Why You Need to Explore the Surprising Opportunities of Minimalism

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My journey to minimalism has been going on for a long time now – more than 25 years.  It has not been a linear path.  After all, I live in the modern, materialist world!  Sometimes it's been two or three steps forward and one step back, but the freedom and peace of minimalism are always worth returning to.


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writing



Learning that I have enough


Take my wardrobe, for example.  In the rainy, colder months, I rotate three favorite pairs of jeans.  This spring I decluttered two winter tops that I had barely worn, leaving six that I enjoy and can cozy up with a jacket and a hand-crocheted scarf.  This summer, I'll continue to wear jeans, but I'll stay cooler wearing sandals plus some short-sleeved tops.  Even with temperatures in the 100°F (nearly 38°C) range, six or seven tops is enough, especially since I usually run a load of laundry twice a week.  I have a pair of black pants, a couple of dresses, and a few pieces of jewelry if I need them.


When my husband Jon and I were downsizing a few years ago, we still had four big bookcases and hundreds of books (including many books I had collected when I was homeschooling my children).  There was no way our new apartment would hold four bookcases, and the idea of packing and moving all of those heavy books didn't appeal to us either.


I've always loved books, and I thought long and hard about how they would fit into our new lifestyle.  I decided to keep one bookcase in the living room and a smaller one in the guest room our grandsons use.  I have my "desert island" collection, with room for the occasional acquisition (including this exciting, informative tome beloved by my oldest grandson).  And I use the library!  Always remember that access is important – ownership less so.


Now, I'm not ready to move into a 200-square-foot tiny home.  I just enjoy a life that's simpler than average.  I realize that I'm privileged to have an income, savings, and insurance.  In a true emergency, I have a credit card.  I have a family.  An education.  In a way, it's easy for me to give up extra possessions.


However, a minimalist lifestyle is more sustainable than the endless consumerism of our culture.  And as I practice it, I realize that it makes contentment possible.  The constant push to buy more, do more, be more is a recipe for eternal dissatisfaction.  It's no way to be happy.





Space for what matters


Dave Bruno is a blogger who created the 100 Thing Challenge, an endeavor in which he reduced his personal possessions to a maximum of 100 items for one year.  The Challenge is not meant to be rigid, but a fun and enlightening experiment.  Bruno's goals were

  • less consumerism
  • reduced stress
  • more gratitude
  • a clearer understanding of what really mattered to him

I would only add that we should beware counting our possessions and trying to reach some artificial goal.  Counting is a form of keeping score – it makes us competitive.  It makes us obsessive about our stuff.


But experimenting with less may get you out of your comfort zone and let you challenge the modern mindset that more is always better.


Bruno makes the very important point that minimalism as an end in itself is impossible to sustain, because nature abhors a vacuum.  Something will come in to fill the space we create – and that will probably be a return to shopping for new stuff, unless we find a greater purpose that living a simple life frees us to pursue.


Once you simplify things in order to free up space, time, money, energy, and mental bandwidth, you can figure out what really matters.  Then you can focus on whatever you believe has lasting importance.  It might be your family, your career, your faith, travel, or something brand new – either something you've dreamed of and were never able to pursue, or something that you never even considered until minimalism let you see things more clearly.  For me, that has meant becoming a writer.





Beyond decluttering


The results of decluttering are evident to anyone who's done even a little, but the benefits of minimalism go beyond a neater, more spacious home.  If you let it, living with less will change your relationship to your stuff, your mindset, and maybe even the direction of your life.  I know it's a countercultural choice, but don't knock it until you've tried it.


I think the benefits of minimalism will surprise you.







THE MINIMALIST DIET book
Hi friends!  My newest book, The Minimalist Diet, publishes tomorrow!  Last chance to pre-order the e-book, or you can wait and purchase the paperback or hardcover in the morning.  I appreciate your support. 😊


Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM

    I, too, have 3 pairs of jeans which I wear all year round. In the summer, I will roll up the legs to form a cuff about mid-calf and put on a pair of sandals. Voila! A pair of much cooler capri pants at no extra cost and I look more in season.

    ReplyDelete

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