The Cluttered Path #32 Paul Stryer: How to Cut Costs, Drama, and Stress | Minimalist Mindset
What if the problem isn’t that you need more… but that you’re carrying too much? In this episode of The Cluttered Path, Todd sits down with Paul Stryer, author of Living the Zero Life, to explore a radically different approach to minimalism, not about owning fewer things, but about releasing the emotional, financial, and psychological weight that quietly drains your life.
Paul shares his real journey through divorce, overwhelming debt, corporate burnout, and the pressure of performing a life that looked successful but felt heavy. Out of that collapse came a philosophy he calls mental minimalism, the intentional subtraction of drama, unnecessary responsibility, and unsustainable cost of living in order to reclaim peace, clarity, and freedom.
This conversation goes beyond surface-level self-help and into the deeper work of intentional living, simple living, and life design. It’s about understanding why “someday freedom” is a myth, why peace is built through subtraction, and how money, identity, relationships, and self-worth quietly intertwine beneath the noise.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll explore:
- Why minimalism starts in the mind, not the closet
- How emotional and financial clutter keep you stuck in survival mode
- The hidden cost of performing success instead of living in alignment
- Why doing less of the wrong things creates more freedom than doing more
- A practical framework for designing a lighter, calmer, more intentional life
If your life looks good on the outside but feels expensive on the inside, this episode offers a grounded reminder: Freedom doesn’t come from adding more habits, goals, or hustle. It comes from letting go of what was never yours to carry in the first place.
The cost of peace is zero.
Where to Find Paul:
Website: https://livingthezerolife.com
Email: livingthezerolife@gmail.com
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Resources from This Episode:
The Simple Path to Wealth, by JL Collins: https://urlgeni.us/amzn/PX6g2B
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Web: https://clutteredpath.com/
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