“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” – Pythagoras
Because of the nature of this website and our personal story, I have the opportunity to read scores of e-mails from people who have decided to choose minimalism as a lifestyle. Usually, I tell them the same thing, “Good for you. Enjoy the journey. You’ll never regret following through with your decision.”
And make no mistake about it, minimalism is a decision. It is a choice to live counter-cultural. We have been told since birth to consume and collect. Deciding to become a minimalist rejects those messages and intentionally chooses less instead.
While life is full of decisions, some of them are bigger than others. Some of life’s decisions can be made without much forethought. But other decisions should be made only after all of the consequences have been considered. Becoming minimalist is one of those decisions – it is not a decision to be entered into lightly. While on the surface, minimalism seems like just throwing away a bunch of clutter. It is, in fact, a journey that will ultimately end in your heart, mind, and soul.
Because of that, it would be wise to think through the impact that minimalism will have on your life before choosing it. Consider how this one decision will affect your entire world:
It will rock your emotions. As you begin to purge your possessions, you will begin to wrestle with the “why’s” of your belongings. “Why do I have a basement full of stuff I never use?” “Why have I held on to old t-shirts or jerseys from high school?” “Why have I never thrown away these mementos from a past romance?” or “Why exactly is it so difficult for me to part with these items?” The truth of the matter is that you have known all along the location of your garbage can, recycling bin, or local goodwill. You have kept all that stuff for a reason… and discovering that reason is going to be an emotional process.
It will rock your values. At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things you most value and the removal of anything that distracts you from it. In order to remove nonessential items from your life, you will need to identify the essentials. You will be forced to identify and prioritize your essential values… maybe even write them down. As a result, you may come to the difficult realization that you have spent much of your life pursuing things that aren’t really all that valuable.
It will rock your view of society. Our world invents, produces, promotes, and purchases material possessions at an alarming rate. Our world loves stuff. It’s how they find security, impress their neighbors, and prove their worth. Becoming minimalist not only changes your view of possessions, it changes your view of society, culture, and its messages. And while your mindset has changed, society has not. So be prepared, culture begins to look much different when you are on the outside looking in.
It will rock your lifestyle. There are countless practical benefits of minimalism. You will have more time, more freedom, more money, and less stress. Subsequently, your lifestyle will begin to change. You may choose to get out of debt, work less, travel more, or start blogging (at least, that’s what I did). No matter what you decide to do, minimalism is going to change your lifestyle.
It will rock your relationships. Once you have made the decision to become minimalist, you will find minimalism to be a topic of conversation that surfaces regularly. People will be intrigued with your new lifestyle and they will ask you about your progress. You will enjoy speaking about the positive impact that the decision has made on your life. And they will soon desire the freedom that you are enjoying.
It will rock areas of your life that you never dreamt possible. The principles of minimalism will eventually creep into other areas of your life. You will soon begin removing nonessential items elsewhere in your life. Eventually, you will simplify your time commitments, your goals, your screen time, and maybe even your diet. A simplified lifestyle naturally flows out of a minimalist lifestyle.
Minimalism is a lifestyle that should not be entered into lightly. But don’t get me wrong, minimalism is a lifestyle that should be entered.
Just consider how this one decision will affect your entire life:
- You will recognize emotions that are keeping you from living life.
- You will live life for things that are valuable and lasting.
- You will recognize the false truths championed by society.
- You will experience a lifestyle you never thought possible.
- You will inspire and encourage others to live in freedom.
- You will ultimately simplify almost every area of your life.
On the surface, minimalism seems like just throwing away a bunch of clutter. But it is, in fact, a journey that will end in your heart, mind, and soul. And that’s why you’ll never regret it.
Willow says
I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Joshua. It gives me encouragement to keep on keeping on and making the slow small steps toward minimalizing my life.
Taylor @ ChristianMinimalist says
I can completely relate to minimalism effecting much more than simply one’s possessions. It does become a very emotional, spiritual journey. But, I’m loving it!
di says
Going without can also be a burden. It made me bitter, resentful and dampened my spirit.
