When Kim and I (+ two kids) began minimizing our possessions, I was just looking for a little relief.
I was weary of living paycheck to paycheck. I was weary of spending so much money on myself while knowing there were others that needed it more. And I was weary of the time and energy being wasted on cleaning, organizing, repairing, and maintaining our home.
When my neighbor introduced me to the word minimalism, I began to see clearly how the excess possessions I had accumulated were stealing my time, money, and energy. And how minimalism was the change I needed in life.
In many ways, our decision to intentionally live with fewer possessions was motivated entirely by discontent.
But regardless of our motivation, shortly after the decision was made, we found countless life benefits. Minimalism introduced intentionality into our lives:
We found intentionality in our values and passions.
Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.
And while this looks different for each person, it always requires its pursuer to further define his or her passions—and discover intentionality because of it.
We found intentionality in our finances.
Owning less, by itself, didn’t provide us with more money (except for the items we sold), but it did provide us with more opportunity for the uses of our money.
For example, once we became attracted to living with less, and the hold of consumerism on our checkbook was broken, we could use our money for more valuable purposes than buying from the clearance rack at the local department store. New opportunities to help others became available—and new decisions were forced because of it.
We found intentionality in our health.
Six months after discovering minimalism, I faced an upcoming birthday. After spending so many months removing the clutter from our home and life, the last thing I wanted to receive was anything that could become clutter.
While brainstorming nonphysical gift ideas, I noticed a Planet Fitness that had just opened down the street from my house. And for the first time I had the motivation, the finances, and the time to get in better physical shape.
We found intentionality in our diet.
Interestingly enough, the last thing you want to put in your body after working out is junky, processed food. So we started making healthier food choices: more fruit, more vegetables, less sugar.
More time and less desire to buy possessions… introduced me to a gym membership… which then introduced me to healthier diet.
I also began to form new friendships with other simple-living advocates, many of whom modeled intentional diets. Over the years, we have experimented with many of their ideas. Each time, we discover new foods to eat and increased understanding about the food we put in our bodies.
We found intentionality in our spirituality.
Minimalism offered the opportunity to slow down. It also provided the motivation.
As I began to realize how much of my thinking had been hijacked by advertisements and a consumer-driven society, I was drawn to the practice of meditation and solitude. I was drawn to find new voices for guidance.
Being raised in a religious home, I was also drawn to find the voice of a higher power—one who knew far more and could reorient my life around greater, more eternal pursuits. This voice is still and small. And it requires each of us to slow down long enough to listen.
We found intentionality in our relationships.
Owning less opened the door for new relationships in our lives. We were able to become more involved with our neighbors and our community. We were more willing to have people in our home, as preparing for their arrival became easier.
We spent less time shopping and cleaning and organizing and began to spend more time with the people who made life enjoyable. Our capacity for and appreciation of relationships began (and continues) to grow.
We found intentionality in work.
The longer we lived with fewer possessions, the more our view of money began to change. Having a lot of it became less important to us. Our essential needs are met and we have enough left over to practice generosity—what else is needed?
As our view of money shifted, so did our motivation for work. Work became less about the weekly financial deposit and more about the value and contribution we could provide to people’s lives. It opened the door even wider for honesty, cooperation, people, passion, and joy at work.
We found intentionality in our heart pursuits.
Living with less opened the opportunity for contentment, gratitude, and generosity to take root in our heart. It forced us to redefine happiness.
Happiness was no longer for sale at the department store. Instead, we discovered it was a decision available to us all along. And once we stopped looking in the wrong places, we were able to find happiness in the right places.
We entered into minimalism because of discontent in our lives. But among its greatest gifts, it brought us intentionality. And we couldn’t be more thankful.
If you only get one life to live, you might as well make it the most intentional one possible.
Loved this article and plan to share it. I can attest that adopting the minimalist lifestyle 6 years ago has changed my life completely. It took me selling my home of 26 years 3 days after I listed it. I had approximately 28 days before closing to start moving. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough time so I had to rent my own danged house back from the new owners 45 days after closing to just get out. I became a minimalist at that point. I purged 90% of that home, stored 5% and moved into our new place with the other 5%. Within a year I donated the 5% in storage and still live with the other 5%. We have a brand new house about to be paid for and are debt free because we stopped buying things we didn’t need, we started noticing how commercialism lures people in and we reject it completely nowadays. Life is so much sweeter when you let go of things that don’t bring you happiness, stop buying things you don’t need and appreciate that you have everything you truly need. It warms your soul as you smile all the way to the bank with all your savings.
I appreciate such perfect articles, thanks author!
In my opinion, minimalism is the great way to save time, money and energy.
