“There are two ways to be rich: One is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.” —Jackie French Koller
From the moment we’re born, we’re told to pursue more. Advertisements from every television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and website scream to us on a daily basis that more is better. As a result, we work hard hours so that we can spend countless dollars purchasing the biggest homes, fanciest cars, trendiest fashions, most popular toys, and coolest technologies.
But we all know it’s not true. We all know, deep-down, that happiness can not be bought at a department store—more is not necessarily better. We’ve just been told the lie so many times we begin to believe it.
But what if, in reality, there is actually more joy in pursuing minimalist living and intentionally living with less?
That truth would change almost everything about us. It would change the way we spend our hours, our energy, and our money. It would change where we focus our attention and our minds. It would change the very foundation of our lives. And if it were true, it would free us up to pursue the things in life that we most value. In other words, minimalist living would be a life-changing and life-giving realization.
Unfortunately, for some, the idea of minimalism is just too counter-intuitive. It’s an approach to life they have never been introduced to or have never been invited to explore. The benefits of minimalist living have never been articulated. As a result, it’s too far a leap… too long a stretch… and jumping in with both feet is just not going to happen.
But maybe there’s an easier way than jumping in with both feet.. maybe living as a minimalist can just be sampled for a bit. Oh, one may not experience all the benefits that are afforded to those who jump in with both feet, but they just may taste enough to continue along the journey.
To that end, allow me to offer 7 areas of life where living with less can be sampled. They are designed to be picked one-by-one, risk-free. Conducting each experiment for 3-4 weeks will give a good feel for the practical benefits of minimalist living, but hey, it’s your experiment. You decide the length.
7 Ways to Sample Minimalist Living and Living With Less
1. Clothes. According to statistics, we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. That means that many of us have closets full of clothes that we no longer like or no longer fit us correctly. They are just taking up space. The simple exercise of going through your closet and removing all unused clothing leaves your closet lighter, your mornings less stressful, and your wardrobe full of things you love. Give your lighter wardrobe 30 days to work its magic… you’ll never miss those unused clothes.
2. Decorations. Many of the decorations in our homes hold no personal value to our lives. They just simply happened to match the color of the carpet or be on sale when we walked into the store. Unfortunately, they are distracting you and your guests from the decorations in your home that share your story and highlight your values. Take a moment to walk through your home with a discerning eye. Leave only the decorations that are the most meaningful and the most beautiful. Your home will begin to share your story in a beautiful way. And your old decorations will likely end up on sale at your next garage sale.
3. Toys. Too often, we fall into the line of thinking that says more is better… and so do our kids. We begin to purchase and collect far too many toys for our children. As a result, our children have no need to learn how to be creative, helpful, careful, or sharing. In that regard, fewer toys may benefit your kids in numerous ways. Although you may want to consult your children before you relocate their unused toys, there’s a pretty good chance that after only a few weeks the old, unused toys will be forgotten (except by whoever used to pick them all up).
4. Cooking Utensils. There never seems to be enough storage space in our kitchens. Yet most of our grandmothers cooked far more often, far more elaborately, and far better than many of us today… in much smaller kitchens. The truth is that when it comes to cooking, simple is almost always better. We need far less cooking utensils than we currently own. As a result, our drawers, cabinets, and countertops can be far better organized and useful if we simply owned less. To give this experiment a shot, check out this article from the New York Times: A No Frills Kitchen Still Cooks. Then, store all your unnecessary utensils in a plastic bin, put them away out of sight, and see if you just enjoy cooking a little bit more in your new, clutter-free environment.
5. Televisions. According to Nielsen, the average person watches 4 hours, 35 minutes of television each day. And the average American home now has more television sets than people. That threshold was crossed within the past two years. There are 2.73 TV sets in the typical home and 2.55 people. In the average American home, a television set is turned on for more than a third of the day — 8 hours, 14 minutes to be exact. We are literally sitting on the couch while life passes us by. Experiment with owning less televisions. As a result, you will watch less. And when you do, you will be more apt to do it together as a family.
6. Counter-tops. Clutter is a form of distraction. It pulls at our attention and redirects our thoughts – even for just an instant. Everything sitting out on your countertops competes for your attention. Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to these distractions that we don’t even notice them anymore… until they are removed. Experiment, even for just 7 days, with keeping your countertops completely clear. Store things in drawers, cabinets, pantries, or temporary storage boxes. After one week, you’ll likely return some of it for the sake of convenience, but I’d bet my bottom dollar that you won’t return all of it.
7. Furniture. It may require some heavy-lifting, but if you’re up for the challenge, removing excess furniture from your rooms will immediately open up significant space and airflow in your home. The rarely-used pieces of furniture in your home are quickly recognizable and taking up more space than you realize. Oh sure, this experiment requires a place to store your furniture during the trial period, but it’s a quick and easy way to remove some of the largest clutter from your home.
Breaking it down like this makes minimalist living seem a lot more approachable. There is no speed requirement of how fast you have to pare down your belongings. No deadline to living with less.
Start as comfortably as you’d like.
Kumaraswami Shanthosh says
It’s a wonderful article… reading your blog has given me a new perspective of looking at life.. cheers!!!
Judy Opp says
Thank you for your articles….you have helped us on our journey these past couple of years. We have learned a little less each year adds so much to our new retired lifestyle. Just to share a thought…we live in a small Midwestern community….there is a new local Pay It Forward page on Facebook to share items someone might need or enjoy. It has become an overnite hit! We also have a community thrift shop…donations and sales turn into help providing scholarships for students interested in any field of Healthcare since we are a rural community. These outlets help us share items without any second thoughts! Less stuff gives us a better quality of life and will allow us to age hopefully more gracefully and independently. Less allows us to have more time to enjoy everything that brings us joy in retirement. We have accomplished our goals and each item we choose to part with now is just tweeking our new lifestyle towards perfection.
