Are you interested in Minimalism? Start here

I have been leaning towards a Minimalist Iife for a while now; since 2014 or so perhaps. So I still receive newsletters from my favourite Minimalists.

Today I received this one titled “10 Things You Can Do Today to Live More Like a Minimalist” from Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist.

What a brilliant gem of general actionable advice email from him.

It covers a range of categories and goes to show how the idea of Minimalism can be applied to all areas of advice, practically:

He mentions decluttering. To me, this is step 1 in living a simple life. It is here that the transformative process of less begins. Because it is actionable and its effects are immediately felt.

He also talks about clearing surfaces. This reaches further into the less tangible by-products of minimalism: the feelings felt by being in a space, with empty space, and clean, clear lines.

He then continues to a no-spend decision. There are numerous challenges available for supporting you to try a no-spend week, to a no-spend month. There are Minimalists or frugal fans who have challenged themselves to a no-spend year, or more. This is further along the Minimalism journey – where finances, and thus life stability starts to be affected by the decision to live with less.

Joshua then suggests a long walk. This is Minimalism and simple living at its most profound. This is the space and time that choosing to live with less can offer. A simple action that results in so much good. A walk that boosts health, optimism, time to breathe and relax and enjoy a moment. Time to think.

He addresses eliminating distraction and suggests turning off phone notifications. This is some advice which I decided to do a year or so ago. My phone no longer demands my attention. I choose to check my emails and WhatsApp messages, as this is how I work and organise my days. I create and check social media once a day. I highly recommend trying this out. Start with a Sunday, then a weekend. See how it works for you.

He addresses eliminating busyness and emptying out the schedule of non-essentials. For the past few years I have started to live like this. I am still a work in progress, being a naturally fast and busy person, I have a long way to go. But my personal version of Minimalism means that I have come a long way, for me. Before I add appointments to my calendar, and before I say yes now, I pause to consider.

Regarding possessions – fewer toys for children and fewer clothes for you, less is more, less is better, and there are studies to support this. The thing about choosing to live with Minimalism as a guiding force is that the toys you do choose are likely to be of great quality, as they have been selected with care. Similarly, the clothes you choose to wear will be items you have considered and are therefore what you really enjoy wearing.

So your life becomes simply more enjoyable.

As it is a considered life full of fewer carefully chosen items or actions, life becomes richer. You start to consider your time and where you focus your energy. You start to consider yourself.

Habits and Minimalism go hand in hand.

Much of Leo Babauta‘s work (one of my favourite Minimalist doyens) is about supporting positive habit formation.

Joshua Becker mentions healthy habits when he suggests turning off your TV an hour earlier than usual. For many years Joshua has promoted less TV as a way of creating a good life. He suggests more worthwhile ways to spend our time – like connecting with a partner, or reading or sleeping, or thinking…

He ends with taking action. He suggests using your newfound free time to do something you love.

This is what it is all about. Minimalism, as a considered way to live, can free up our finite resources.

By choosing how to spend our time, our energy and our money, we decisively open our lives up to the opportunity of living a life of quality.

We get to live a life that we love.

At a simple beautiful life we are ALL about promoting a good quality of life. As quality of life differs for each one of us, it is a journey of discovery: about ourselves and what makes us light up.

It is our choice how we live. It is my wish that we consider our choices.

Because our choices inform our actions. And our actions on repeat, form our days. And how we spend our days one after the other create the quality of the life we live.