david turnbull wrote, “don’t be meaninglessly minimalist. be purposeful and deliberate in your quest to want little.” inspired by his quote, here are the reasons why i have chosen minimalism as a lifestyle:
- save money. i’m not rich, never will be. i’m not in debt, i hope not to be. a minimalist lifestyle helps keep my expenses in line with my income.
- use money to help others. it brings me incredible joy and fulfillment to help others with my gifts (whether financial or talent-based). using my money to help others who are in greater need is a path that i would like my life to continue to follow.
- remove clutter. removing clutter eliminates stress and has proven to make me more effective, positive, and future-thinking.
- remove distractions. i prefer to fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
- aesthetics. i prefer minimalist design in most arts and prefer the design of my home to match that expectation.
how about you? why have you chosen (or are considering choosing) minimalism?
this post was inspired by “how to want very little” by david turnbull.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Better for the environment (less consumption/less waste)
Less stress (same as you, less to clean, manage, pay for)
More free time (less time spent with housework and paying for things I don’t need)
less stuff to move
don’t need as much space
less wasteful
i hate clutter, i don’t like to own anything that isn’t being used or that needs to be packed away for later, i’ll just buy it later or get another one if i don’t use it that much(or rent). i also want less distraction. i have a hard time focusing if there is stuff everywhere and its a mess. its a lot easier to clean when there isn’t much to move around while i’m cleaning. i just got rid of my couch and coffee table and i think its going to make things so much easier, i hated moving it to vacuum under and stuff just collected on the table.
i also have things i want to focus on doing with my life, like more traveling so i want to get rid of anything that might distract me from those things or that don’t help me achieve my goals or live the life i want. i also love my free time and don’t want to spend it looking for stuff b/c i am constantly loosing things b/c there is just to much clutter. have come a long way recently though. i am very happy with the progress i have made.
I have a heart for the poor and for global injustice, and I can’t in good conscious live with excess with those values.
Plus I have way more free time because I’m not digging out of my possessions or doing constant maintenance.
And dang it, I just like empty counter space.
Pretty much the same reasons as yourself. A bit more money never hurts, and I hate wastefulness and cutter. Unfortunately hubby has a thing for accumulating things, though…
With the job change this past year, I don’t make nearly the same amount of money as I did the previous 4 years, so I need to keep the spending down to a minimum.
I also am so tired of looking at the piles of stuff everywhere. I hate to dust and everything I own loves to collect it – a no win situation if there ever was one.
Now, I’m too impatient with the clutter to give it away, or sort out the reuseable stuff… I just want it gone. I know that is a little irresponsible, so I will resist the urge to just dump it. I need to recycle as much as possible.
Clean sparse spaces are just more aesthetically pleasing. Clutter prohibits movement, you can’t rearrange your space if you have a bunch of junk, you can’t bring out big art projects if you have stuff all over the tabletops, it’s just annoying. So I got tired of it, am in the process of getting rid of it, and feel a lot better for it. Not only that, I’d like to travel more once I’m out of school, it would be good to have the money for it, and I don’t want to just store it somewhere and leave.
The ability to be able to pack it all into my large briefcase and messenger bag, toss it in the jeep, pop my bike on the back and hit the road was always my greatest inspiration.
Now I’m in my mid-thirties with a wife and baby triplets so it’s now for more practical reasons…I can control my stuff, but not my wife’s nor necessarily my triplets, so get rid of what I can to maintain my sanity.
- Charley
Minimalism in my material purchases & food consumption –>
my brain is freed from distractions –>
I can be more creative and productive.
I’ve recently started on the path to leading a life based on minimalism and have followed you example by creating a blog to track and share my progress and discoveries. My main reason for becoming a minimalist is to lead a better, happier life. Part of that includes getting out of debt/spending less, living in an uncluttered apartment, and focusing on those things that are the most important to me.