Note: The following is a guest post from Vincent Nguyen.
In a society bent towards consumerism, minimalist living is counter-cultural. It uproots assumptions and challenges behaviors we’ve learned from others. It can be scary and mysterious—most new things are.
My mother is the exact opposite of minimalist. She makes good money, but still finds herself in financial debt because of her spending habits. When visiting, I find it difficult to avoid jamming my toes or scraping the sides of my feet against some sort of box when I enter her house. It’s cluttered.
My personal journey into minimalism started with the realization that my mom wasn’t any happier every time she bought a new technological toy. Neither did she feel any better about a house filled with stuff. I began to notice that I got along just fine—even better perhaps—with fewer possessions. I began cutting down more and more. It became part of who I am.
Still, people don’t always understand why my room has only functional things inside, why I don’t have tons of clothes, and why my room is always so clean. I have found that people are drawn to the idea of tidiness, owning less, and finding contentment without buying, but they still hold objections and concerns about minimalism.
My hope is to address some of the most common objections I hear. Hopefully, you will find minimalism is much easier than you think. And perhaps the many benefits will persuade you to make the leap.
10 Common Objections to Minimalism
1. I don’t have the time to start.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take too long to start the process of cutting down the possessions that you own. In fact, there are tons of creative little tricks you can implement that can start the process, eventually having significant impact.
For example, every morning make it a goal to get rid of one small item you know you don’t need. Maybe every time you do the laundry, you can remove one article of clothing. Pick something out and toss it away as you go.
If you have a lot of clothes, the simple act of turning around all your hangers can get you started. When you wear an item, hang it back up with the hanger facing the opposite direction. After a few months, you’ll probably be surprised with how many clothes you never wear.
Know it’s a process. You don’t have to complete it all at once.
2. Buying things makes me happy.
I’m sure you noticed that after buying something, you feel slightly happier for a short period of time. But soon, you begin gravitating back towards your previous levels of happiness.
There is actually a phrase for that cycle. It’s called “hedonic adaptation,” and explains why we are only temporarily happier after acquiring something new.
Shortly after their winnings, even the biggest lottery winners are often found to be just as content as they were before they hit it big. New purchases don’t have the same thrill anymore. We buy more and more, hoping to achieve happiness. But it’s more like running on a treadmill—never fully reaching our destination.
We know it’s true because we’ve all experienced it before. Keep that feeling in mind next time you start to think buying things makes you happy. It is very short-lived.
3. I’m too used to having ______.
Again, minimalism should be considered to be a process. It starts with only one step at a time. Make small changes. Adapt at your own pace so it’s digestible. Remove the picture in your mind of an overnight shift to a minimalist lifestyle.
It is always a process and you can tweak what you’d like. There are no hard and fast rules, guidelines, or obligations. And you don’t have to get rid of something you genuinely hold important. Minimalism is about cutting the excess, not removing what you love or use.
4. I may get rid of something I need in the future.
Ah, yes. The “what if?” question. Know that you are not alone. In fact, this is one of the most common struggles we all share. It is interesting that we always try to predict the future, even though we are horrible at it.
Get rid of things that are easily replaced and you won’t have that discussion with yourself.
If you get rid of small things that are inexpensive (yet still manage to take up a lot of room), you can always replace them in the future. Most things can be replaced with minimal expense and minimal effort nowadays. But most likely, you’ll find yourself to be far more resourceful than you imagined. Take your time removing large, expensive items—that should make the process easier.
5. I would love to simplify but my ______ wouldn’t agree.
Sandy Kreps wrote an article on this website about the very topic of getting on the same page with your spouse. She recommends you find common ground, focus on the positives, seek input, start small, and start with yourself first.
Joshua Becker, the founder of Becoming Minimalist, is more committed to minimalism than his wife, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get along. They find the line that makes the other uncomfortable and make sure not to cross it. It works well when you work on figuring it out together… just like everything else in life.
6. I have too many commitments.
Harvard Business Review created an excellent article in early September about how people compete against one another over how “busy” they are. Many of us are caught up in believing we’re being productive or busy even though most of it is in our heads.
If you are feeling an overwhelming sense of busy, minimalism is actually a great opportunity to start practicing time management. Segment your time. Remove the unessential. Become more productive at the things that actually matter. That, in a sense, is minimalism.
To regain focus, I have found the Pomodoro Technique to be very powerful. The technique teaches you to work in bursts while allowing you the freedom to take breaks. The standard practice is 25 minutes of driven productivity followed by 5 minute breaks fostering both intentional productivity and intentional rest.
7. Minimalism is easy for you. It’s your personality to live with less. But that’s not me!
Though there may be some truth in that statement, it’s certainly not all personality. Minimalism is a conscious decision to pursue less. Many of us have made it and almost none of us had it completely easy.
I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide, “I’m going to be minimalist!” For me, it happened through a series of realizations and struggles. A lot of thinking and sacrifices took place.
