Note: This is a guest post from Jay Harrington of Life and Whim.
My pursuit of a more minimalist lifestyle was, for many years, a case study in cognitive dissonance.
On the one hand, a burning ambition to create, build and succeed, in the traditional sense of the word.
On the other, an intense desire for a simpler, less complicated life—a minimalist life.
It always felt like I had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, advocating for two distinct approaches that were in irreconcilable conflict.
A big part of my struggle stemmed from (what turned out to be) an unfounded fear—a belief that minimalism is a bastion of the unambitious. I had big things I wanted to achieve, so I resisted adopting the identity of someone who would settle for less.
Here’s how I saw it: Either push the pedal or hit the brakes.
I finally became so sick and tired of my mental machinations and scarcity thinking that I committed to finding the antidote to fear, which is knowledge. By studying minimalist philosophies, I came to understand that my seemingly contradictory impulses could coexist. I clearly remember stumbling upon Joshua Becker’s insight that, “At its core, being a minimalist means intentionally promoting the things we most value and removing everything that distracts us from it.”
A revelation and reconciliation: It became clear that a minimalist mindset doesn’t stand in the way of ambition. It’s what enables the pursuit of big dreams. I realized that owning less could free me to achieve more. (tweet that)
Step Back, Move Forward
I began to see the world through a new lens and tossed aside old assumptions and conventional wisdom. I had a lot to unwind. I took a deep breath and got to work.
I left the law firm I founded. I ditched the office space for the marketing agency my wife and I own, untethered our employees, and started operating our business “virtually” from coffee shops and our kitchen table.
We sold our house. We moved from an expensive suburb to a small town in northern Michigan with our three young girls. We took steps back in order to create space and time so that we could make a clear-eyed decision about the path we would follow once we were ready to move forward again. We created white space for the first time in a long time.
Like Thoreau, we “went to the woods” to live more deliberately.
Fast forward five years later, and I am busier than ever between the responsibilities of work and family. And also happier than ever.
The big difference is that I’m busy on my own terms, in a place of my choosing. My ambition is undiminished—but it’s not consuming me. I’m focused on what matters to me, not all the trappings of “success” that merely get in the way of a meaningful life.
Lessons Learned
The most significant lesson I learned from my experience is that the real power of minimalism is practical and pragmatic: A minimalist mindset, which is one that provides clarity of purpose, helps create the space and time necessary to pursue meaningful work, relationships and experiences.
Minimalism has been a mental model that has helped me become more effective at prioritizing time, focusing attention, and drilling down on life’s essentials.
At its core, minimalism is a powerful means to an important end. Without an end in mind, practicing minimalism can feel like a rote exercise devoid of any larger purpose.
But if you’re using the principles of minimalism to move toward something you love, then all of the stripping away, like a sculptor chipping away at a hunk of marble, becomes a joyful exercise that reveals something beautiful inside.
In this season of my life, one of my primary “ends” is building a thriving business. And the stripping away of excesses across all areas of my life is helping me to pursue it.
Before, my work was done with the aim of supporting a lifestyle meant to send signals of success to other people. Today, free of so many burdensome obligations, I’m able to do work that aligns with my desire to do work that serves a larger purpose.
No less ambition. Far more satisfaction.
I can confidently declare that a less-is-more approach not only doesn’t stand in the way of achievement (no matter how you define it), it’s what fuels it.
Here are a few key takeaways from my experience.
1. Don’t think of minimalism as merely a tool for subtraction.
When you remove things that don’t matter from your life, it creates a vacuum. Use your newfound time and energy as the fuel to add more meaning to your life. You may decide to write a book, start a business, volunteer, or rekindle relationships.
If you decide to pursue a new passion project, you may find yourself busier, but also happier and more fulfilled, than you’ve ever been. Minimalism can be a means to a quieter, more leisurely life—but it doesn’t have to be.
