“Never underestimate the importance of abandoning crap you don’t need.”
Fifteen years ago, I decided to embrace minimalist living.
At first, the reasons were simple. I was spending too much of my life caring for possessions and I was wasting too much money on stuff I didn’t need. These possessions were not bringing me joy or lasting happiness. Even worse, they were keeping me from the very things that did.
Possessions had become a great distraction in my life. And the most effective way to fully recenter my life on the things that mattered most was to remove the excess physical possessions from my home and life and practice minimalism.
Since then, I’ve been asked countless times if I think minimalism is just a phase. I always answer the same, “Absolutely not.”
Minimalism is a better way to live. It brings freedom, clarity, and opportunity. And each of us should consider embracing it in our own unique way. Consider these six reasons.
6 Reasons to Embrace Minimalist Living
1. More opportunities to pursue what’s most important.
Our lives are important. Why would we waste them pursuing things that aren’t? Physical things always perish, spoil, or fade. But love, joy, purpose, contribution, and compassion stand eternal. Our lives would be better lived pursuing them.
Minimalism provides that opportunity.
2. More intentionality in all areas of life.
Countless voices and messages seek influence in our lives. They desire to shape what we believe, what we buy, what we watch, what we eat, and how we live. Intentionality brings life back under our control.
Minimalism jumpstarts intentional living by forcing us to identify our values. As a result, we can better identify how we have been swayed by artificial influences.
3. More space to live our fullest life.
Our lives require space. But in a world of ever-increasing speed, time for reflection becomes more and more difficult to discover.
Owning fewer possessions means less cleaning, less organizing, less repairing, and less financial burden.
It frees up time, energy, and space—space that can be spent examining life to make sure we are living it to the fullest.
4. More focus on contribution.
Even if for selfish reasons, it is wise for each of us to evaluate where we seek meaning. Happiness found in living life for personal gain is short-lived, never fully satisfying.
On the other hand, using our resources for the purpose of improving life for someone else offers lasting joy.
Moving our focus from personal gain to personal contribution is not always the result of embracing a minimalist lifestyle, but it does become much easier.
5. More flexibility for life change.
Over the past fifteen years, our family has made some significant changes. We have changed careers. We have moved to a smaller home. We have discovered new hobbies. We have changed the way we spend our money. And we have changed many of the habits that define our lives.
In each of the examples listed above, minimalism helped make the change possible. One of the greatest benefits of living with fewer possessions is freedom—freedom to live and change and improve—even if the specific changes are up to you.
6. More inspiration for others.
Our world is losing itself in consumeristic pursuits. Home sizes are growing, but happiness is not. We chase paychecks rather than influence and success rather than significance. The results of these choices have proven detrimental: stress, anxiety, fatigue, and regret.
We need new inspiration. We need more people rejecting consumerism and choosing life instead.
Embrace minimalism for yourself. Embrace minimalism for your family. Embrace minimalism for the world around you. Because the stakes are high.
Sandra Pawula says
This is the key for me: “But love, joy, purpose, contribution, and compassion stand eternal.”
Happy 6th Anniversary, Joshua. I’m so glad you started on this wonderful path and have shared with us so generously as you’ve moved along.
Marie Katherine says
Thank you for continuing to inspire me.
I’m in my early 50’s and now in the process of unloading 30 years worth of possessions. I keep thinking how different my life might have been had I understood this way of living in my 20’s.
I have no regrets though, we all have our path to follow and I have truly been fortunate to have had the stuff I accumulated and now am giving away.
Minimalism has become much more to me than just having less stuff…it has also become about making choices as to how I spent my time. I no longer feel guilty about not being constantly on the go…it’s OK just to sit still and be. And the activities I choose I truly want to do instead of feeling like “I should”.
Gayle says
I could give you a long story but suffice it to say that without your words I would be a boarder.
Nathalie says
Here follows the remaining:
Later I spent some time in Africa where there were hardly any shops available and realized that my life was much easier that way. When I came back to Europe little by little the consumer life style took over and I was drowning among my possessions. My partner at that time opened my eyes and helped me to get rid off my things. It almost came naturally and the more I sold or gave away my stuff the better I started feeling. But I it is a process that takes years.