I didn’t decide to love less because of my personality. I decided to live with less because I saw value in it. There may be some people out there who desire less since birth, but they are a small minority. The rest of us struggled through it. Eventually, we thanked ourselves for doing so.
8. The math doesn’t add up, how could someone be happier with less?
It sounds bizarre, but having less can make you a lot happier. When you have a lot of possessions, you have extra worry. You have more to clean. You have more to manage, more to organize, more to repair, and more to replace.
When you own less, you find more freedom, less stress, and less worry. And that doesn’t even begin to mention the financial benefits of owning less.
There are so many problems that can be solved by subtracting. It’s almost surprising more people haven’t discovered it.
9. I’m an overthinker and there’s nothing I can do about it!
Simplifying your thoughts isn’t easy, but it certainly isn’t impossible either. I used to be an over-thinker.
Every single social interaction would leave me anticipating what would be said, how I should respond, and of course what I did wrong once it’s over. This bled into every other aspect of my life where I tried to control all the variables.
Without a doubt, meditation has become a common solution for over-thinkers and is a valuable step towards minimalism.
10. I don’t want to be judged by others.
In a society where we are evaluated based on what we own, it can be scary to break free and purposely seek less. People still don’t always understand why I don’t want things.
I get asked a lot of questions about my choices. I may even be seen as an outsider for a while, but none of it matters. They ask. They move on. Typically, I don’t stay on their mind for long because they’re more concerned about what others think of them anyway.
I spoke with Joshua a few weeks ago. We drank coffee. We talked about life and we talked about minimalism. We discussed how others perceive minimalism. People eventually notice he purposefully owns less. And when they do, one of two things happen: 1) They forget about it and no longer make a big deal of it, or 2) they admire his simplicity. It’s usually that simple. It never occurs to most that they could find contentment with less.
So what’s holding you back from exploring what minimalism has to offer?
Beth DeRoos says
Someone I care a lot about told me that she would love to be minimalist……but
She is disabled and its hard for her to move things, even a box to her small car. It was then that I realized that some people realllllly do want to get rid of a lot of stuff, but they have no family, or they have no friends they feel comfortable asking for help.
When she shared this with me I smiled and told her I knew exactly what she was talking about, because of leg damage when my late husband accidentally fell on me (I was age 49) when helping him out of his hospital bed, I use a walker. And that I to had wanted years earlier to become hard core minimalist but had no one to ask for help either.
Then I stepped out in faith and asked someone, who said yes they would help, but never showed up over and over as promised. It took asking five other people who all agreed to help, but had something come up, before my dear dear friend Sue K came thru.
So maybe the question more minimalists should be asking is this. Have you as part of the conversation when someone has said ‘I would love to but I do not have the time’…..’I wouldn’t know where to start’……’I have no one to help me’, then said ‘let me help, it will be fun’?
Cyndi says
This is such a good point!!! Some people have physical issues, but I think some of those who don’t would also like a companion. It can be so hard to keep making the decisions that a bit of friendly help and reassurance could be good. Plus it is good to have someone to make tea, move something outside, and do those random tasks.
Maureen says
I so enjoy helping others,who are not as able-to clear out & re-organise!!!! I even take their stuff to the Goodwill.It such a joy to be their feet & hands & to see them happy & relieved with the results…to be part of the process of freeing that which
has been on their minds for a long while(& they were powerless to change it without help).
Mmm…meanwhile I keep working on my own de-cluttering,as well;)
Heather Thorne says
Hi I Love this article !! I started decluttering years ago and finally started over on my own with only a carload of stuff. I now have some nice furniture and essentials but a very minimalist closet and stuff. It is awesome and so liberating . My mind is focused and creative now without all the stuff hanging around . Yes yoga and excersize helps but less is so much more !!
Heather
Teaj says
You forgot a big one: addressing gift giving occasions with relatives/ friends. this is a huge struggle for people new to minimalist convictions. My partner finds a lot of joy in buying tiny trinkets she knows I will enjoy. And I enjoy them, for a moment. Puzzles or legos or the like. And then they take up room on the shelf. Getting rid of them seems rude to a point. Im new to minimalism, its something that is quite appealing to me, but its something most people wont understand. Any hints on spreading the minimalist fever without sounding self righteous or ungrateful?
Kelly says
I found the mantra “You don’t own the stuff, the stuff owns you.” to be very helpful. Repeat it, and when you’re holding that thing in your hands wondering whether to toss it, repeat it again. Believe it.
I did get a laugh earlier in the thread, you know, “If I get a laptop, external hard drive, and a new thumb drive or two, I’ll be ready to start letting go of the material things”. :)
Paula wolven says
Becoming a minimalist is like re organizing that one “drawer” you throw all misc things into. You get rid of what you “want” and keep what you “need”,
Lucy Packer says
If you want to get rid of stuff, please don’t just throw it in the trash. I’m big on recycling and if it’s not real trash and it’s not recyclable, then I donate it, no matter what it is. Nothing should go in the trash but trash!
