Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life

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Elevate your personal style, trim your belongings, and transform your life, one room at a time, with this visionary lifestyle and home organization book from professional organizing expert, Shira Gill.

“Warm, funny, and direct, Shira builds you up while helping you edit down to the best version of yourself.”—Stacy London, New York Times bestselling author of The Truth About Style

As a professional home organizer with clients ranging from students to multi-millionaires, Shira Gill observed that clutter is a universal stress trigger. Over the years she created a signature decluttering and organization process that promotes sustainability, achieves lasting results, and can be applied to anyone, regardless of their space or lifestyle. Rather than imposing strict rules and limitations, Shira redefines minimalism as having the perfect amount of everything—for you—based on your personal values and the limitations of your space.

Now, in Minimalista, Shira shares her complete toolkit for the first time, built around five key steps: Clarify, Edit, Organize, Elevate, and Maintain. Once you learn the methodology you'll dive into the hands-on work, choose-your-own-adventure style: knock out a room, or even a single drawer; style a bookshelf; donate a sweater. Shira teaches that the most important thing you can do is start, and that small victories, achieved one at a time, will snowball into massive transformation. Broken into small, bite-sized chunks, Minimalista makes it clear that if the process is fun and easy to follow, anyone can learn the principles of editing and organization.

Review

“Shira Gill is the funniest, wisest, most entertaining writer in the organizing game. If you only buy one book this year featuring a fake word ending in -ista, make it this one.”—Adam Mansbach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Go the F**k to Sleep

“Minimalista will help you find your dream home beneath the clutter. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to pare back to what is essential and let go of the rest.”—Laura Fenton, author of The Little Book of Living Small

“Minimalista is the holy grail for curating a minimal, functional, and inviting home. Shira will not shame you for owning an abundant shoe collection or mismatched mugs, rather she encourages you to find the sweet spot for what brings you comfort and joy and let go of the rest. Her approach to organizing is simple and fun, and the #15minwin exercise is a game changer for tackling those dreaded projects you keep putting off.”—Lily Cameron, founder of The Wild Minimalist and author of Simply Sustainable

“Shira has a gift for simplifying the process of organizing your home. She takes what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming task and turns it into an activity you actually want to do. Her ideas are memorable and easy to follow. This book is the resource, encouragement, and inspiration you need to create a home you love today and keep you on track in the future.”—Natalie Walton, international bestselling author of This is Home

“I identified with so many of the important lessons that Shira teaches in Minimalista. Now I’ll know what book to recommend when people ask me to help them on their journey toward minimalism!”—Garance Doré, New York Times bestselling author of Love Style Life

“There’s nothing more demoralizing than feeling like you have everything in the world, and yet want none of it. Shira’s approach will help you reframe what you buy and then show you how to live alongside everything in your home in a way that is honorable, liberating, and, ironically, maximizing. It is as much a system of organization as a method for clarity.”—Elise Loehnen, author and former chief content officer at Goop

“From providing a user-friendly tool kit on how to curate and maintain a minimalist lifestyle to giving practical guidance for simplifying our living spaces, Minimalista offers a fun, approachable framework for functional minimalism—one that we all need.”—Christine Platt, author of The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less

About the Author

Shira Gill is a home organizing expert, author, speaker, and founder of the “fifteen-minute win” productivity hack. Her online makeover programs, popular lifestyle blog, and Instagram feed have inspired a global audience to get rid of the excess in their lives and focus on what really matters. Shira’s work and home have been featured in Apartment Therapy, Domino, Forbes, Goop, Harper’s Bazaar, HGTV, InStyle, Parents, Real Simple, Rue, and Remodelista. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two daughters, and their Australian shepherd, who sheds all over their very organized home.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Hi, I’m Shira. I started my home organizing and lifestyle business in San Francisco, California, because everyone I spoke to, regardless of their occupation or income level, was overwhelmed by clutter, and I knew that I could help.

