“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.” —Richard Holloway
I am often asked the question, “So what is minimalism anyway?” It is a question that is received from all different angles – from people I have just met and from people I have known for many years. I typically answer with a short, simple explanation: “I am intentionally trying to live with only the things I really need.” But I always desire to answer more in-depth. I always hope they will ask follow-up questions that allow me to explain the lifestyle further.
And when they do, I like to add:
MINIMALISM IS INTENTIONALITY.
It is marked by clarity, purpose, and intentionality. At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost all aspects of your life.
MINIMALISM IS FREEDOM FROM THE PASSION TO POSSESS.
Modern culture has bought into the lie that the good life is found in accumulating things—in possessing as much as possible. They believe that more is better and have inadvertently subscribed to the idea that happiness can be purchased at a department store.
But they are wrong. Minimalism brings freedom from the all-consuming passion to possess. It steps off the treadmill of consumerism and dares to seek happiness elsewhere. It values relationships, experiences, and soul-care. And in doing so, it finds life.
MINIMALISM IS FREEDOM FROM MODERN MANIA.
Our world lives at a feverish pace. We are too hurried, too rushed, and too stressed. We work long, passionate hours to pay the bills, but fall deeper into debt. We rush from one activity to another—even multitasking along the way—but never seem to get everything done. We remain in constant connection with others through our cell phones, but true life-changing relationships continue to elude us.
Minimalism slows down life and frees us from this modern hysteria to live faster. It finds freedom to disengage. It seeks to keep only the essentials. It seeks to remove the frivolous and keep the significant. And in doing so, it values the intentional endeavors that add value to life.
MINIMALISM IS FREEDOM FROM DUPLICITY.
Although nobody intentionally chooses it, most people live in duplicity. They live one life around their family, one life around their co-workers, and another life around their neighbors. The lifestyle they have chosen requires them to portray a certain external image dependent upon their circumstances. They are tossed and turned by the most recent advertising campaign or the demands of their employer.
On the other hand, a simple life is united and consistent. It has learned a lifestyle that is completely transferable no matter the situation. It is the same life on Friday evening as it is on Sunday morning… as it is on Monday morning. It is reliable, dependable and unfluctuating. It works in all circumstances.
MINIMALISM IS COUNTER-CULTURAL.
We live in a world that idolizes celebrities. They are photographed for magazines, interviewed on the radio, and recorded for television. Their lives are held up as the golden standard and are envied by many. People who live minimalist lives are not championed by the media in the same way. They don‘t fit into the consumerist culture that is promoted by corporations and politicians. Yet, they live a life that is attractive and inviting.
While most people are chasing after success, glamour, and fame, minimalism calls out to us with a smaller, quieter, calmer voice. It invites us to slow down, consume less, but enjoy more. And when we meet someone living a simplified life, we often recognize that we have been chasing after the wrong things all along.
MINIMALISM IS NOT EXTERNAL, BUT INTERNAL.
In our first book, Simplify, we outline 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life. The principles outlined in the book have helped thousands find freedom by removing much of the physical clutter in their home. The book concentrates almost exclusively on the externals of life. And while it helps people find freedom from external clutter, it does not take the next step of helping people find freedom and unity in their heart and soul.
I have learned minimalism is always a matter of the heart. After the external clutter has been removed, minimalism has the space to address the deepest heart issues that impact our relationships and life.
MINIMALISM IS COMPLETELY ACHIEVABLE.
A minimalist life is completely achievable. My family stands as living proof. We were just your typical family of four living in the suburbs accumulating as much stuff as our income and credit cards would allow. Then, we found minimalism. We have embraced an intentional lifestyle of living with less and will never go back to the way life was before. And we stand as living proof that minimalism is completely achievable (and unique) to anyone who seeks it.
Typically, I find that those who are generally interested in knowing “what minimalism is anyway” and take the time to ask the follow-up questions are drawn to the principles of the lifestyle. After all, it offers almost everything our heart has been asking for all along.
I just retired and your “minimalist” is just timely for this stage in my life.
Simplicity and spontaneity sometimes leads to things more beautiful than that we’ve searched for through duplicity.
i am not sure what i would call myself, i fell that i am somewhere in-between a minimalist and a materialistic person. My big thing is once i have something i don’t always have to be upgrading it all the time. i have a few examples. my friend noticed a fews weeks ago that there are 5 other people in out town that have the same truck as me, exactly the same, same paint, rims, body style, ext. and he made the comment that its time to get a new vehicle. i asked him why, it still works perfectly, and it does what it was intended to do. same friend sad something for my laptop case, some of the satin covering is coming off of it and he said looks like you need a new case. I again replied why, the case part of it still works? it may be a little dank looking but why do i need a new one? and lastly a different friend asked my why do i still have the same old phone? this firmed has upgraded his phone twice in the last year. my phone still works great its fast and has memory on it still, i don’t need a new phone. i am the kind of guy that uses something until it no longer usable or until it can no longer serve me in the way i need it to. my big question is what word can be used to describe my lifestyle? i feel this word is somewhere in-between minimalist and materialistic. i want to know so i can look into this life style and see how others are living their lives this way.