Is there any way at all to still purchase the New You Bundle? I was away and just got my emails from the last few days
7 years ago we sold our home in the states and moved to Southeast Asia where we can live cheaply and help others who are not as fortunate as we are. Some of our family and friends think we’re crazy for giving up large salaries during our prime working years, but we didn’t want to stay in the rat race just to work for some future retirement. We like the simpler and slower life we live here and now, and we have all that we need, PTL.
We were burying ourselves alive with “stuff.”
I decided around a month or two ago to make a change. I have always had a habit of putting a date on the items that I bought through the years. After I started going through my “stuff” in my shed, much of what I had brought with me 21 years ago when I moved into this home, I was finding dates on paint cans etc. that I had bought in the 80’s!!! As much as it is stressing me, I have been throwing that stuff away. The sad part is that most of it is still good. I am just tired of being NOT able to do things in my work shop due to major clutter.
One day at a time Sweet Jesus, one day at a time.
I love what you said and how you said it! One day at a time, just keep going!
Josh, thank you so much. Your writing & your perspective is calming, and wise. I love reading about minimalism/ intentionality. It helps re-ground me. Thank you & God bless. sarah
Beautifully said and so true :) I embraced minimalism several years ago which led me to make made some drastic cuts in my life. The result was living with intention and purpose.
Beautiful!
I retired five years before my law enforcement pension maxed out, in order to simplify my hectic & stressful life (I was a police chief). We moved out of expensive California to Nevada, where there is no state income tax. We unloaded many possessions and decluttered our home. We simplified our wardrobes. We travel with only carry-on. I’m constantly exploring ways to simplify my life, in order to focus on my health, family, and creative life as a writer. Minimalism is the key to a better, healthier life. And yet so many people continue to consume endlessly, fill their homes and garages with stuff, and then wonder why life is so unfulfilling.
Thank you for your service.
Great article. One of your better ones in my opinion. It explains a lot. Or maybe I can finally relate to the positive aspects of minimalism. My daughter got me introduced to minimalism and I did it for her at first. We would play a game about getting rid of things for a month and I had a lot of things to get rid of. I still do, but I can see the benefits of less stuff. It still bothers me though that the younger generation has no desire to inherit some of what I consider family heirlooms, furniture, etc. Different values, different passions I guess.
Mary, I look at our married children and I admire their not needing stuff. Their homes have the necessities and a limited amount of special momentous but not much else. I wish I had been that smart in my younger years. I’ve learned so much from watching their priorities.
I’m part of that younger generation. Its true I don’t want family furniture. But what I want is the STORIES.
We want your stories. We want you to grab a notebook and write memories about your childhood, your weird great aunt, that time your little sister broke her foot in the creek and you had to put her on your handlebars and take her to the doctor.
My school english class had be ask my grandpa, I was too awkward to do it on my own. He sent me 5 rambling 1 page memories. Now he’s gone. I wish I had more. The stories tell me more of who he was, and where I come from, that one punky great-uncle who sounds just like my brother, etc etc.
That matters to me so much, more than a dresser or a china set. Please, write down your childhood memories, with photos if you have them. Your grandchildren and greatgrandchildren will want those so badly, we are losing so much memories and history and even the little memories mean so much.
Also jewelry, is small ,and precious, and packs a lot of wonder for little kids. Costume jewelry is fine. Just something that you know your great great grandma thought was beautiful, but it doesn’t take hiring movers as you go apartment to apartment.
Thanks for that perspective. I understand and I am writing personal journals to each of my 5 grandchildren. I think I’ll add more stories. Great idea.
Hanna,
Thank you for being so honest. My family immigrated to the US in 1996. We couldn’t have brought any furniture or other heirlooms with us. My children who we born in our home country were very young. They are adults now and consider themselves Americans. But they do want to know what life was where they came from. Your post confirmed my intention of writing the things in a journal for them.
Great article, thank you. I enjoy so many of your articles, but I think this was my favorite over the years I have followed you. I appreciate you., Happy Holidays
Amen! Pursuing minimalism in our life, family & home has allowed us many opportunities to be generous with organizations, neighbors & friends in need. We have time to counsel the neighbors going through a hard time in their marriage. We have time & are physically able to help a neighbor with yard work, one who receiving chemotherapy for cancer. Because we aren’t spending our time shopping & cleaning all our possessions we stored up. Pursuing minimalism in our diet & possessions leads to a life generosity. Thanks for being the catalyst & inspiration to this generation!
This article lays it all out nice & simply
Thank you for this
We’re moving towards owning out own home. In time our old recliners will be replaced by a newer couch. Yes I said replace & not added. We’ll each have a “office space” , painting, crafts (jewelry) so the “living space” won’t be so cluttered. Yes more decluttering before moving also
Using “intentional” mind works great for our future on all levels
We lived in 2100 sq ft home, sold and are now happy in a small home 499 sq ft in a great community. Smaller bills and bigger opportunities to travel and just breathe….