shelf (or out of the house entirely) and place a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. Your environment is constantly nudging you in one direction or another. Take control of the nudges.
Specific examples:
- Lay out your workout clothes the night before.
- Delete social media apps from your phone and only access them on a computer.
- Set up a "landing zone" by your door for keys, wallets, and mail to keep surfaces clear.
6. Curate Your Information Diet
Just as the food you eat builds your body, the information you consume builds your mind. The default is to passively consume a firehose of sensationalized news, algorithm-driven outrage, and celebrity gossip. This junk food for the brain leaves us anxious, cynical, and distracted. An intentional life requires an intentional information diet.
Reset this default by becoming a curator. Unfollow news sources that rely on clickbait and fear. Instead, choose one or two reputable, long-form sources and schedule a specific time to check in, perhaps for 15 minutes each morning. Swap celebrity podcasts for ones that teach you a new skill or perspective. Be ruthless about what you allow into your headspace. You wouldn't let just anyone wander into your home; don't let just any information wander into your mind.
7. Adopt a 'No by Default' Calendar Policy
How many times have you said "yes" to something on the spot, only to dread it as the day approaches? The societal default is to be agreeable and to see an empty calendar as a sign of failure. We're conditioned to say "yes." The most powerful reset for your time and energy is to flip the switch: make "no" your default.
This doesn't mean becoming a recluse. It means that every invitation, request, and opportunity is met with thoughtful consideration, not an automatic reflex. The framework is simple: if it’s not a "Hell yes!", it’s a no. This practice, advocated by thinkers like Derek Sivers, is liberating. It protects your time and energy for the very few things that truly align with your 'why'. You'll do fewer things, but you'll do them better and with more enthusiasm.
8. Practice Mindful Consumption in All Areas
Minimalism is often associated with not buying things. But the deeper practice is mindful consumption—understanding the 'why' behind your consumption habits, whether it's shopping, eating, or scrolling. The default is to consume to soothe boredom, stress, or a feeling of lack. We buy something for a quick dopamine hit or binge a show to numb out.
The reset is to pause and ask, "What need am I trying to meet right now?" Are you truly hungry, or are you just procrastinating? Do you genuinely need that new gadget, or are you feeling influenced by an ad? This simple pause breaks the cycle of reactive behavior. Sometimes, you'll find the real need is for a walk, a conversation with a friend, or five minutes of quiet meditation—all of which are free and far more fulfilling.
9. Schedule 'White Space' into Your Week
Our culture worships productivity. An empty block of time on the calendar is seen as a problem to be solved, a space to be filled. The default is back-to-back meetings and a never-ending to-do list. But creativity, reflection, and true insight don't happen when you're rushing from one task to the next. They happen in the gaps.
Intentionally schedule "white space" or "nothing time" into your calendar. Block out 30-60 minutes with no agenda. You might go for a walk without headphones, stare out the window, or just sit with your thoughts. It will feel uncomfortable at first—that's the productivity default fighting back. But this is where your best ideas will surface and where you can check in with yourself, ensuring you're still on the path you consciously chose.
10. Re-evaluate Your Relational Energy
This can be the most challenging tip, but it's one of the most crucial for building a life from scratch. The people we surround ourselves with profoundly influence our mindset, habits, and happiness. The default is to maintain relationships out of obligation, history, or convenience, even when they consistently drain our energy.
An intentional approach involves evaluating how you feel after spending time with people. Who leaves you feeling inspired, seen, and energized? Who leaves you feeling depleted, anxious, or negative? This isn't about ruthlessly cutting people out. It's about consciously deciding where to invest your limited social energy. It might mean lovingly creating distance from a draining friendship to make more space for a supportive one, or spending more quality time with family who lifts you up.
11. Create a 'Personal Uniform'
Decision fatigue is a real drain on our mental resources. Every small choice we make throughout the day—what to eat, what to wear, which email to answer first—saps our willpower. A simple, powerful way to reset this is to create a 'personal uniform'. This isn't about wearing the exact same t-shirt every day (unless you want to!), but about simplifying your wardrobe to a curated collection of pieces you love, that fit well, and that can be easily mixed and matched.
As someone who values deep work and focus, a concept I often explore here at Goh Ling Yong, I've found this single practice to be a game-changer for my mornings. It eliminates a whole category of low-value decisions, saving that precious mental energy for the creative and strategic challenges that truly matter. It's a daily, tangible practice of minimalism that immediately simplifies your life and reinforces your commitment to intentionality.
Building a more intentional life isn't a weekend project; it's a lifelong practice of resetting your defaults. It's about trading passive acceptance for active design. Don't be overwhelmed by this list. Choose just one tip that resonates with you today. Maybe it's unsubscribing from five newsletters. Maybe it's saying "no" to one small request.
Each small, conscious choice is a vote for the life you truly want to build. You are the architect. Minimalism is simply the practice of clearing the land so you have a clean, solid foundation to begin.
Which of these 'default-resetting' tips are you most excited to try first? Share your first step in the comments below—I'd love to hear from you!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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