Anne says
But do be mindful of what you are donating. Don’t put the recipient charity in the positionof tthrowing out your trash for you.
Juan Carlos Araya says
Hello Joshua, my name is Juan Carlos and i live in Costa Rica, i read becomingminimalist.com almost every day and i just love it! at first my reading was focused on books like “Rich Dad Poor Dad” at fisrt i was impressed but a little after opening my own business i was not happy at all! so i builted a few of apartments and the same thing happened i was not happy in fact now i am making more money with those things than with my full time job, what i’m trying to say here (and i really hope you understand what i am trying to say here, because my english is not very good) is that because of you i am now traveling to the land of less, i started with my closed, then my house we only own one car now i take the bus to work and i get off of it a couple of miles before just to enjoy a walk in the morning i see all the other people driving and let me tell you something i live (according to some stats) in one of the happiest contries in the world but those people driving they don’t look very happy to me and while i am walking i fell free sometimes i even walk from work to home (45 min walk) and it feels just great! Thank you very much, now you have a friend in central america.
Adios.
Dr Ibrar Alam says
Thanks. It is great to know things that you are doing .it is surprise to read the reply from a different person. I am replying you because i like your attitude and approach towards life is very simplified. My self a Dr.a Paediatrician, I am also trying to live a simplified life. Lets hope I will do so. I belongs to India.
Carola Tortuga says
Leaving the country was a way to get rid of things. I took off from the US last summer, with 2 teenage kids in tow, and a total of 6 suitcases between us. That’s all we own now. Sure, we had to find some second hand beds and other necessary items, but it is not difficult to live w/o the things that many Americans find necessary (microwaves, appliances, furniture, etc.) My sister recently came to visit from the states and was asking, “Why don’t you have ____? Don’t you have a ____?” My simple answer was “No, and we don’t need it.” Period.
Ellen Scott Grable says
I agree Carola, I moved to France a few years ago as part of my degree program and lived in a sparsely furnished apt with a duffle bag and a backpacks worth of things including all my school documents. The week I returned to my apt after six months away I went through everything with my son (he lived there while I was away) and I had a yard sale where I allowed people to pay me what the item was worth to them. it was a lot of fun! I have been very cautious about material items creeping in ever since. You have provided your kids with a great adventure without the weigh down of excess belongings! There is great freedom in less.
cheryl says
I really really need to do this. I have been responsible for so many elderly folks who have passed away and I feel like I shouldn’t get rid of all their things out of respect…guilt…not sure what it is. But it is smothering me. My dad passed and I am now renting his house but the folks cant really use the garage because there still is so many of his things there. I start to work on it and then I find something that has an emotional tie and I feel so sad and then I stop. All of the things I have are so choking me sometimes I wish I could just set them on fire and then they would be gone and that would be the end of it.
Gayle S says
I took a decluttering class several years ago & have learned to apply to other things this concept for appreciating, but not forever storing, greeting cards that was shared. That freeing concept is this – hold the card, read & fully take in the gesture intended by the giver (same as you would if given a verbal encouragement or a short lived bouquet of flowers). Appreciate that experience. Then, after the event has passed, lovingly rid yourself of the clutter, making room for new experiences to fill you forward in your life’s journey, without being encumbered by managing the accumulation of the past.
This has helped me with many different types of items that kept me from enjoying my present life when overly emeshed with fond memories or “ownership guilt.” I discovered I didn’t really need to manage & live with (or simply store & ignore) the physical possessions to actually enjoy the valuable, meaningful memories. (Don’t get me wrong – I have a special keepsake box that is for a handful of more uniquely significant cards & letters, but have been very selective – same w the other very limited family momentos I’ve chosen to retain & am happy a with my choices). As a result, my life has become more available for present living instead of possession management.
Sandra says
The idea of minimalism is really great and since I followed that path a while now, the same questions were asked. Sometimes I was at a loss of words to explain myself, so I find your answers really helpful – thank you!
But there is one question still nagging at me and I haven’t found an answer yet: what’s the goal of all this? What do I do when I’m finished? I really like the decluttering and I love the way my life keeps simplifying with less stuff. But what will I find at the end of the way? I’m fully concentrated on the way of decluttering, but where does it lead to?
Melissa says
Minimalism has led me to a better life overall. Less stress from cleaning, less TIME cleaning, more time to spend having fun (experiences), my family is now eating better quality foods (organic and grass fed), free time to think about goals, financial freedom, and it allows me to think about how I can make positive changes for the earth and future generations.
It has also led to less utility bills… i started researching how to save money on electricity and installing energy efficient bulbs, etc. I am saving on my water bill by installing 0.25 gpm bathroom sink aerators, & 1.25 gpm showerheads.
We are working on our cleaning supplies next and trying to convert to all natural cleaning products. I use some now but, im still working on it.
Not sure where it will take me next but, i have a feeling more traveling will be in the picture!
Beverly Wittler says
Freedom to do whatever you want. If you get bored you could start your own minimalizing business helping others.