2. Money is not the only currency.
It was during our quest to simplify that we came to learn that money is not the only currency, nor even the most valuable one. For us, time and mobility became higher priorities.
We make less money than we used to, but have learned that we need far less to sustain us. That realization has been incredibly liberating, and has emboldened us to try things we never would have imagined a few short years ago.
3. The decision to minimize or not minimize is not a binary one.
To realize the benefits of minimalism, you don’t need to live in a tiny house, wear the same outfit every day, and possess few belongings. Creating the tiniest crack of white space in your life by ridding yourself of something superfluous is still a win.
No one who visits our house would tag us as minimalists. But that’s the beauty of minimalism—you don’t need permission from anyone else to create a more meaningful life for yourself. And how you go about building that life is entirely up to you. I would humbly suggest, however, that a pragmatic approach to minimalist living can be a powerful force in fostering the change you seek.
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Jay Harrington is a “reformed lawyer” turned author and entrepreneur, and blogs at Life and Whim where he helps people find purpose and live big through small moments. You can also find him on Facebook.
Tannu Singh says
Wonderful insight into disowning possessions that lead to bizarre clutter and space consuming. Yes, would like to give away lots to the needy ones.
Trynh says
I absolutely agreed and loved reading this and all your blogs. Minimalism has changed my life for the better. It took me a full 10yrs to become a full minimalist, it was really hard the first 5yrs. Coming from a material world and one where you have to look “successful”, now I look at the world and people differently, and don’t think about what they think of me. I’m still slowly selling things everyday and donating, gosh I never realize we still have so much crap. But I do have more time, enjoy my business that’s also my hobby, and have way more money saved and invested. I don’t feel the panic if I don’t work for awhile either like before. Thank you for all your blogs/books.
Sue says
A great article, thanks for this. I lost my way for a while and I questioned if a minimalist life was the one for me but after reading this, it was like took a holiday and I came back with some fresh perspective on life.
Maria Pinto says
I will mention a book again I am reading that goes hand & hand with this article. It is called “Essentialism”, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown. I think it is essential reading & I got a copy from my local library.
Sarah Vogel says
What important lessons are in here. Live you life for yourself, not what others expect of you or to keep up with the Joneses. Be true to yourself. Be bold and take risks to get there. Don’t settle for mediocrity in your own skin. This one life we get, create the one that YOU want. I appreciate these reminders, and are motivated to apply this to myself! Thank you!!!!
AJ says
Man! This was powerfully enlightening for me. I liked how you closed out the approach to minimalist living.
“…..you don’t need permission from anyone else to create a more meaningful life for yourself.”
Thanks!
Valerie Rogers says
Should other’s opinions impact your life, no. That doesn’t exist. Look at how conventional thought and mainstream is manipulating how you live, work, buy and form your conceptions of self. You don’t need acceptance of an aberrant consumer-minded society to thrive. Take command of how you live by dumping baggage.
Kelsey says
A large part of minimalism is simply saying no. People think that once they’ve cleared away what no longer serves them their work is done. On the contrary, the hardest work is to learn to say no to all the things that try to make their way into your life on a daily basis – and to do that for the rest of your life.
Julie A. McNeice says
I practice minimalism regularly, much to the chagrin of some friends, who are shopaholics. And still, you give me more insights and keep me on track better, as I’ve been reading your blogs for years now. I’ve learned to use my daily walk as a way to divest of emotional clutter. Thanks for your posts!
Tony W says
I share many of your insight. I see the Minimalist Mindset as life’s filter, filtering out the unwanted leaving the pure and highly desired to be enjoyed.
Judy says
Tony—- I like your analogy ??
Peggy Thiele says
I live in a modest house ( I built my “dream house”) on acres to be with nature and away from people, well the people made their way here bringing engine noise and scraping the prairie so they can have storage buildings for all their possessions. Gone is pretty much all of the animals…what remains, most want to shoot. I’m so saddened & disappointed. Just thought I’d share this with the world..