Deborah Adams says
A friend sent me your article… Someone who knew I needed it.
I found all the comments just about as helpful.
Recently I heard a comment expressing thought of manufactured consumerism. It seems that keeping America consuming keeps our economy and all of its problems, dysfunctions as well as inequities, continuing on, and distracts the masses (“herds”). I feel the movement toward minimalism is a form of breaking out of being brainwashed into the false equivalent of life in America being rich and free only when we’re buying and spending and acquiring, spending all our spare money on things and stuff.
Zia Ahmed says
I am from Bangladesh. I am 79. Photography was my hobby. I use to take portraiture and very good at it. My collections of photos and bulk of negatives had started bothering me, thinking what will happen to all these stuff when I go away. So I have started scanning the photos on a scanner and store all in a pen drive also recorded on a DVD. Keep only one album and the pen drive or DVD with it. Hoping it will be easy for my inheritors for keepsake. Storing something and thinking it be of use one day is nothing but adds to cluttering. My age tells me.
Jackie says
Suggestion: what we love should be given to those who love it. Then for sure it will be loved. Give things to people you love now and you both can love then together. Give the rest to an organization or sell them on line. Don’t let someone dispose of them in the garbage.
Patience says
Agreed have friends who love some of my furnishings ,shall be giving to them ,when I leave this house ,my clothes I give to friends one spends the first 40 years accumulating things ,then the next getting rid .
Nick says
I really like what you’re doing and this is great content with lots of useful tips, but please learn when to use the word ‘less’ and when to use the word ‘fewer’ in your sentences. An easy way to remember it: ‘fewer’ is only used when discussing countable things, while ‘less’ is used for singular mass nouns. This is particularly important for your subject matter, where naturally these words crop up a lot! Thanks.
Bev White says
I have been wondering about this point for ages….thank you!
I miss fewer! Tired of less…so many times! Thinking of words, not things….
FEWER seems to be disappearing…..!
Nina says
I am reading this thread only because I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment and, to be honest, it always looks messy! I cannot throw away almost anything eg. my son loves painting and has many brushes, paints, paper, sponges and stuff he uses on a daily basis. My husband is an electrical engineer and continuously works on different projects involving computers, wires, power modules, screws, tools etc. I love sewing so my sewing machine needs a spot too with all the fabric and accessories. Whatever I tried throwing away, I needed again at some point. It is very difficult to have hobbies in such a small space and keep everything tidy! I mean, it must be easier with clothes and stuff but having a workshop however tiny, is a whole different game!
Valerie says
I think the goal of minimalism is to get rid of things you don’t need in your life to focus on the things you care about. So, if you love your hobbies, those are things you should keep, and remove other things instead!
Maria Pinto says
I think taking baby steps is the way to go, at a pace that is comfortable. In the same vein I have heard that if you have some things packed away and don’t use them for let’s say 6 months or a year, you probably will not use them at all. Having too much can lead to anxiety and stress, so maybe enlist the help of others in your household or if you live alone, a friend.
Liv says
That’s exactly what I did – when I was swapping out my winter wardrobe for my summer wardrobe, I pulled out pieces I didn’t wear often or always put in a “Maybe” pile. Instead, I loaded them into a huge reusable bag, popped them in a spare closet that we only ever use for the vacuum, and told myself, “Whatever I don’t pull out over the next 6 months, I’m donating.” Truthfully, I pulled out ONE item. The rest of it has been donated to a shelter post-lockdown, and I don’t miss anything in that bag!
Linda says
I have a blank canvas in a new apartment that I am moving into. I’m so excited to only bring in exactly what I need and love. What exactly does a minimalist living room look like? So far, I have a recliner, two large floor pillows, and a small glass coffee table. There is a fireplace.
Anna says
I think you really should choose a style that you personally like whilst keeping it simple and minimal.
Lauren says
Linda, I did his Uncluttered course & it was the best decision of my life. There isn’t a “look”. What you need is a paradigm shift. I was decluttered for years, but his course taught me how to let go of things I’d held onto, and more importantly, to let go of that “I NEED this” feeling.
Minimalism as a style (to sell you stuff) has nothing to do with minimalism.
Jackie says
Sounds to me like that is all you NEED! Congratulations ?
Steve says
My son and I had a similar experience 8 years ago when we moved into a new apartment. He came up with a magnificent list of things we “needed”. We trashed virtually every thing from the old apartment (9000 # of questionable junk went to the dump). The only things kept were sentimental momentos. For a long while 3 or 4 years almost nothing new came into the house.
We have accumulated some stuff again and I am endeavoring to get rid of stuff again. Hope to donate rather than trash this time. Hate to say, most of the accumulation is my doing.
Sunny August says
I feel like once I got started, it just got easier and easier. I have found on the tough things like items that hold memories, if I get rid of a little at a time it’s easier. Then I go back in a month or two and I’m able to get rid of more. I’m downsizing a 4 bedroom home with a goal of a 2 bedroom apartment. And, if I start feeling emotional, I tell myself give something away and keep something. It’s in my time and my comfort level. Giving myself permission to take it at my pace, is helping my mental health. I’m proud of the progress and w/in the next few months I’ll be done going through, “stuff” and outside walking, which is what I really want to be doing.
Arthur Koulianos says
I don’t buy a lot of stuff but I do tend to keep my stuff forever. Even old runners/sports shoes which I do use for outdoor jobs. Some things just go missing and I suspect my partner just throws them out for me.