A special thanks to each of you for making 2013 another incredible year at Becoming Minimalist. This website continues to grow well beyond my craziest expectations. The growth has occurred entirely from the support of readers like you—there is no advertising involved.
Thank you for sharing this website. But even more than that, thank you for sharing the life-giving message of owning less.
Indeed, over the past year, Becoming Minimalist has grown in significant ways:
- Monthly visitors to Becoming Minimalist grew from 150,000/month to over 350,000/month!
- Facebook fans grew from 18,000 to over 90,000!
- Twitter followers increased from 8,500 to 15,800.
- Our Newsletter unites and inspires 7,500 simple living advocates around the world.
- For the third year in a row, Simplify has sold over 10,000 copies.
- Becoming Minimalist’s presence on Tumblr, Google+, and Pinterest continue to expand.
It has indeed been an incredibly exciting year. The metrics above prove the point. But going beyond the numbers, this past year I began writing and speaking on the topic of minimalism full-time. This message is important. And the opportunity is great.
In case you missed any, here are some of the top posts on Becoming Minimalist from 2013.
Most Popular Posts from 2013 (as determined by the readers):
10 Unconventional Habits to Live Distraction-Less. It is increasingly clear that distractions are not going away on their own. Instead, the responsibility is ours to live attentive, intentional lives in a world of distraction. This is a goal we must continue to seek.
A Helpful Guide to Becoming Unbusy. Seemingly, busy has become the default state for too many of our lives. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Busy is not inevitable. Each of us can take intentional steps to overcome it.
A Simple, Helpful Guide to Overcome Consumerism. Breaking free from excessive consumerism is an essential step not just for a simplified life, but for any life that desires to be lived intentionally. How then we can realize this freedom? What steps can we take to break free?
7 Important Reasons to Unplug and Find Space. We don’t need statistics to tell us we are over-attached to our technology. We already know this to be true. It helps to be reminded again and again: Technology has a power-off button. And the wisest of us know when to use it.
12 Intentional Actions to Choose Happiness Today. Simply knowing that happiness is a choice is not enough. Fully experiencing it still requires a conscience decision to do so each day.
My Personal Favorite Posts from the past year:
Why We Work. Please don’t view your work as something only to be endured or avoided. Instead, rethink your work. Regain focus and motivation to use your passions and abilities to contribute good to a society in need of them.
9 Ways Generous People See the World Differently. Generosity makes our world a better place. It improves the life of the receiver. And it improves the life of the giver. Yet, despite the benefits, generosity is still too rare.
A Helpful Guide to Overcoming Envy. The wasted emotions of envy and jealousy continue to be present in our lives. We experience envy over other peoples’ appearance, talents, relationships, and bank accounts. But it offers no positive contribution to our lives. Why does it remain?
There are Better Things to be than Rich. I have come to realize the pursuit of riches is based on a faulty premise. It is based on the incorrect rationale that the presence of money is always good—that it always brings benefit into our lives. This is not always the case.
Most Popular Guest Posts in 2013:
3 Lies That Kept Me From Simplifying My Life by Allison Vesterfelt. Once we give up the idea that we have to follow a certain prescribed set of actions in order to look like an adult, we are released to do what we really want to do and become who we really want to be.
10 Decluttering Principles to Help Anyone Clear the Clutter by Colleen Madsen. Over these last three years of decluttering, I have removed over a thousand things from our home. And I have learned that understanding just a few key principles can help anyone clear their clutter.
How Stuff Robs Us of Those We Love the Most by Jeff Goins. Many of us are living over-crowded, busy lives that rob us of what really matters. We wait and bide our time, holding out for the “big things” in life, not realizing that the good stuff is happening right now.
Most Popular Outgoing Links from the past year:
Eight Things You Can Live Without | Medium by Lindsay Schauer. Want to declutter your life? Start here.
Whether you have been reading Becoming Minimalist for one week, one month, one year or longer, thank you so much. This blog owes its success to the support of its readers. Thank you for reading. And thank you for sharing these posts with others.
We look forward to an exciting 2014. In fact, we have a number of fantastic opportunities to introduce in the coming weeks including a new book, Clutterfree with Kids, and a personal invitation to come hang out with my wife and me in our Peoria, AZ neighborhood.
In the coming year, Becoming Minimalist will continue to evolve and be redefined. But it will always stay true to its core message that there is more joy to be found in owning less than can be found in pursuing more. And we will continue to invite as many as possible to discover this truth in their lives. I do hope you will join us.
Image: GoToVan
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Hey Joshua I just have a quick question, does your journey to own less ever interfere with your relationship or is that a topic people have brought up to you? My current relationship is almost 4 years in the making, we live together, we’re engaged, no kids yet. While we both value minimalism and what it brings to our life, I find myself wanting to just purge everything. My fiance has been very accepting of the things I have wanted to get rid of and we have pared down alot. We even (after an argument) agreed to suspend our internet in our home so we could free our time up for other things. However there are still so many things in our home I want to get rid of and sometimes it’s a battle. Any advice for me? I am changing my life and I want the person I love to change with me but it seems that those 2 things aren’t going to happen at the same time.
Thank you for your writing and posts. I truly enjoy reading them. Best Wishes.
Great news regarding a successful year – you are sharing truth and it resonates. I’m looking forward to hearing you speak in February! :)
I will be following HSH’s lead :)
Congrats on a truly wonderful year! Here’s hoping that 2014 continues int eh same vein.
Take care and all the best.
Lyle
Thank you for highlighting this year’s best posts. I will treat myself to reading them with the start of 2014. :-)
Happy New Year!
Your blog is my Sat morning relaxing with my coffee read. It inspires my weekend.
Joshua,
Great news and post! The success of the site is more than deserved.
Keep on fighting the good fight and best wishes for 2014!
The growth of the website is truly wonderful to hear. The time for minimalist living has come! Thank you for the re-cap of those great posts and many blessings to your family in 2014! ~Colleen~
I agree Colleen. As individuals and as a society, it is time to reject consumerism as a pathway to happiness.
Joshua,
Thank you for inspiring me every single day for these couple of years!
Happy 2014 to you and your family!
Looking forward to seeing our minimalist community grow and evolve…
Paula
Well then, thanks for being part of this community for so long!
Happy New Year, and thank you for the continuing inspiration!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to inspire.
Cheers to a simple new year!
And cheers to you.
Some really great stuff here Joshua, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to reading through all of the posts.
Also, very cool to hear that my post was listed as on of the most outgoing links — that’s pretty groovy!
Definitely. That weekend of links resonated very well. Likewise, thanks for introducing your community to ours in 2013.
Hey, Joshua!
Great to see what an absolutely incredible year you’ve had with Becoming Minimalist. You deserve it more than anyone, I think. :)
2014 is going to be even greater now that you’re on full time mode. Keep kicking a-word.
Best of luck,
Vincent
Thanks Vincent. It’s been fun. Thanks for contributing an article this past year. I’m glad to count you as a friend.