My superpower is the ability to help people clarify and home in on what they value most. Paring down to the essentials is the most direct route to figuring out who you are and what you truly care about. In fact, there are few things I enjoy more than teaching others how to create living spaces that help them improve their lives on every level.

Over the course of my career, I’ve helped clients all over the world declutter and organize their homes. I’ve worked with students who lived in run-down studio apartments, and I’ve helped multi-multi-millionaires in mansions that took up entire city blocks. My clients have included actors, tech entrepreneurs, brain surgeons, and NASA scientists, and here’s what I’ve learned: A cluttered living space is a universal stress trigger; it doesn’t matter who you are or where you live. (Clutter doesn’t care if you’re smart or famous.) More than that, your stuff tells an important story. Your belongings are a physical manifestation of your life—your stuff can reveal what you value, what your priorities are, and where you’re stuck or struggling. The good news is that you get to decide what story you want your stuff to tell moving forward.

Like any superpower, mine has a complicated backstory. I grew up as an only child, and my parents went through a pretty rough divorce when I was eight. My court-appointed joint custody schedule was bananas (I traveled back and forth every other day), and I discovered that having my personal space feel under control was essential for my overall sense of well-being. Organization became an important form of self-care for me and a way to reclaim some control in a world that often felt out of control. Before I knew that someone’s life could be changed by teaching them how to edit and organize, and before I even knew what those words meant or that they could add up to a career,
I knew that I needed my room to look and feel a certain way. I’ve got my own home now, and my need for it to be kept neat and streamlined has remained.

Despite their differences, one thing my parents did have in common was an anti-materialistic philosophy that was not uncommon in Berkeley, California, in the late 1970s. We had what we needed, but my parents valued experiences over possessions and instilled creativity, kindness, and curiosity as core values. Now I get to carry those teachings forward by showing my clients the benefits and freedom of having LESS in a sea of noise telling us that what we need to be happy is MORE.

That noise was especially loud when I had my first daughter. I was determined to retain my sense of style and say “no” to all the latest gizmos and gadgets and baby gear despite the pressure to do otherwise. When other moms asked how I got by without “all of the things,” I showed them, and that’s how my business was born.

Early on, I set myself apart by integrating minimalism, styling, and thoughtful design into my work with clients. The classic ethos of minimalism taught me so much about paring down my belongings and living a life based on experiences rather than material things. I was inspired by the leading voices of minimalism, who luxuriated in white space and could fit their belongings in a backpack, but I longed for examples of minimalism that embraced a broader range of styles and aesthetics and was applicable to a reality that included a husband, children, a weak spot for vintage jeans (don’t judge!)—and not a lot of time.

As I created my own brand of minimalism and introduced it to my clients, it became evident that elevating one’s style was an inevitable and delightful by-product of curating one’s belongings down to the highest-quality essentials.

Additionally, the more I worked with people, the more I saw that bigger issues often lurked beneath the clutter—shame, guilt, loss, trauma—and that the process of editing and organizing a home could also be an opportunity to clarify and realign with larger life goals and values.

I trained at, and became certified through, the Life Coach School, and I developed a professional set of coaching tools that have helped me take the work even deeper. Being a life coach and an organizer helps me approach the challenge of clutter through a unique lens and allows me to help my clients make dramatic and lasting transformations—both from the outside in and from the inside out.

I call the San Francisco Bay Area home, and I live in a one-hundred-year-old, 1,200-square-foot bungalow, where I share one tiny bathroom and two closets with my husband, two daughters, and our puppy, Patches.

What Minimalism Is and Isn’t

Welcome to the start of your journey toward a clutter-free life.

Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge that suffering caused by the accumulation of clutter is a condition of privilege, as it requires both a home and a budget to accumulate those possessions. In helping others let go of excess and embrace minimalism, it is not my intention to ignore nor diminish the fact that many people live with less than they need. For countless individuals and families, this is a reality and not a choice.

