Occasionally, I hear chatter around the topic of minimalism that sounds something like this, “Minimalism isn’t for everyone. It’s only for _______.”
Well, that’s hogwash. Of course minimalism is for everyone. And I’d like to share some thoughts about that today.
There are any number of versions to that sentence above, but here are some of the most common:
– Minimalism is great for me. But may not be right for you.
– Minimalism is only for the rich.
– Minimalism is only for certain personalities, like non-sentimental people.
– Minimalism isn’t for people who are crafters.
I can’t possibly speak to every version of the “Minimalism isn’t for everyone” argument, but I can talk about those four specifically.
But first, I think it might be helpful to remind ourselves what minimalism is and what it is not, because I think that will clear up a lot of the confusion.
Minimalism is not a set of specific rules or guidelines and the goal of minimalism isn’t to own the fewest number of things possible.
Minimalism is about owning only the possessions you need to accomplish your greatest goals in life. It is the intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing anything that distracts us from it.
And minimalism is always going to look different from person to person based on any number of factors: where you live, the size of your family, your career, your hobbies, your age, your socioeconomic realities, just to name a few.
All of these factors should influence the physical possessions you keep and the ones you remove. Minimalism is entirely freeing in this way.
It is also important to note that minimalism is about more than owning less, it is also about seeing the world differently and removing the unending pursuit of physical possessions.
Sure, many people own too much stuff and need to minimize their possessions to reach the optimal amount. But even someone with little can embrace minimalism as a means to not over-accumulate in the first place.
In the end, minimalism frees up our most important resources for things in life that matter more than physical possessions—however you choose to define that. And that is something that benefits everybody who embraces the lifestyle—regardless of any individual characteristic.
Of course minimalism is for everyone. We all have a finite amount of money or days to live, and the less we waste them on physical possessions, the more we can spend on meaningful pursuits.
Now, let’s look at some of the thoughts above in more specific terms:
1. Minimalism is great for me. But may not be right for you.
Minimalism offers the same benefits to everyone who embraces it: more opportunity to pursue greater passions than physical possessions.
Certainly, each person is going to define those passions differently. But a life lived pursuing happiness and fulfillment in places that can actually deliver it, is a recommendation that is absolutely right for everyone. We should be bold in spreading it.
2. Minimalism is only for the rich.
“Minimalism is for the rich” is a critique that pops up from time-to-time in articles written by people who do not fully understand minimalism.
You don’t need a lot of money to own less stuff, you need a lot of money to own more stuff.
Perhaps my thinking is skewed by the resident of an underdeveloped African country who approached me after a presentation and said, “This is a message that the people in my home country desperately need to hear. They are so focused on wanting and accumulating things, they miss the joy and happiness right in front of them.”
People who believe that minimalism is only for the rich, in my opinion, are focused too much on the process of removing possessions to achieve a more minimalist life and less focused on the benefits that arise when the pursuit is removed.
If someone has to declutter an entire home of unneeded possessions to begin living a minimalist life, then it is highly likely that person has excess finances. But again, minimalism is about more than “decluttering.”
Minimalism is about realizing there are greater pursuits than material possessions and that directing our focus and money towards pursuits of greater significance is always a better decision—whether we have little or much.
3. Minimalism is only for certain personalities, like non-sentimental people.
I don’t disagree at all that minimalism may be easier for certain personality types. But I do disagree that just because minimalism is harder for some than others, the lifestyle is not beneficial for all.
Minimalism is about owning only what you need to live your best life. And what possessions are necessary to live your best life is going to change from person to person—but there is always a point where excess possessions become a burden, regardless of your personality type. Minimalism forces you to discover it.
If sentimentality is beneficial to you in pursuing your greatest purpose, you will own more items of sentimentality than others. But you can still own too many.
If a cluttered desk is how you get your best work done, you will keep more stuff on your desktop than others. But it can still become too cluttered.
If you are gifted in keeping the family history, you will likely keep more possessions from past generations than others. But you can still keep too many.
Minimalism isn’t about forcing every individual into the same set of rigid rules on the number of outfits they can wear or items they can keep on their desk. Minimalism is owning the optimal number of possessions to accomplish the most with your life and removing anything that distracts you from it, regardless of your specific unique personality characteristics.
