A Day in the Life of a Minimalist

It’s 6:00 a.m. and I’m already awake. No alarm clock. Just my body telling me it’s time to get up—something I’ve trained myself to do over the years. I’m Matt, and this is what an ordinary day in my minimalist life looks like.

Now before you imagine me sitting in an empty room with nothing but a chair and a toothbrush, let me stop you. That’s not me. Yes, I do wear the same charcoal t-shirt and black jeans almost every day, and yes, I love a good pour-over coffee (like every stereotypical minimalist). But my life isn’t about deprivation—it’s about choosing what matters and cutting out the rest.

Mornings Are Simple

I usually roll out of bed somewhere between 6:00 and 6:30, depending on how many times I hit snooze. I brush my teeth, take a shower (minimalists do shower, despite what you may have heard), and then head to the kitchen.

Coffee is non-negotiable. I make it slow, pour-over style, and while it brews, I sometimes update my Patreon. That’s where I share behind-the-scenes stuff—how I come up with ideas, how I edit, and what it’s really like to try and build something creative from scratch.

By the time Natalie wakes up, I’ve usually knocked out an hour of work. We’ll chat for a bit before she gets ready for her day, and then I head back to my desk.

Work, Work, Work

Most of my day is spent editing. I used to do weddings, bar mitzvahs, and later projects for startups, but now it’s mostly my own stuff—podcasts, YouTube videos, films.

Editing is where I live. Some people hate it, but I love piecing a story together from raw footage. It’s like solving a puzzle every day. I’ll usually sit down for two or three hours at a time, completely in the zone, until my stomach reminds me it’s lunchtime.

Eating & Moving

Lunch is nothing fancy—usually something I can make in bulk and eat over the next couple of days. One of the best things about working from home is having my kitchen right there. It saves money, and honestly, I eat way healthier this way.

Then it’s gym time. The gym has been part of my life for ten years now. It keeps me grounded. Running a business, freelancing, creating—it can all get stressful. But stepping into the gym is my reset button. I always leave feeling more focused and more energized.

After that, it’s back to my desk with a protein shake (and, let’s be honest, usually a second coffee).

Wrapping Up

The rest of my afternoon depends—sometimes more editing, sometimes recording a podcast, sometimes planning the next video. Every now and then I call my family back on the East Coast. They don’t always “get” my ideas, but it’s nice to share them anyway.

When Natalie gets home, I shut it all down. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably just keep working late into the night. We spend time together, laugh, and share our own little routines—like her surprisingly good Italian accent that always cracks me up.

What Minimalism Really Means

At the end of the day, my life probably doesn’t look too different from anyone else’s. The difference is in what I don’t do. I don’t waste time picking outfits. I don’t fall into endless social media scrolling. I don’t chase things that don’t matter to me.

Instead, I try to live with intention. Work, relationships, health—those are the things I make time for.

Before bed, I check my calendar and to-do list for tomorrow. It’s a small ritual that makes mornings easier. Then, it’s lights out.

Minimalism, for me, isn’t about having less. It’s about making room for more of what actually matters.

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