“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” – Wayne W. Dyer
The minimalist lifestyle is a movement that seeks to pare down possessions to only the essential. Because life can be lived richer and fuller when unnecessary possessions have been removed, it is a growing trend that includes more than just young, single, 20-somethings. Many families are embracing the lifestyle as well.
And more and more are being introduced to the lifestyle every day. Perhaps, even, this is your first introduction.
Some people get nervous when they hear the term “minimalist.” For them, it conjures up images of destitution, barren walls, and empty cupboards. Rightly so, they decide that is no way to enjoy life. Believe me, I agree – that is no way to enjoy life. And since deciding to become minimalist years ago, we have been on a journey to define what it means for us and how it fits into our unique lifestyle.
We live in the suburbs of Arizona. We have two small children. We are active in our community. We love to entertain and show hospitality. While not exceptional, our life is not identical to anybody else. It is our life – nobody else’s. Minimalism, for us, would have to be unique. It would require us to determine the most important pursuits in our life and remove everything that was distracting us from it. And in so doing, we would find a new way to live life that adds richness and fullness around life’s most essential elements.
To determine if minimalism may indeed be the right lifestyle for you consider some of these questions:
1. Do you spend too much time cleaning?
If you enjoy clean, tidy rooms but don’t like to clean, minimalism just may be your answer. After all, the easiest way to reduce your cleaning time is to simply own less things. It works every time.
2. Are you trying to get out of debt?
Debt holds our life in bondage and weighs heavily on our shoulders. Getting a handle on it by buying less things is one of the most life-giving actions you can take.
3. Is there too much stress in your life?
Physical clutter results in extra stress on our lives. Minimalism removes the clutter and limits the distraction that it causes. Minimalism may be just the breath of fresh air that your home needs to help you relax and unwind.
4. Would you like more time in your day?
Consider for just a moment the amount of time that our belongings drain from our life. Whether we are cleaning, organizing, maintaining, repairing, removing, or shopping, our possessions demand a large percentage of our time. Owning fewer of them results in less time spent maintaining them.
5. Are you environmentally conscious?
Minimalism reduces our impact on the environment by requiring less resources on the front end for production and reducing the amount of waste on the back end.
6. Are you frugal?
While becoming a minimalist doesn’t mean that you have to spend less money, it certainly provides the opportunity. And because you are buying less things, you also have the option to make higher-quality purchases that last longer.
7. Do you enjoy financially supporting other causes?
Minimalism provides an opportunity to not just save money for the sake of keeping it, but for using it to further causes that we believe in. After all, once you become content with your belongings and have been rescued from the race of accumulating possessions, you have no need to hoard money. You find new freedom to support the causes that you hold most dear. Recently, the Becoming Minimalist community raised over $5,000 for Charity:Water.
8. Are there things you value more than material possessions?
Minimalism seeks to intentionally promote the things in life that we most value and remove anything that distracts us from it. It allows our life to center around our deepest heart desires rather than the items on sale at the department store.
9. Are you not afraid of change?
Minimalism is a counter-cultural lifestyle that will force changes in the way you spend your time, energy, and money. Of course, almost every change is for the better… so it’s definitely worth the effort.
10. Is your life too valuable to live like everyone else?
Our heart, soul, and passions makes us valuable and unique. Don’t sacrifice your important role in this world by settling for the same temporal possessions that everyone else in your neighborhood is chasing. Your life is far too important… and short.
Your particular practice of minimalism is going to look different from anyone else. It must! After all, you live a different life than anyone else. So find a style of minimalism that works for you. One that is not cumbersome, but freeing based on your values, desires, passions, and rational thinking.
Ultimately, you will begin to remove the unneeded things from your life. As a result, you will find space to intentionally promote the things you most value and remove anything that distracts you from it.
Image: hozinja
Nate Billimack says
This blog has inspired me to truly embrace this season in my tiny studio apartment in downtown Phoenix rather than looking at it as a transition. Now that I have cut back, I have a lot more time and money to play, give, and save. This is the best living situation I have had on a long time, I am less stressed than ever before, and have no plans to leave.
Lisa says
I appreciate your site and your writings and have been encouraged in our efforts at minimizing our home. These reasons are all valid and make good points to share with others wondering why I am on a “cleaning binge”. Thanks for writing it.
(My one disagreement here is with the opening. Purely personal, in that seeing anything from Wayne Dyer – who is so polar opposite from our family’s beliefs that to a degree, it colors the issue at hand – almost made me skip the article altogether. )
April says
Wow, I am trying to do a mental pros and cons as to why this would be a good choice for myself. Just separating from a ten year relationship where every possession seems to have an emotional attachment. I realize I am not my things. Tomorrow I’m facing the daunting task of collecting several totes and boxes along with misc junk and bringing it all into my living arrangement, that is not my home. I don’t want to be overwhelmed by my stuff. It has taken several days of packing all these material things just for me to what, be overwhelmed that my boxes will only serve as a painful reminder as to why they are in boxes. I dread tomorrow. I hope that I can muddle this over and really try when I’m more emotionally ready to weed through things and focus on the essentials and it may keep what’s really important in perspective.
Patti says
Very good article! I’ve been very interested in doing this and have been working on it drawer by drawer, closet by closet. I’m no hoarder, but I know I have too much stuff I don’t use or want. I. Trying to get rid of everything that isn’t necessary or essential. I feel lighter already!
Debbie Andraska says
You will find after starting small how much better you’ll feel and that causes you to do more. It has definitely changed how I look at things. I’m loving this new concept in my life.
Fiona Cee says
i’d be happy with half to 1 third less than what’s lying around now but it’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard to just begin. Looking after an aged, unwell mother full time with all the washing associated with incontinence just floors me. not to mention the broken sleep which i need just renders me incapable of thinking about it. sadly i can’t get any help from anyone either. they [bro and sis] are happy to help outside but we don’t LIVE outside!
Lori says
Could you look at one drawer or one shelf? Just a very small thing and make, say 5 decisions, and then quit, bit by bit it would come together for you
Carolyn Jones says
As I’m downsizing, I put what I can on Ebay, the money (over 1k so far) had gone directly to pay off a bill via PayPal. Then what else I have or what doesn’t sell goes on the online yard sale, after that it’s donated locally…the process is getting tedious tho, may start donating the rest…feels so freeing.
Suzanne Pontius says
Great post–very inspiring. I call what I am moving towards Comfortable Minimalism. My husband and I want to retire to a smaller house in the next couple of years, so I am doing my part to get ready for that by cleaning out the house we have lived in for 26 years. Some parts are easier than others, but it will get done! Thanks for the encouragement.
Devon says
Love this blog and enjoyed this post.
I’ve been minimizing for the past four years or so. I’ve concluded there really is no end point but is a constant process that ebbs and flows.
While I fundamentally like the minimalist philosophy/lifestyle, a lot of the changes I implemented in my life were motivated by necessity because I was traveling independently and moved internationally. I’m now finally in one place for a while which I’m really thrilled about but have caught myself allowing more purchases than I used to. I still don’t have tons but am accumulating a bit more. Mostly this accumulation is clothing, as I’m female and do like fashion and to “express myself” with clothes but also bc I need some for work. Being in one place without the prospect of moving I feel now like I can build up a bit of a wardrobe but I don’t want to undo all the work I’ve done. Any typos from anyone out there who’s experienced something similar?
Craig Pinkney says
Some good points I am always mortified at the caoss at the boxing day sales they say it has become part of the aussie culture , what does that say about it………theres a saying that says people are spending money they dont have to impress people they don’t know! How true and stupid is that!