Yanic A. says
So inspiring… my husband and I are on that mission now : We are in the process of reclaiming our home which is small, cozy, but mostly cluttered and a source of stress. We have set a goal for ourselves (and our family) to reduce our belongings by 50%. So far, I would easily say we’ve reached about 20% of that.
But it was automatic, the less we have, the happier we are and that makes us just want to get rid of more.
Once again, you blog is a constant source of inspiration.
Yanic
Nathalie says
I do think I have always been a minimalist in heart and soul but only discovered recently the word minimalism. I don’t what it was but as I child I was always trying not to go shopping for clothes and I always was telling my mom I didn’t need anything. I grew up in a rather wealthy family and money was no issue. Sometimes I was even ashamed by the fact I was different than the rest of my family and was made fun of. My brother was driving a fancy car and I was driving an old beetle almost falling apart but I just loved my old car. I spent some time in Africa where there were hardly any shops and no junk to buy and realized that mthyLittle by little I took over the consumer life style and the accumulation of possessions.
Nathalie says
I do think I have always been a minimalist in heart and soul but only discovered recently the word minimalism. I don’t what it was but as I child I was always trying not to go shopping for clothes and I always was telling my mom I didn’t need anything. I grew up in a rather wealthy family and money was no issue. Sometimes I was even ashamed by the fact I was different than the rest of my family and was made fun of. My brother was driving a fancy car and I was driving an old beetle almost falling apart but I just loved my old car. I spent some time in Africa where there were hardly any shops and no junk to buy and realized that mthyLittle by little I took over the consumer life style and the accumulation of possessions.
Nathalie says
I do think I have always been a minimalist in heart and soul but only discovered recently the word minimalism. I don’t what it was but as I child I was always trying not to go shopping for clothes and I always was telling my mom I didn’t need anything. I grew up in a rather wealthy family and money was no issue. Sometimes I was even ashamed by the fact I was different than the rest of my family and was made fun of. My brother was driving a fancy car and I was driving an old beetle almost falling apart but I just loved my old car. I spent some time in Africa where thyLittle by little I took over the consumer life style and the accumulation of possessions.
Alex@lifeandotherweirdtales says
This post really resonates. My husband and I have turned to a more minimalist lifestyle after moving away from London 5 years ago. For me your number 5, this flexibility for change has been most on my mind these last few days, as I prepare to give up my career for… more time to pursue other things. Thic could only happen after we decided that we can live on a lot less than people will have us think…
Oscar Torres says
congratulations
reney says
I have been a minimalist most of my life really without knowing it. My idea was always to live small. I am facinated with living a small life so I can live big outdoors which is really where life happens. My husband and I live in a 960 sq ft condo, share one 12 year old car which just turned 80K miles. We own our condo (not the bank) and we share the only bathroom in the house. That being said, it takes effort not to be sucked in by media who tells us what we need to buy to be cool to look hip and trendy. Most who live around us think there is really something wrong with us because we don’t drive a BMW but that’s ok. We walk to the market for dinner, we ride our bikes for pleasure and our vacations are five days a week, me only working two days a week to make our modest lifestyle affordable. Yes, it only takes two days a week to make enough money to live on when you live minimally. And we have never wanted for anything. That’s pretty good for living in one of the most expensive areas of the US.
Live simply so others can simply live and take only what you need and leave the rest.
audrey says
That’s inspiring. I’m getting there. As I move through emptying my house of thing I realized I haven’t even used most of them and I’m still working too hard to pay for them.
Ava says
Audrey, I concur. It’s the madmen of marketing who have us scrambling for tat we don’t actually need or really even want! Breaking free is truly cathartic.
Ava says
Wow Reney, that is such an inspiration! I’m 5 months in on a 6 month purge. I’m 90% there but still struggling to let go of some things. Not the sentimental stuff … that, I’ve actually managed to let go of. No, it’s just some of the other ‘stuff’! And I haven’t quite stopped buying stuff I don’t need. Magazines or books or clothes for instance. Mostly secondhand, but with that money I know I could have a week away or have exciting experience. I’m very fortunate in that I do not have to work, but I’m at the stage where I want to work – for myself, doing something I truly love. I’m fed up of being bombarded with messages to ‘aspire’ to this, or that and you can’t possibly live without these … blah, blah, blah! Thanks for your post.
JK says
That is inspiring!