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.
How to Become a Luckier Person Overnight | Raptitude by David Cain. Make a habit of radical gratitude.
7 Ways Clutter is Ruining Your Life | Fast Company by Stephanie Vozza. Clutter overloads your senses, just like multitasking overloads your brain.
8 Secrets of People Who Don’t Have Clutter | Pure Wow. There are some helpful tips in here.
Choice, Choice Everywhere. How Do I Opt Out? | The Guardian by Phil Daoust. “I’m with Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama on this – the more options I’m given in life, the less I want them.”
Ooh, and check out what just arrived >> The More of Less.
I enjoyed all of these articles, especially “Choice, Choice Everywhere. How Do I Opt Out?” There are certain things I limit in terms of choice – my wardrobe, my breakfast – for efficiency reasons. However life would be rather dull if we didn’t indulge in some of the amazing options the world presents. The trick, as with most things in life, is to strive for balance and not to overdo it.
Thank you, Joshua, for another great selection of Weekend Reads!
It’s always interesting to see what you have picked and to get new inspriation from the wonderful world of simpicity.
Greetings from Germany
Christine
Enjoyed the Phil Daoust piece. I relate to the whole “tyranny of the choice!” On days I can’t get home to eat, I grab a simple turkey and cheese sandwich at the coffee shop. And a water. Eat it in my car. No waiting at a restaurant, no menu choices. Eliminating choices opens time for my art, writing. etc!
Thanks, these links look great. I’m off to read the last two :)
Those are some great choices Joshua. My life is clutter free. Less clean and maintain.
A cluttered mind breathes confusion.
Thank you for pointing me to Raptitude, that’s a new one for me and such a great read!
This weekend I’m seriously de-cluttering my room. I’ve got so much stuff that I simply don’t need and never use and they just take up space. It’s so great to just clean out and get more space!
Jemima x
anotherrantingreader.blogspot.co.uk
The point that struck for me was ‘Clutter makes you fat.’ This was in the article ‘7 Ways Clutter is Ruining Your Life.’ The connection they made was in between excesses in one area of your life are going to translate into every other area – which makes absolute sense. Really interesting! Thanks for sharing.
The article from Pure Wow is great. But there is one point that I’m not so sure about. The one about not distinguishing between summer and winter clothes. I think that depends upon the climate you live in. Our temps range from below 0 in the winter to over 100 in the summer in Eastern Washington. It’s wise to be prepared. It’s also essential to have the right clothes to keep your kids safe and warm.
I agree, Dan. I also distinguish between summer and winter clothing. But my summer clothing is really a foundation that I build upon for all the other seasons. My fall and winter wardrobe consists of sweaters and blazers that I layer over the summer clothing. This way, I can start with a few classic, basic pieces and then build on these to create a comfortable wardrobe for any weather.
So interesting. I live in a climate with snowy long winters and hot humid summers (Canada), yet my wardrobe for summer and winter is the same, plus a few layers (I am obviously not wearing my warmest sweater or winter coat in the winter).
I too live somewhere with very different summer and winter climates. I definitely wear different clothes in each season (I don’t wear shorts and t-shirts in winter, and I don’t wear long-sleeves or jeans in summer)
The important thing I take away is to still not have too many pieces of clothing. And to still be able to fit *all* clothing in your closet.
So while I don’t wear my summer clothes in winter, they are still hanging in my closet, next to my in-use winter clothing.
Loved the PureWow article. I’ve got 7 out of 8… we’re still working on tackling the junk drawer :) it seems like it’s an easy catch-all. The trick, I suppose, if you do have a junk drawer, like us, is to clean and clear it out regularly so it doesn’t accumulate junk but rather a purposeful place for purposeful items.
I get a lot of e-mail… and most of it gets filtered to my Spam folder automatically. But I look forward to your Saturday email “Weekend Reads”.
Don’t have much else to say… just wanted to share how much I enjoy this email. Once a week is just about perfect and the articles are thing I would not otherwise have seen.
I look forward to your pick of articles every weekend. Slowly working toward simplicity in my life!
Thanks!
D.Callahan
I’ll be purging my closet. I have a lot of clothes that I never wear. Most of it is hand-me-downs from my sister. Time to let it go! :)
Raptitude is one of my favorite blogs.have read all the archives there. I always look forward to your Weekend Reads.