4. Minimalism isn’t for people who are “crafters.”
This thought extends beyond crafters, by the way. Some might say that minimalism isn’t for artists, or teachers, or outdoor enthusiasts, or photographers, or whatever.
When I was first starting on my journey toward becoming minimalist, I read an article by Karol Gajda who made a very helpful statement. “I love biking,” he said, “and because of that I own more biking equipment and tools than others. But I own less of other items than most people do and that is fine with me. Biking is a hobby that improves my well-being and will always require a certain number of things for me to keep in my possession.”
Recently I received a comment from someone who was new to this blog. In her comment, she said, “Minimalism is not for everyone. Why would I ever give up my piano? I have played that piano every week for the last 15 years.”
Of course, the article had nothing to do with giving up pianos and neither does minimalism. If you play the piano every week and that is a hobby that enriches your life, you shouldn’t remove the piano from your home. But maybe you don’t need the basement full of possessions collecting dust, or all the items in your kitchen, closet, or drawers.
If you are an artist or crafter, keep the possessions required for your hobby and passion. But remove the other unneeded possessions in your home. Freeing up time and space and money may just allow you to thrive even more in your creative craft—whatever that is.
Minimalism doesn’t dictate what hobbies you can or cannot pursue. It doesn’t dictate what career path you can or cannot choose. And it doesn’t dictate what possessions you can or cannot keep.
It only reminds us that our lives are too valuable to waste pursuing and accumulating physical possessions. And that is true for every single one of us.
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I’ll plan to be active in the comment section answering questions you might have related to this article. I think it is an important one.
About Joshua Becker
Fantastic application of logic! I appreciate the way having fewer possessions feels. It has the energy of feeling lighter, less to be responsible for. Love and always look forward to your insights!!!!
Great article!
“If someone has to declutter an entire home of unneeded possessions to begin living a minimalist life, then it is highly likely that person has excess finances.” I have definitely noticed myself more focused on the process of decluttering at times, and not knowing what to do with myself once I’ve gotten rid of everything I don’t use. Decluttering can become an avenue, and even doing research about things can become a way for us to halt actually living out our values. I saw a quote the other day by Henry Nouwen that really rang true with me. “You don’t think your way into a new kind of living. You live your way into a new kind of thinking.”
Regarding the idea that minimalism isn’t for people with certain hobbies, it really is about keeping what you value, and not letting those items get in the way of enjoying the activity. For instance, we love cooking meals and having people over for dinner. Because of this, we have more plates, forks, and cups than we use every day, but that’s okay because we get great use out of them.
Thank you for this insightful article. I decluttered my house and in the process, realized that having the stuff to support too many hobbies and interests meant that I rarely did any of them. Thinking about minimalism in the way you’ve described has helped me bring more focus to what actually brings me joy and doing more of that instead of spreading myself too thin and dabbling in many things. Letting go of hobbies that I’m never going to have time for, and their accompanying stuff, also lets me let of the guilt I felt every time I saw the half-completed projects, or the unplayed piano.
Minimalism forces us to find ourselves.
So many good ideas!!! Thank you. I craft. Quilts, clothing,alterations, surgical hats, whatever someone needs. I’ve been following decluttering and downsizing, minimalism several years and thinking about it a long time. A large home with full basement and a 40×60 workshop/barn has brought me to a place to desire minimalism. One thing that has made the biggest difference to me is ” enough”. I stopped shopping for fun 4 years ago and now use up fabrics and things I have instead of looking for more. I have much still but recognize that retirement is looming and plan to reduce, reduce, reduce by using and selling/sharing these gifts and talents with others. My journey seems slow but it has been directional! Your book and the many bloggers you feature certainly have helped! Thank you and take courage to all!
My hobby (or craft as you call it) is photography, and my passion is animals. I work on a dairy farm and am active in animal rescue/TNR. Because of this, my phone is swollen with digital photos. While it may bog down the memory at times, the benefits are profound. I always have a photo that’s perfect for media sharing rather than using a meme. Senior friends that used to farm enjoy seeing cows and calves. Likeminded friends trade cat videos on the daily and we connect through our pets. I say all this to show that one this aspect of possession may be cluttered, but is an area/hobby that is focused and useful. Great article, Josh!
