When people hear the word “minimalism,” they tend to imagine white, empty rooms and wardrobes full of identical shirts. But minimalism can take many different forms.

In your career, minimalism could simply mean focusing on one task at a time. Your to-do list will still be pages long and full of addendums and caveats, but practicing a minimalist mindset will ensure you’re able to progress through it steadily, focusing on doing each thing to the best of your ability.

Minimalism expert Joshua Becker defines workplace minimalism as the “intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing anything that distracts us from it.” It’s not about cutting jobs, tools, documents, or friends out of our lives; it’s about learning to prioritize those things so we can be truly present with each one.

While minimalism might be having a “moment” right now, it’s not a new concept. But it’s never too late to start decluttering your life. I talked to a few members of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and they shared some creative strategies that you can apply to your life today to help you cut the excess and gain clarity in your career:

1. Start a daily mindfulness practice

I often notice that in the rush and dazzle of my ever-so-connected world, I can sometimes become separated from my true goals and intentions. In fact, we’ve developed several strange new behaviors — like what researchers from the University of Chicago define as “phone walking,” which involves people holding their phones for long periods of time as they go about their lives for fear of missing messages.

Aimee Olson, a coach at Life Done Simply, advises starting your day with a quiet breathing exercise — it settles your mind so you’re better able to focus on the tasks ahead. I’ve found that even just five or 10 minutes of meditation in the morning or evening can dramatically improve my daily well-being.

The benefits of meditation are now well-documented. Regular practice helps develop the cortical thickness of the hippocampus, which, in turn, strengthens long-term memory and learning capacity. So incorporating a mindfulness practice into your workday could bring health benefits that far exceed your working life.

2. Pare back your social media intake

Olson also explains that social media can often do more harm than good when it comes to productivity. While these platforms might be a great thing in your life and work — it helps you connect with people and tell the story of your brand — you don’t need to be logged in to every single platform to access those benefits.

“In the past, constant connectivity has distracted me from living an intentional life,” Olson admits. “I used to complete tasks with no idea how they align with who I was or who I wanted to be. I was so concerned about absorbing everything that I absorbed nothing.”

To avoid this problem, I choose to focus on just one or two social media channels. Be present and engaged on those channels rather than spread your message too thin. Take the extra time and care to respond thoughtfully to others and join conversations on the few channels you use.

3. Row downstream

It is tempting to discount easy tasks, Seana Turner, founder of The Seana Method, admits.

You often think that you should be pursuing all the challenging strategies you see throughout your community of peers. Is my competitor hosting virtual conferences? I should be doing that! However, just because someone else is doing it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be, too.

The hardest path isn’t always the best one. Don’t be afraid to go with strategies that come naturally, easily, or in which you feel most confident. “Minimalism is about prioritizing,” Turner says. “Do the work of figuring out where your strengths lie and then allow yourself to operate in this segment.”

4. Select your areas of complexity

You don’t need to simplify every single area of your life to live a more minimalist lifestyle. No one has the time, space, or energy to maintain complexity in all aspects of life. Footballers devote most of their learning and attention to their sport — they do highly complex mental and physical work to perform well. They can’t then go out and be a pediatrician at night.

“In order to focus your complexity in the areas that matter most, you’ll need to simplify other aspects,” Turner advises. “Intentionally set aside blocks of time, energy, investment, and perhaps square footage to accommodate complexity where you want it, and then reduce and simplify elsewhere.”

5. Establish clear-cut boundaries for work

Current technology makes it possible to work 24/7, but we do not need to be perpetually available to be successful. In fact, we are more likely to experience sustained achievement when we intersperse focused excellence with restorative rest.

Research shows that work-related stress has been on the rise over the past few decades. In fact, 80 percent of U.S. workers report feeling stressed at work, and this state of stress can cause higher risks of hypertension and even heart attacks.

I work better by establishing boundaries that help me separate my life and my career. For example, I set a cut-off time for leaving the office and turning off my work-related devices. With a clearer state of mind, it’s easier to work smarter during my “on” hours.

Minimalism isn’t all about white walls and monochrome wardrobes. You can find the clarity and calm of minimalism simply by adding a few mindful practices to your day, prioritizing your workload, and putting a “closed” sign on the office door. Get your mind space back and start using it to grow your passions.

Want to learn more about how to cut clutter and live a more productive and organized life? Download my company’s free ebook for more information.