Minimalism can help improve every aspect of your life by freeing you from the clutter, distraction, and noise that stand in the way of living out your true purpose and values. Now, before you conjure up images of empty spaces with stark, white walls, let me explain how I define minimalism. To me, minimalism doesn’t refer to the lack or absence of something. It’s about having the perfect amount. Just enough without the excess. More specifically, I mean the exact right number of something for you. You might love hats. No problem. One hat is the perfect number of hats for me. For you, it could be ten. It could be fifteen. It’s probably not one hundred. I preach a philosophy of minimalism that confronts excess—not one that deprives you of the things you actually enjoy. In the end, whatever the number, you’ll be left with only the hats you truly love, they’ll be displayed nicely, and you’ll always be able to find them.

It’s likely that you currently own more stuff than you need or can easily manage. Most people do. I’m also betting that the sheer volume of what you have, mixed with a lack of functional systems, has created an environment that feels cluttered, overwhelming, and stressful. But fear not. I’ve seen homes a lot worse than yours (I promise), and I know from experience that every home has the potential to be streamlined, clutter-free, and a place you want to kick back and relax in at the end of a long day.

I’ve also moved more than twenty-five times. It sounds crazy saying it out loud, but it’s true. Even early on, when resources were tight, maintaining an organized, stylish, and comfortable home was always a priority. I became a bit of a transformation junkie, learning how to effect change in the most simple, efficient, and impactful way possible. My true “aha!” moment occurred in college, when I realized that I could up-level my space simply by stripping away clutter. Instead of buying more things that I felt I “needed,” I could improve the look and feel of my space simply by owning less, and I discovered that a well-made bed and some fresh flowers was better for my state of mind than piles of laundry and pizza boxes on the floor.

Since founding my business, I’ve coached families and individuals from coast to coast, helping them create streamlined, personalized homes that support their values and priorities. After working with so many people, a series of questions started to emerge: How can I apply this process to other areas in my home on my own? How can I get my kids or partner on board? Is it okay to get rid of something that was given to me as a gift? Am I a terrible parent if I want to throw out my kid’s art? This book is the answer to all those questions and more.

I’m not going to lie to you: this work takes time, energy, focus, and commitment. It’s simple but not always easy, and if you try to tackle it all at once, it can feel like an impossible task. As a busy working parent myself, I realize that editing and organizing your entire home can be a daunting task. Who has time to dedicate entire days to culling through mountains of clothing, housewares, or paperwork?

For this reason, my process (and this book) focuses on transforming one room at a time, one small section at a time. My clients love this approach because it helps get them out of overwhelm (“It’s all too much!”) and into action (“I finished my sock drawer!”). When you tackle even a single drawer, you’ll experience success, boost your confidence, and start to feel hopeful, even excited, about tackling the rest of your home.

Review:

4.9 out of 5

98.46% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Shira Gill

s. · September 9, 2024

I’m a huge follower of Marie Kondo, the OG of simplifying and organizing. Shira Gill is a close second!! Her approach to minimalism is refreshingly balanced. She focuses on curating a home and lifestyle that reflect what truly matters to you. Her guidance is practical, easy to follow, and adaptable, with tips that apply to all areas of life, from the closet to the kitchen to daily routines. I love her aesthetic inspiration and that she shares the details of her kitchen/home finds and her wardrobe staples.The book is also a visual treat, filled with beautiful, serene images that make the idea of decluttering and organizing feel not only achievable but desirable. Her website is also amazing!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book

N. · November 12, 2024

I recently wanted to upgrade my home with soft furnishings, so I bought this book. I loved it so much after I received it. It matches my cabinets perfectly. The content in the book also gave me a lot of inspiration to decorate new furniture

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are ready to let go of unneccessary stuff