I’m so glad you’ve emphasized that minimalism isn’t only for the rich. A lot of people don’t get that enough is enough whether you’re rich, poor, or in between. I’ve never had more than a minimal income, so accumulation was never a motivator for me–necessity, quality, comfort, utility, beauty, these are more important than quantity. I would rather have a tiny amount of stuff to deal with than a huge amount, even if a huge amount was a possibility. And less is easier to take care of than more is anyway.
I love this! I’ve always felt I had the minimalist spirit even with three vehicles, a boat and an ATV. Our many hobbies come with gear but if anyone really looked at my purchasing they’d see I never spend a dollar on anything I don’t use until it wears out. And what I spend is on things that bring us joy, and nothing else. We are always playing tennis, fishing, hiking, off roading, running, blogging and playing pickleball and those things take a good bit of gear. But looking closer you’d see I buy used when possible and never buy anything just for the fun of buying or showing it off. I just buy the minimum required to do my hobbies at a high level. And I buy at the maximum value point, never the most or the least expensive, just at that point where additional dollars stop adding additional benefits. And our house is larger than some but it was very inexpensive and we did have three teenagers in it at the same time, and a little more space made for a lot less drama! I really appreciate your non-judgy attitude, Joshua. I think you are right, the minimalist concepts, that may look different for everyone, they do make for a better life.
I am on this Journey of just having things around me that matters most.
In my quest for that state of nirvana (lol) I am shocked of the amount of STUFf that I have accumulated in the house.
It has been months since I started and am doing room by room.
What I have learnt though is to be gentle on myself and take one day at a time and not add any new UNNECESSARY purchases to my space.
I really enjoy reading and absorbing all articles you’ve written about being a minimalist. I’m 74 and inherited a beautiful home and everything that is in it. I am also a active artist which keeps me busy on a daily basis. I am being inspired by following you and I am at the point I’ll be diving into a lot of downsizing and clutter clearing fast.
I’m trying to pace myself with this task and have been selling all the furniture and designer clothes to start. So I know this will work well for me someday when I need to sell my home.
Thank you for the encouraging words and all the best on your art.
Please help !
I’ve been watching your YouTube videos and began the journey to minimalism before we moved 2 months ago. It’s been a great success and wow, have I been able to declutter so much! I started with all of my own possessions, as you mentioned I should. I’ve tried to teach the Minimalism principal to both my son and my husband. My Son actually understood and started to get rid of clothes and toys that no longer were useful. My husband on the other hand, does not want to understand or participate in it. He is from another country where they cannot afford nearly as much as we have here in The USA. He loves to shop for clothes, shoes, accessories, ect, in hopes to gift them to his family the next time he visits them. This happens maybe every 2 years, more or less. The amount of stuff he acquires takes us so much space, not to mention the amount of money he is paying for these items each time he hits up a TJMaxx or Marshall’s. It also triggers him to buy something for himself at the same time. He has so many clothes and shoes, that he truly needs another closet just for him. The shopping doesn’t stop and I feel it’s because he can actually afford the items he never got as a child. What can I do to deal with this consistent flow of stuff coming into my home?
Honestly, you’ll probably need to give him longer than 2 months. I believe strongly that the benefits of minimalism eventually win out in a relationship when you lead by example, but that doesn’t mean the change is going to occur in 2 months… especially if he is swimming against strong attitudes learned in childhood. For now, encourage him to stay focused on the things he is buying for relatives that cannot afford them.
I’d also encourage him to send the cash at times instead – then they can choose what to buy based on their needs.
Love reading everyones views and picking up ideas. I think their is something for everyone in minimalism.
This is such an important message. Thank you. I would like to add: Minimalism is also only putting on your schedule or to-do-list what is meaningful to you and helps you live the way you want to live. And letting go of the rest. I started by decluttering physical possessions. And then I decluttered my schedule. It’s been life changing.
Your book, ‘The More of Less’, helped me so much. Forever grateful there are people out there like you sharing this message.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the book.
Well said, and I heartily agree that Minimalism, if perceived in the right context, IS the path to living a more focused, more passionate, and more fulfilling life.