Emily says
I’m curious – do you have children? And if so, what does minimalism look like with kids? There always seems to be so much “stuff” around when kids are in the house. Toys, art supplies, clothing, plastic plates/cups, books, dvds, stuffed animals, booster seats, diapers, you name it! We consciously chose to stay away from lots of “extras” (wipe warmers come to mind!) but even so, there are so many things in our house. I’d love some ideas on living a more minimalist lifestyle with kids in mind.
joshua becker says
emily, i have two beautiful children. my son is 7 and my daughter is 4. see if this helps: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/2009/08/28/keeping-a-simple-home-with-kids/
there is also a number of sections about children in my book: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/simplify/
thanks for asking. and thanks for stopping by.
di says
My kids had 3 small cardboard boxes of toys and 2 weeks of clothes. My oldest felt deprived and later lived beyond her means. My youngest was content and later lived within her means.
joshua becker says
and thanks for the kind words everybody.
Amanda Vella says
i really enjoyed that post. thank you. : )
Cheryl says
I’ve been reading your blog since last November and I wanted to tell you that I think this is my favorite post so far. I’ve only just begun my journey and I’ve experienced much of what you describe. You’re encouraging me to keep on going. Thanks.
Andrew Randazzo says
You hit it right on. It’s a decision, it’s a lifestyle, and it’s definitely counter-culture. People can’t enter this half-heartedly or as their side hobby. I think a lot of people like the idea, but few follow through completely. This is a great post, though, on the implications and benefits of minimalism.
Deb J says
What a great post. I printed it out so I can show it to my mother who lives with me. I want her to understand why I am choosing minimalism and the things it is doing to me inside and out. Thanks.
Christine says
I can’t believe how many areas of my life minimalism has touched. It has been about 16 months since I really “started” my journey and it has changed my life extraordinarily. Things that I never knew were so important to me started to surface and I am learning how to incorporate them into my everyday life. I have changed so much in the past 16 months, and I truly believe for the better.
The one problem I have found is that I have less patience for people who are obsessed with consumerism. I guess I need to work on that!
joshua becker says
christine. in my original draft of this post, i actually included a section on “it will rock your relationship with others” addressing your point exactly. but i just couldn’t get it to communicate what i wanted to say… so i just encrypted it into my point on society instead. but the more i thought i about it, the more i realized the reason i couldn’t get it to sound right is because the reason for impatience with others is not based in minimalism, it is based in my heart. good point. thanks for raising it.
kathie tucker says
what a beautiful article. i started down sizing about two years ago. paid off credit cards and small loans. as of june of this year i now have my own tiny house 624 sq feet. my old debt and cable bill became my modest house payment. at 67 and being widowed for over ten years i am at peace with myself and thankful for my blessings.
Brandon says
If you don’t mind me asking, where are you that allows less than 800 sq ft? I know there are quite a few areas, but I am only 22 and finding it hard in my area to be even the slightest bit happy with much. Of course the local zoning codes are my main concern.
Sigurfreyr says
I have always considered minimalism only a style in design, but didn´t realize it could entail your whole way of being. This article is an eye-opener. Thank you very much.
di says
Many of us have no choice.
Living without means I don’t get to live life as freely as others. My family and friends are non-supportive. There were times when I thought I’d never survive. This complicates my life.
Melissa says
Di, it sounds like there are other things going on for you. Is there a support line you could call and talk to someone about it?
Warmest wishes,
Melissa
Ruth Smith says
I do understand what it is to experience unvoluntary, “grinding” poverty. There is a reason that the adverb “grinding” is applied to this time-worn phrase. It is because, as I’ve experienced, poverty can be grinding. What does that feel like? When you want something that is essential that you cannot afford. When you have to choose between essentials – things you really need. It means something you need must be sacrificed for something else you need. It’s not a matter of having abundance and paring down to what is essential. It’s a matter of having not enough and making hard – very hard choices. With children in your realm of responsibility, it’s soo much harder. And for me, it sometimes meant going without an essential like food so that my children could eat. It is very hard. My way out of poverty came when I wasn’t directly seeking it. I’m not trying to proselytize anyone, so – I hope this post will survive. But for me, seeking God the Father (Yehovah) and His Son (Yeshua/Jesus) led me to greater prosperity. I’m not “rich” but I am content and I have what I need and some of what I want, and that is a good place for me to be. I feel blessed by this relationship. I lean on the promises that the Good Shepherd will lead me into green pastures. And this has changed my life. Sharing what I know helped me out of grinding poverty.