My thougths also like you.
Frugal
I, too am like you and while I have found no label for myself, I have found a phrase I have used over the years, “waste not, want not”.
I believe you are heading as a minimalist. Goo for you why throw out these of they work.
thoughtful and to the point. Is it really important to be the same at home and at work? We can be the same at the core at the same time flexible to adjust the new realities without compromising our core values
This whole idea of living with just what you need is an appropriate paradigm shift today and necessary for tomorrow. It can only bring back the true values of what is important and subsequently enhance human relationships in any community.
Thanks for sharing
My goal is to minimize more in 2015. Ha! I live in a very affluent area and people are always rushing to and fro. It is somehow fashionable to be busy and announce it loudly and proudly! I don’t fit in with these busy types. I love simplicity and solitude. Thankfully, there is much natural beauty here in Colorado! With that said, consumerism is rampant and highly flaunted here; expensive outdoor equipment and clothes are emblems of success and acceptance. I am walking a fine line but shedding unneeded baggage.
Thanks for sharing!
Been on this journey or discovery…
Nice article! I have had that desire much in my later years. It’s like the feeling one has after they clean out the garage full of stuff they don’t need or doing a move from one location to another and toss stuff they don’t need. It gives me the feeling of having less reliance on stuff and a life of simplicity rather than complexity in a world full of busyness.
Also it’s a way toward less bills, less pressure to pay those bills. My goal is to have the feeling of freedom and part of that is not being in debt which I currently have.
And I think a big one for me is if I try to accumulate less than I have more to give away. The bible says it’s better to give than to receive. Now wouldn’t the world be a much better place if there were more givers than people wanting to receive?
I do not understand the concept of living with what you need. If a light bulb blows to-day I need a replacement now. Where do I keep the spares- ditto every area of family life….
Lol. In your mind. Is plenty space there.
The whole concept seems to allude you. Nah, keep 5 globes in reserve.
Damn them elusive light bulbs!!
It’s about focusing on your freedom to live for the moment, not to live for material things ,so if the light bulb blows out, go get a new one, it’s not about having, it’s about living with what you have, knowing the fact that you don’t need three cars, you don’t need a thousand clothes, that you’re not going to wear, its living with basic necessities, not wasting, understanding that it’s your hard-earned money ,and that you should value it, use it to be able to have the freedom to be who you want, to go where you want, to have the job that you want , how to make use of what you have, not to waste.
I really enjoyed your explanation. I’m discovering more and more why minimalism is the exact way of life for me. Every day I try to move toward it. Thanks for sharing your insight!
Hey I’m currently writing an essay about minimalism and I was just wondering what you would believe is what you need. As humans all we really need to survive is water, food, air and shelter. But I wish to find out what you will feel the minimal we would need to live a comfortable life it and why you think we need this stuff.
A beautiful literature, a marvelous writing, thank you very much.
This is the way 2 live. Capitalism, consumerism, outright greed muddies effectively our everyday lives. Be like the sheeple or live your life as “U” feel just, devoid of materialistic influences. I “LOVE” it & feel more free than my family & peers.
Justone thought in regard to “minimalizing” your quantity; what do you do about heirlooms.
I feel I live a fairly minimalist life, but my focus is not that removing clutter and possessions makes me free, it’s having something more important than stuff fill the void in my life. I follow the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ, and try to live simply and as servant to others through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I’ve found I don’t desire stuff very much anymore, I’d rather live to please my Lord and this gives me peace. I like your minimalist ideas, but having a spiritual relationship with God makes it better. The Creator of all things cares about us, no matter how insignificant we may seem, and we are promised he will be with us no matter what if we believe and trust.