Especially if each of us have unique, defined interests and purpose that require a particular and specialized set of tools, sensibilities,focus and an environment that actively supports and cultivates what we love or are gifted to do. When there is too much… we are pulled away using our precious time and energy to “maintain” or clean up the trivial or the inessential.
Love this! Best article yet! ❤️
This is off topic. As a teacher I learned that children needed to be able to conserve the concept of a number, before the could add or subtract from that number. They can add 3 + 2 = by counting 1,2,3, and 4,5. That’s part of what manipulative like beans chips or fingers are for. That why you see grown ups in the grocery store counting on their fingers, they have the concept part not the conserving part.
But to hear three and know what it is, the count 3,4, that is a whole other conceptual level.
Subtraction is much harder. Even student who are exceptional at arithmetic find subtraction harder.
This is really too bad because you get paid bi weekly or monthly (add)and you subtract, mtg, gas, groceries, utilities……(subtract)
Minimalism is subtraction.
I am a teacher also. I started the journey to minimalism maybe 6 months ago. Personally, I believe minimalism adds to life. It adds space, time and freedom to focus on what matters most. I suppose you do have to subtract first if you have acquired possessions or even activities that need to go ;)
You are never too old to change!! At 70 I started to declutter so my kids won’t be burdened someday. Found unexpected but very welcome benefits for me now.
Got rid of lots of stuff that’s too heavy for me with my increasing disability. Emptied lots of drawers with long forgotten “stuff” I haven’t used in ages. Souvenirs from long ago travels that only collected dust are gone and now I can actually see and enjoy the few pieces I kept. Everything is easy to find in my home. Very helpful as I grow forgetful
The result is a home that is much more user friendly for me. I won’t trip over clutter in the house or garage. It’s a breeze to keep clean. Best of all it’s calm and peaceful. Intentional spending has freed up money I can give to
my church and charities I love. My home might not look minimalist but it certainly is by my definition!
I tend toward minimalism naturally–or perhaps I should say I tend more toward “just right-ism” (referring to Goldilocks) but even still I clean out closets and make choices.
Yesterday I dropped off at my favorite thrift store two gorgeous expensive table lamps that unfortunately do not work in my own new home and color scheme. (I tried to sell them on CL but couldn’t so I decided to donate them.) There was also a brand new air fryer / pressure cooker a friend who is a reviewer gave me. I actually squealed with joy when I got it but after a couple of days I realized it was so big, and any recipe made in the air fryer can also be made in my oven, that I wanted it gone. It now is and I am breathing easier.
When October arrives and I take my autumn decorations out of the shed I intend to see what I still love and what the thrift store will get. I’m very careful about holiday decor so I doubt there will be much to give away but you never know after a couple of years of not seeing it.
But your article today, Josh, reminded me most of photographs. As a pretty good minimalist I have, for years, encouraged anyone interested in my opinion to take those multiple photographs and keep only the ones most important. Toss or delete every other one, then take the ones kept and print them, frame them, and hang them on the walls of your home where you can see them every day and feel the emotions they bring up. I have less than a half dozen of my parents, now deceased, but they live in my heart and in those photographs I see whenever I walk through my house. I see them far more than when I had them in albums with numerous other photos of them and only looked at them every few years (when I remembered or ran across them). I have three photographs of my first marathon, not the 80+ I had in a heavy album high up on the guest bedroom closet shelf, because they are where I see them all the time.
Thank you for reminding me of these truths. One of my hobbies is re-selling and, as you might imagine, it can cause an accumulation of possessions. These items are in my possession only temporarily of course. In gives me enormous pleasure to repurpose items, to help find a person who needs what someone else has discarded and to
make money in the process. My other possessions are definitely minimalized but sometimes I feel like a fraud when my family and friends ask about minimalism. This article has helped me frame these possessions as the minimum number of items I need to pursue my hobby/side-hustle. Thank you. I am right now on vacation in Glacier National
Park hiking and loving life. Practicing minimalism has given me both the time and money to take this trip. I was also able to get by with only a carry on bag for a 10 day trip because my brain has recognized there there is benefit to taking only what I NEED. Thank you for what you do.
Sometimes, in the attempt to create the “perfect” life, buying things, surrounding yourself with what seems to create the image of what you want, you find yourself spending more time preparing to live your life than actually living it. Letting go of fantasy items and actually spending time doing instead of accruing makes such a difference in the quality of your real life not your fantasy life.
