Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.
The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.
For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.
When Bread Bags Weren’t Funny | Bloomberg View by Megan McArdle. Perspective.
My Low-Income Lifestyle | Frugaling by Sam Lustgarten. I wanted to show people that I could “afford” to treat, spend, and enjoy. Unfortunately, it was all a mirage.
Why the Modern World is Bad for your Brain | The Guardian by Daniel J. Levitin. A neuroscientist explains how our addiction to technology is making us less efficient
The Minimalism Effect: Three Noticeable Results While Getting Rid of Stuff | Break the Twitch by Anthony Ongaro. The process of minimizing our things is best described as ‘being relieved of a tension we didn’t know we had.’
Why a Messy Workspace Undermines Your Persistence | Harvard Business Review by Boyoun Chae and Rui Zhu. Measuring the impact of mess.
Not sure why, but we haven’t checked out your site in a while! Thanks for the inspiration hits and clarity you bring to our lives. A huge thank you for sharing these amazing articles too! :)
Thank you so much for these great articles. I always look forward to Sundays when I know your weekend post will be in my inbox. I really appreciate your work in helping people embrace simplicity. I find that I constantly need to be reminded of these values and your blog helps me stay focused. Thank you!
Me too! Me too! Becomingminimalist is The Only newsletter i flag and read carefully each and every week. Thank you, Joshua, for the inspiration and hard work!
Daniel J. Levitin’s article is one of the best ones I’ve read in a very long time. I’m a long term reader of your website Josh and enjoy all of your posts. Keep up the excellent work!
I agree, Jess. Mr. Levitin’s article is sobering, even shocking.
Hi Josh,
I enjoy most of your posts but these ones in particular for the very reason you mentioned. I feel a part of a bigger picture rather than constantly moving against the tide or having people not understanding me and my motivations. I can buy, fit it in, do but I don’t want to.
Thanks,
Emily
IMO, it is not necessary to get rid of everything, but only necessary to end our attachment to all the “stuff” (or the first step), but what do I know?
If you do break your attachment, you most certainly will also want to get rid of stuff, simply because it gets annoying to maintain/clean items you do not care for.
Thanks for including me amongst such great articles! Honored to be a part.
@Lori: I love your action steps to a simpler, more minimalistic life. Well done. Inspires me to do the same!
Loved the brain drain post. A good followup to this piece is Deepak Chopra’s “Superbrain” and another author’s “Grain Brain”.
The best things I did for myself this year? No cell phone. Installed a land line with an answering machine. How very retro. Unsubscribed to many emails and RSS feeds. Wrote more letters on my handmade cards to the applause of all happy recipients. Increased my trips to the library. (15 years w/o tv and never look back). Catch up with long distance friends once every 2 weeks via phone (not via email). All of these “little” things have enriched my life. Oh! Almost forgot! No texts. No Facebook. I’m a rebel.
Loved it, Lori! I wanna be a rebel too. ;-)
Retro rebel :D …. have to take to the service my old iphone again… Will try to live on an old nokia 1200 for a few days – does that count as being a rebel, too ? :)
Love it!
You’re very right that minimalism (and frugality) are counter to the prevailing cultural push for consumerism and the preeminence of more. It’s refreshing to see so many articles addressing the benefits of living a simple life–and to know we’re not the only ones. Thank you :)!