P. · February 19, 2024

This book is great. If you would like to declutter and create a welcoming home , this book is for you.I love that the author gives you step by step guidance that can be applied in any space. Her system is clear and easy to follow.I also like her writing prompts. There is a reason why many people live in cluttered homes and in order to be able to maintain a decluttered lifestyle, you really need to think about what kind of home you would like to live in and why.Part two of the book guides you through room by room and has many helpful ideas that are easy to implement.I highly recommend this book if you want to create a peaceful home. Just get ready and be aware that you will be getting rid of many things you don't need/want ..... it's a holistical approach to organizing and very helpful. I'll come back to this book whenever I need good ideas or a pep talk.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book!

K.C. · September 26, 2024

Making decluttering easier, more fun, and has beautiful pictures to both inspire and make it feel less like a workbook.

5.0 out of 5 stars Coffee table book

L.T. · November 11, 2024

Great decor book. Interesting designs... great for browsing and better as a coffee table book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this, even after the KonMari process

C. · February 24, 2022

My family completed the KonMari process a few years ago, and have embraced a more minimalistic approach since. I wasn't sure I would get much out of this book, since we had already whittled down most of our possessions, but I'm glad I ordered it. While I find the KonMari approach to editing more helpful (by category rather than by room/drawer/closet), this book tackled organization more comprehensively. The examples are inspiring, and motivated me to step up the aesthetic aspect of organizing what we own. Something I wasn't expecting to get out of this book was such great tips on avoiding procrastination - I felt like she tackled in a couple chapters what I spent a few years in therapy learning ha. Her focus on sustainability and owning better, fewer things really resonates as well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it

B.H. · October 20, 2024

Perfect color and size

5.0 out of 5 stars Way more than just minimalistic organization

A.D. · May 20, 2024

I bought this book expecting it to have some good information on how to be a more minimalist organizer. I was wrong! This book has a lot more detail and information than just basic organizing techniques. It breaks down each process and gives you writing prompts so you can make the experience a little more personal. My personal favorite chapter was the one about entryways and living/dining rooms. Giving things a proper home(storage space) was something I never thought about, I would organize but sometimes it was different items all thrown together in a storage bin. This book has helped an already avid organizer with new ideas and better understanding of just how to organize without just shuffling things around.

O conteúdo é super interessante e se lido pode ser muito bem aplicado para melhoria do dia a dia!

C. · May 9, 2024

Eu amei Tudo! Desde a capa até o conteúdo, e neste produto veio bem embalado sem alterações na capa como nos outros que já comprei aqui.

Me gustó mucho el libro Minimalista

I.G. · April 8, 2022

Como dije me gustó mucho, las fotografías nos dan idea de cómo decorar con pocos objetos, pero muy coordinados y representativos del gusto y aficiones de…

Love it!

L. · January 8, 2022

This book was the perfect read over my holiday break. So inspiring, without offering unattainable ideas or encouraging you to spend a lot of $$ on storage solutions. I have been whizzing around my house ever since, on an organizing and decluttering mission. Well worth the money, and it also looks great as a coffee table book once you've finished reading it.

guida pratica molto utile

m. · August 19, 2024

Libro veramente illuminante se si sta cercando di minimizzare il caos e dare una nuova direzione alla propria vita e agli spazi a lei dedicati.Shira inizia con lo spiegare la teoria che sostiene tutto il lavoro, in 5 step, per poi andare nel dettaglio stanza per stanza, fino a dare qualche dritta professionale per poter elevare la stanza.L’ho letto in versione digitale, ma acquisterò la copia cartacea per averlo come riferimento nei prossimi anni.

Plenty of Inspiration

F. · August 10, 2024

This is a beautifully produced book and a very good read. Would make an excellent gift for someone or a treat for yourself. Lovely photos and sound advice for someone who wants to sort out their space.

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Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life

Name: Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life
Brand: Ten Speed Press
SKU: U1984859277
Price: 13.83 BHD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (13 reviews)

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