Don’t obsess, over-analyze nor take yourself and stuff seriously. There’s no schematic for minimalism. It’s a journey. Hang loose. Take the best, leave the rest.
All great points Joshua! I loved that you touched on people who think minimalism is for the rich. I think that they think you only need minimalism if you already have too much but I also think they think they need to buy special furniture and clothes when what they have is perfectly fine. The consumer culture we live in has made minimalism something you can buy, ironically. That’s the style, not the lifestyle and that confuses people.
I also like the point about crafters because I LOVE to sew and make jewelry which I sell on Etsy. When I first moved into our 400 square foot studio apartment I thought I had to give that up but I learned that giving those things up was like giving up a piece of my heart so I learned how to buy stuff for one project at a time and let go of my creations instead of keeping them forever. (I still keep some of course) I learned to enjoy the process instead of the product. And yes, I still have a few more clothes than I probably need to but I love clothes and it is an art form for me so it’s different for me and that is ok.
Minimalism has given me time for the things I love to do and that’s the beauty of it!
This is a very good common sense approach to the subject.
Very insightful article!
My greatest passion is music and playing musical instruments. I play in a band, in an acoustic duo and also record and try to write my own music.
I love musical instruments and during the years I bought several instruments: guitars (acoustic, electric), a slide guitar, a mandolin, an octave mandolin, bas guitar, a piano and even a Nyckelharpa (a bowed instrument).
After a while I thought: hmmm, maybe I am trying to learn too much different instruments, maybe I need to focus. So I didn’t play anymore on some instruments anymore and because they were hanging on the wall doing nothing I sold them. After a couple of years I got the itch to play those instruments again and I regretted selling them! So I bought back similar instruments, but they aren’t as nice as the ones I sold.
So my question is: how do you know what you should hold on to? In my case, musical instruments.
Sorry about your regretting some of the musical instruments you sold. I have to say that there is little I’ve gotten rid of that I wish I hadn’t. I’ve always fought the urge to follow the crowd & trends around me in keeping up with the ‘latest and the greatest’. In my heart, I knew those pursuits are not how I wanted to live my life. If you have a passion, your interest tends to also go in waves but your passion for all things music doesn’t go away. It’s in you. In this case, keeping the items that revolve around your passion makes more sense that selling them. You bought them probably knowing they were good quality at good prices. A helpful tip for me is if I hesitate I usually keep the item for now. For whatever reason, I’m just not ready to give it up. I am good about paring down and reducing clutter so I don’t beat myself up when I am being indecisive about particular items. Don’t give away the things you love, need or will miss. Give away the items that have no value to you or in your life. There will always be plenty of those. Hope this helps!!
Thank you Maria!
If in doubt, hold on to the musical instruments.
My interests in music and instruments indeed comes in waves.
Maybe it should be called “Intentionalism”. I’m not sure people can truly understand until they experience the peace, freedom, and financial rewards for themselves. It’s tough to stay focused and grounded, but it’s always worth it, which is why Joshua’s blog is so important to me.
Maybe it would help for many folks trying to get their heads around “less is more” to switch out “Simplify” for “Minimalism”. I’m afraid many equate minimalism with: “one succulent boldly occupying a white urn on an empty counter top.”
After reading many books and magazines on minimalism, this is the book that resonated with me because it spoke to me culturally.
“the AFROMINIMALIST’S GUIDE TO LIVING WITH LESS “ by Christine Platt.
I’m not saying the other books were less informative but that this book was more relatable to me as a Black woman. I’m happy to see that more diversity on display in the minimalist community. It helps to debunk the myth that minimalism is only for certain people.
Oh great, wonderfully written! Thank you!
I’m often annoyed when people say minimalism is only for the rich. It’s not true! Some people confuse decluttering with minimalism. Decluttering and minimalism are not automatically the same thing. Decluttering is just the (often) necessary step towards minimalism. Minimalism is the focus on the essentials.
Correct.
Photos are so important to my family. I’m overwhelmed with organizing all our digital photos. How to best merge my phone pictures and my husbands phone pictures? How and where to backup these photos? How to tackle this in manageable steps with minimal the time I have. How to maintain it. Any ideas?