I am 43 years old, I am a disabled veteran, I am a father, a husband and grew up poor. My father died when I was 11 and my mother fought substance abuse for decades. She committed sucicide last February. My grandmother mostly raised me. She worked all her life sewing buttons on women’s apparel and got paid per button. She grew up in the Great Depression. She instilled in me a sense of frugality, appreciation for the things we have and caring for them to last for as long as they possibly can. The values of minimalism really resonate with me. Somewhere along the way I have lost those early teachings, I have let the people around me shame me into feeling like I am cheap and inconsiderate if I am not buying gifts, dinners, drinks… you get the idea. I feel so trapped now, because what I have created with myself and family is this attitude of less gratitude. Thankful for the little things, always trying to be someone or something I can’t and shouldn’t be spending money on. Especially those things that don’t bring real lasting. Slur to my life. I enjoyed the documentary and have shared it with my friends on FB. I want to thank you both for helping me see my roots and on this Christmas Eve, I am calling my 91 year old Grandmother tomorrow and thNking her for bringing me up with a real sense of understanding of what value is and commit to her that I will once again find my way.
I’m just wired different, i enjoy buying the latest technology, getting a new car every couple of years etc. i’m 74 years old and i want to experience as much as possible . In the time i have left.
what’s missing and quite possibly one of the more important things to note, is that minimalism itself will not automatically give you purpose. what gives the author the feeling of purpose is not what will give you the feeling of purpose. because we are all different and are driven by different things. the problem today is so many people are ‘distracted’ every where they turn. whether it’s by the things they own or the things they believe they need as a result then desire. people need to take the time to get to know themselves. really get to know themselves. spend time with yourself, learn how to make you laugh with your own joke, learn what gets you excited by exploring your own mind and what it already knows and doesn’t know. what have you learned about yourself to this point in life. learning what makes you smile, laugh, learn and live is what will ultimately make simplifying easier because you’ll have a better idea of what you truly ‘need’. the mistake is in believing there is a one size fits all fix to everyone’s life. minimalism alone will not automatically give you a life of purpose and meaning. only you can do that. but it takes time, work and effort, getting to know yourself. there are people who have lived minimally for generations before, during and after us. a majority of them are called artists. real artists, who live and breath their work. have you ever went to one of their homes? it’s essentially covered in the things that not only inspire them but allow them the freedom to create freely. again, minimilasim is not a new idea, it’s just finally being marketed properly to the many people who live ‘normal’ lives. but it isn’t a universal solution. because one does not exist. I will say one thing, most people who have found themselves on this page or thinking about this life are at least headed in the right direction. not ignoring the strong desire to live a purpose filled life is the first step in achieving it. but just remember, there is no one size fits all purpose. only you can discover your own purpose. just don’t ever stop searching for it.
I found this article because of a video I saw on YouTube. It was about a girl ‘minimalist’ who found a way to not buy certain items that at one time she felt were important. I’ve never heard the term before but I watched because I’m all about finding new ways to improve my and my family’s life. I didn’t learn anything but I think it’s really cool that people take the time out of their day to share what’s working for them. When I was reading the comments someone said she wasn’t a minimalist because she owned a vacuum!? This irritated me (still) so I had to find out the requirements of such a lifestyle. Honestly, if that’s the case, if owning items that one will have to replace makes one unminimalistic then no one could own even the smallest kitchen/household appliance let alone a phone or computer. I really appreciate what John Doe said, as well as the author of course. I am bipolar and I worked a lot and my mental health came crashing down! We made the decision for me to stop working and buy a foreclosure. My daughter also has an autoimmune disease and is sick frequently. So, we downsized from a large house with a 2 car garage in a housing development to a double wide with a shed, 30 miles from the nearest mall. It was the best thing we could’ve done! My husband shaved an hour off his commute. We have no house payment or car payment. We’d be debt free if not for our student loans. We dont have a lot of excess fundage but we eat nutritious food, I craft and make beauty products for christmas gifting, we vacation every year for a week. It’s nice. What really helped us get out of debt faster and lessened our financial arguments was adding up all of our annual costs. Like maintenance bills (water, power…) car maintenance (oil changes, tires), vet bills, holiday allowances (Christmas fund per kid, birthday fund per person…). We included everything we could think of that is a constant worry. We took the sum of all the bills and divided it by my husband’s paydays in a year. That amount is what we put in a completely separate account (the bill account). It’s with our regular bank but we have separate checks and the debit card has a different image on it. Whatever is left from his paycheck is what we use for savings, groceries, gas, what nots and we each get an allowance. The hardest part of this journey was my own acceptance of providing for my family without outside employment. As we pair down my mind becomes clearer.
Well said John!
I watched your documentary. So I had to look you up. I couldn’t agree with you more. I always say part of the problem is we need to slow down, and go back to the basics. The simple things. People don’t really interact that much anymore.
It’s amazing to me how I was just saying to myself I want to de-clutter my life and truly focus on the things that really matter. I think this is what will ultimately work for me and what I want to achieve.