Welcome to Becoming Minimalist. If you are new, welcome! With over 1M readers every month, we’re honored to have new readers every day. If that’s you, welcome. I’d love to make your experience as comfortable as possible.
Most importantly, Becoming Minimalist is designed to inspire people to pursue their greatest passions by owning fewer possessions.
To find out more about my new book, Things That Matter, click here.
About Joshua Becker
My story begins in suburban Vermont while I was cleaning the garage, my wife was cleaning the bathrooms and my 5-year old son was playing alone in the backyard. I struck up a regular conversation with my neighbor who commented, “Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff.”
The juxtaposition was striking. My possessions piled up in the driveway… my son in the backyard… my day slipping away… I immediately recognized something needed to change. My belongings were not adding value to my life. Instead, they were subtracting from it.
My family and I began donating, recycling, and removing our unnecessary personal possessions. We embarked on an intentional journey to own less stuff.
As a result, we discovered more money, more time, more energy, more freedom, less stress, and more opportunity to pursue our greatest passions: faith, family, friends. And we decided to write about it.
Becoming Minimalist quickly became a place to encourage others to embrace minimalism. It does not boldly require anyone to become minimalist overnight—nor does it specifically define the word for you. Instead, it encourages each reader to discover their own journey and the far-reaching benefits that come from owning less.
We are dedicated to rational minimalism and discovering what that uniquely means for us. And the more who are introduced to this life-changing message, the better! Because we’re all just trying to make the most of this journey called life.
Over the course of the last eight years, I’ve become a best-selling author and have written four books:
- Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life*
- Clutterfree with Kids: Change your thinking. Discover new habits. Free your home.*
- The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own.*
- The Minimalist Home.*
- Things That Matter*
Past media coverage includes:
CBS Evening News, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio (NPR,) The Guardian, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Forbes, TIME, Fox News, The Huffington Post, Minimalism Documentary (Netflix), Reader’s Digest, LA Times, Sirius XM, CNBC, TODAY Show, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Good Housekeeping, and countless others you can find all over the Internet.
Our Articles
Get introduced to our simple message by reading some of our most popular posts:
- How to Declutter Your Home: 10 Creative Decluttering Tips
- What Is Minimalism? The 8 Essential Aspects of Minimalism
- The 10 Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life
- 10 Reasons to Escape Excessive Consumerism
- 15 Clutter Busting Routines For Any Family
Or, to discover the importance of owning less, try one of these posts:
- Don’t Just Declutter. De-own.
- Minimalism Benefits: 21 Benefits of Owning Less
- Living With Less: 7 Ways to Sample Minimalist Living
We learned quickly that our journey to live with less on the outside would force our attention inward:
- How to Be Happy: 8 Ways to Be Happier Today
- How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
- 20 New Ways to Measure Success
- Learning to Consider Gratitude a Discipline
And would be entirely unique because of our life’s values:
If you really can’t get enough, browse our most popular articles. But be warned, there’s a bunch of information there.
Our Community
If you would like to receive new posts via e-mail, sign up here. We are also connected to our community through social media. Find us here:
- Facebook: Inspirational quotes and links.
- Twitter: Quotes, thoughts, links.
- YouTube: Promoting simplicity in home and life.
For interviews, media requests, or general questions, contact us at becomingminimalist@gmail.com
For more information on Joshua, visit his Wikipedia entry here.
Donna says
Hi Joshua! I’ve been loving your site for years…especially Inspiring Simplicity. Thank you for helping me learn a much better way of living! Do you have an article with suggestions of ‘Christmas’ gifts to ‘give’ to my adult family members that have nothing to do with buying material things.
Thank you so much!
Molli says
Question? DH & I are 67, retired with $1.2m in investments, $1m in real estate. We have zero debt and SS, annuity & passive rental income of $9.5k monthly. We are in good health and enjoy spending on our kids & grandkids. We have saved enough over time to be able to gift each of our 6 grands with $25k at their high school graduation. I work hard at shopping sales and spend about $150 monthly on our food budget. Most months we save about half of our income and use it to pay property taxes and annualized insurance. We feel like we want to do better-
Most of your advice and examples seem geared toward younger folks, what advice might you have for us?
joshua becker says
Give some money away to help solve a problem you are passionate about.
Socorro says
Joshua Becker invites us to use the library instead of collecting books. So after hearing an new book review, I called to reserve it. I’ll be called soon.
“Which books by Joshua Becker,” I asked, “do you have available? He has five acclaimed best sellers. I want to read one at a time.”
“None.”
I boldly requested all five be added to the county library system.
“Sure. Thanks for the recommendations.”
Having worked at libraries, I know yearly budgets fund books. Requests are heeded.
Becky says
An unexpected benefit for me about minimalism is that there seemed to be layer upon layer of project “possibilities” around the house. When I gave away the supplies, layer after layer, I felt freer and freer to live a life that’s less dependent on what I make, and more on who I am and how I relate to people. I never expected this, and find it quite refreshing especially as I enter my 6th decade and realize I’ve made TONS of art projects and other things in the past. Maybe now is the time to live a little more lightly?
Ismiray Pacheco says
WOW! i am finding this new lifestyle gives me so much more than i anticipated. It is time to live a litte lightly and intentional. Kindness is the word for me for 2023 while moving deeper into my minimalism journey. :)
Vicky Anderson says
Hi Joshua, I just want to say how much I like and appreciate your books (I have 3 of them), articles, blog – Everything! I have always liked being “tidy”, I don’t like clutter (it’s like visual noise to me), and I even worked for a company that did professional organizing! But your words have inspired a new level for me, and I am working on not just decluttering, but finding ways to stay that way. Owning less and finding time to do more of what I love (like going into town to visit my kids, gardening, volunteering) is the goal.
Keep up the good work! By the way, you should see my desk now, I actually don’t mind sitting here working at it!
Ernie Hayden says
Hello, Joshua! I just watched your interview on Heroic.com and want to commend you for your message and your mission! I especially like your messages regarding “keeping what inspires me.”
Well done and thank you for your service to the world!
Ernie
Linda Lanza says
I am a former member and can’t figure out how to sign up again! Can you please help?
LindaLanza
joshua becker says
Sure. You can sign back up for the course emails by visiting the Course Resources page after logging-in to the website with your email address (my.becomingminimalist.com/login). That sign-up form is at the bottom of the page and is available at any point now or in the future for you to jump back in. Welcome back.
Itomarke says
Hello Do you accept guest post on this siteI have article for your website. Please tell me what is your offerI am waiting for your response.Thanks Regards.
Nadine says
Hey Joshua, the inspiring simplicity August 22 link is broken atm (404 error), just thought I’d let you know, cheers!
Digital D says
Joshua Becker. A minimalist at HEART. Helping the world, doing his PART.
He has a soothing voice and hair like no OTHER . A successful blog, youtube following and now another book? O BROTHER.
He offers great advice about living with LESS. Declutter! Get rid of that MESS!
We need this man, people’s lives are a WRECK. Follow his advice and maybe you be as famous as his V-NECK.
I hope he comes to Connecticut someDAY. Joshua Becker . . . Here to STAY.
Azzura says
Lol!