Hi Antonetta,
My wife and I had the same problem.
We now both have the Google Photos app installed on our phones. We share all the pictures we take on our phones and after each significant event (birthday, vacation etc.) we create a shared photo album of it, so we don’t get overwhelmed by all the pictures.
Our daughters are now 11 and 14 years old. They also have the Google Photos app on their phones. We shared all the old photo albums that we created with them and also the new albums, so they can also add the photos they take of those events.
We usually only look back to the photo albums we created, but we still have all the other pictures in the cloud and occasionally we also look in that year to all the other pictures we created.
Works very well for us!
Agree – After years of organizing pictures into electronic folders, I’m happy to let Google Photos organize them for me.
One couple I know is editing their photos using one day as the focus. If that date is July 3rd, for example, they edit all photos taken on July 3rd of every year. That helps especially for birthdays, etc. where you can choose the best picture of each year rather than the best pictures of any one year.
I know some people are definitely more emotionally attached to stuff. I think removing stuff triggers a sense of loss or insecurity/scarcity for some. I also know you some people buy and accumulate due to being anxious. I think it is important to acknowledge these very real and valid responses that AND admit we all have excess that is burdening us in ways we don’t even fully realize. Stuff won’t heal you, just as for some overeating, drugs, or alcohol won’t make the pain go away. It just makes things worse. And some people may need deeper work with a professional to literally and figuratively unpack this all.
I found this beautiful, clarifying, and inspiring. Thank you so much!
This was a helpful reminder and clarification. For the woman with the piano, of course she should keep her piano. But how many people have a piano collecting dust and taking up valuable floor space in their homes and no one even plays. Unless used and regularly tuned, the piano will be of no use anybody. Better to get it (the piano or other unused items) out of the house and into the hands of someone who will use it and love it.
Helping to clean out the home of a friend who died has made me look at my things differently. I don’t want someone to have to do the same in my home. Also, getting close to retirement helps me to look at my classroom differently (how many supplies does 1 person need to keep??), and it’s actually freeing up space in my mind, and not feeling such an attachment to stuff.
Hi Kelley,
I’m a teacher & do private coaching/lessons. Lemme tell you, what a difference when you go from a large group to 1-1. And yes! What little you need to do what we do (if the purpose is to engage, guide or connect). Sometimes all the students need is your presence!!!
Working on having less of anything… so that I can be creative with what I DO have and allow the kids to use more of their creativity and imagination 🙏. I’m with you!
Excellent clarification that I hope will help many more people to understand the real point and value of minimalism. I’m still working on sorting through all the “extra” in my own home and life but day by day, week by week I am getting better at seeing what truly matters to our life NOW, and getting rid of what doesn’t. Lately I’m getting much better at letting go of things that were once important and valuable but served a different season/chapter of life that has now passed.
I’ve been slowly decluttering and getting rid of things and feeling good. I prayed to dig a little deeper, I know I am not a true minimalist, but I wanted all my things to be organized and have a place in my home. I was enjoying this journey so much until July 1 a fire destroyed my home and almost everything I own. Still trying to wrap my head around it.
so sorry for your devastating loss.
Deeply sorry for your loss on many levels.
Sending you prayers and strength, each day.
Sorry To hear that Elizabeth, Hope you get back all that you have lost. Prayers !
I’m so sorry for your loss! Losing all the things in your life can be very disorienting, and the long road to recovery – finding a place to live, deciding what to buy to put in it – is a long process.
I hope your interest in decluttering can help guide you through the months ahead to create the new, organized home you will enjoy.
What a great reminder. I’m working on decluttering right now after studying minimalism during 2020 and this year too. I counted 2,600 items in my room yesterday, and I’d like to get that down to about 200 items.
I crochet as a hobby and I don’t think that will hinder me at all! My plan is to finish each project and use up my current yarn….then go out and buy more yarn when I get started on a new project and only get what’s needed. Crafters can be minimalist too!
I believe minimalism will help me achieve my goal of moving into a camper van and travelling around the USA to be where people need help, like after wildfires or hurricanes to help with rescue missions and rebuilding. I can only do that if I don’t have so much STUFF! Wish me luck!
Dear Crista,
Good luck on your journey to minimalism, It’s a really great work to cut down 2600 items to 200 of them.