What if there were a way to live with less stress, less debt, and less worry? With minimalism, you can.

You might have heard about it in passing, watched a Netflix documentary about it, or had someone you know commit to the minimalist movement. But what does it mean to be a minimalist?

It's really simple to be a minimalist, you have to live with less than 100 items, you can't own a car, home, television, you can't have a career and you have to constantly be traveling to far off, exotic locations. You have to start a blog telling the world why minimalism is the best, you can't have children, and you have to be a young person coming from a privileged background.

OK, of course I'm joking.

People are often quick to dismiss the minimalism movement as a fad, something that comes and goes in our society, something that is full of restrictions.

Here's the thing though, minimalism isn't about any of those things, but of course it can help you accomplish them.

If you really want to live with fewer material possessions, not own a car, home, or have a career or children, then by all means, do it. But that's not the point.

Simply, minimalism is a tool that can be deployed in every single person's life to help you find freedom.

Freedom from: missing out, fear, worry, guilt, depression, freedom from the trappings of the constant barrage of consumerism to which we're all subjected.

Of course that doesn't mean there's anything overtly wrong with owning material possessions. The problem, according to minimalists, is the value that we assign all of the stuff we buy, the stuff we think we need.

We tend to give so much meaning to our possessions that we forget what's really important like our health, relationships, passions, personal growth and our desires to contribute in a positive way to society.

Minimalism allows you to make decisions about what you want to have in your life more consciously and more deliberately.

So why be a minimalist? After all, we live in a society where we can have anything and everything we want.

Stores are open 24 hours a day, and if that's not in your wheelhouse, you can shop online for anything at any given moment of the day.

We are pushed to consume, all the time. Minimalism is a way to forego the excess of the world around us. That is, it allows a person to escape the excess of consumerism, material possessions clutter, too much to do, too much debt, too many distractions, basically too much noise.

And with all that noise, there's no real meaning. If you take away all of the non-essential things, you're able to focus on what's truly important, what gives you meaning, joy, and value.

There's a misconception about minimalism that it's an empty, sparse, and boring life.

It can be, if you so choose to go that direction, but I personally don't think it needs to be that extreme.

Instead, I've found such joy in clearing away the distractions so I can create something incredible.

It clears away all obligations so I can spend time with love ones, and actually spend time with them not check my phone constantly, not be watching television or flicking through a magazine.

In essence, minimalism allows me to be present in my life in a way that I don't know that I've ever been.

As a result, I've found more happiness, peace, and joy, because I've cleared away the junk and made space for these things in my life.

Getting rid of things I don't need, don't use, and don't want has left me with an uncluttered, simple environment and a really uncluttered, simple life.

There's a real sense of freedom that comes from living without obsessions for material items.

I've found this lifestyle to be sustainable, less stressful and so much more rewarding than constantly seeking out a new item that I imagine I just have to have, or living in a home full of things I don't really use.

So, ready to get started living a minimalist life?

Over the next few weeks, this column will expand on some of the simple steps we can all take to living more carefree with less.