I’ve published over 2,000 articles on this blog over the last 18 years. Not all were written by me and not all focus on minimalism specifically. But certainly a lot of them do.

I’ve also spoken on the topic of minimalism all over the world. In fact, I’ll be concluding a 30-City Speaking Tour next week.

It occurred to me at my last event in Milwaukee that there are some very specific quotes about minimalism I repeat often when I speak. Quotes that I find so persuasive and inspirational that I return to them over and over again in both my writing and my speaking.

And because they have been so influential in changing my view of physical possessions, they’ll probably be influential in yours too.

Here are the ten quotes about minimalism I repeat most often:

(As would be expected, I probably repeat my own teachings and mantras more than I repeat anyone else. So for the sake of this list I’m going to skip my own favorite quotes.)

1. “Don’t you think if organizing was the solution, you’d be done by now?” —Courtney Carver

With this brilliant question, Courtney articulates everything wrong with “better organization” as the solution to our stuff problem.

It is common for people to confuse decluttering with reorganizing. Some people start with organizing as the goal, others subtly drift toward it during the process.

Of course, organizing is important. But it is rarely the best first step. And the fact that we’ve tried it before, but still feel like there’s too much stuff, is the lightbulb moment all of us need. I’ve used Courtney’s question repeatedly to help people get there.

Organizing is always, only a temporary solution. Owning less is a permanent one.

2. “You can always declutter a little bit at a time, but do you really want to be decluttering for the rest of your life?” —Zoë Kim

I first heard Zoë say this during a live webinar on owning less. It is true that we can decide to do just a little bit of decluttering at a time or we can say, “Decluttering is never going to end and I’m okay with that.”

But is that really what we want? Do we really want to be decluttering for the rest of your lives?

No, certainly not. It’s way better to put in the effort and the time and be done with it. Because that is when the rest of your life can begin. So set aside time. Give yourself a deadline for each space. And work hard.

Maintenance in your home will always be required. But not decluttering.

3. “Every increased possession adds increased anxiety onto our lives.” —Randy Alcorn

Our possessions are not passive, and once we see that, everything changes.

Everything we own becomes our responsibility to deal with and take care of. It takes up physical space in our homes and mental space in our minds.

Some possessions are worth the financial and mental burden, no doubt. The many that are not are the problem.

It was this quote from Randy Alcorn that first opened my eyes to the burden of excess, and I’ve repeated it more times than I can count. As a matter of fact, I used it in my very first presentation about minimalism—and most of them ever since.

4. “Picture your dream home. I bet it’s not filled with clutter.” —Unknown

Our excess possessions are a physical manifestation of unintentional living. No one sets out in life to just own as much clutter as they possibly can. We dream bigger dreams for our life. And we dream bigger dreams for our home.

5. “We need much less than we think we need.” —Maya Angelou

When we first started minimizing our possessions, I knew instinctively that Maya Angelou was right and we could live just fine owning less. But I had no idea how true it was until we actually started doing it.

Category by category, we discovered we could live just fine with far less than we had. Better than fine, actually.

That’s why I often encourage people to try a minimalist experiment, like a No-Buy Month or Project 333. Just try it, you’ll see. We need so much less than we think we need. And there is a wonderful freedom to be found once we realize that.

6. “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” —Seneca

Seneca wrote these words nearly 2,000 years ago, and they became the foundation for my book, Things That Matter. I use the quote whenever I speak on the topics found in the book.

The teaching is not about minimalism specifically. But in the middle of the longer version of the quote, Seneca says this: “When [life] is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing.”

And what are excess possessions other than heedless luxury and no good activity? And what result is the constant pursuit and accumulation of physical possessions other than life passing away before we knew it was passing?

Minimalism is about making the most of our lives by not wasting a lot of it.

7. “Money won’t make you happy, but everybody wants to find out for themselves.” —Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar’s quote is not about possessions. In fact, it is about something completely different. It is about the role of money in our lives.

But the quote is constantly top of mind (and often on my lips) as so many conversations about minimalism steer into conversations about money.

To be honest, I’m not sure if the quote in isolation has enough power to change someone’s pursuit of money or if it is even a thought people think about after I use it in a presentation. The desire for money is just so great in us.

But the quote is true and life-changing. There are greater riches available to us than money. We know that to be true—regardless of how much money we have. Living it out is the hard part.

8. “If you have to buy stuff to store your stuff, you probably have too much stuff.” —Courtney Carver

The US Home Organization Product industry has grown to $15B in annual sales and is expected to keep rising through at least 2033.

So most people in America (and in developed nations around the world) have bought something to store their stuff. That’s why this quote from Courtney (her second one on the list) resonates and connects with so many people.

Whole industries thrive on the assumption that we’d rather buy more stuff to store our stuff than remove it. And once we see it, the excess on our shelves starts to look different.

9. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” —Henry David Thoreau

We don’t buy things with money, we buy them with hours from our lives. And just because an item carries a price tag in a store, that is rarely the full cost.

Every purchase also requires our time, energy, and focus. It needs to be cleaned, organized, maintained, fixed, and eventually removed. It costs us hours on the front end and hours on the back end.

Minimalism is about understanding opportunity cost. Once we see how much of life is being exchanged for the amount of stuff we own, we can see better the rationale for owning only what we need.

10. “Your home should be the antidote to stress, not the cause of it.” —Peter Walsh

Peter Walsh writes wonderful books and co-hosts wonderful television shows. He has spent years helping people declutter their homes.

And as much as I repeat him, this is the aspirational quote of his I use most often. When I share it on social media, it gets shared by others over and over again. When I use it in a blog post, it always adds a punch. And when I use it in a room, I can see faces change and hearts impacted.

We want our homes to be a place of rest and calm. But many of us have turned our homes into the cause of stress instead. And it is our possessions that are often the cause of that.

In The Minimalist Home, I take Peter’s thought one step further. Our homes should be a place of refuge, but they also serve as a launching pad from which we make a difference in the world.

Removing the excess helps it become both.

Those are the ten quotes I return to most often. If you’ve followed my work for very long (or came to any of my live events this summer), no doubt you’ve heard them before.

So maybe I should be the one asking you. Are there quotes about minimalism you find yourself repeating often? Or that offered the lightbulb moment when minimalism made sense to you?

I’d love to hear yours in the comments below. This could be one of the most encouraging comment sections anybody ever discovers.

The post The 10 Minimalism Quotes I Can’t Stop Repeating appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

For the last thirteen years, I have been compiling and publishing curated articles that inspire simplicity. At first, it was an exercise in communicating to Becoming Minimalist readers the most popular articles I sent out on X.

But over the years, it has become more than that. It has become a place where people come for a dose of inspiration. And it has become a place to promote and encourage writers around the world who are publishing content about minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living.

I think you will enjoy this collection of articles hand-selected for you this weekend. Grab some coffee, tea, or lemonade and be inspired to live a simpler life today.

Very Offline | Miss Minimalist by Francine Jay. I’ve never been a very online person, but as of the last year or so, I’ve become a very offline one.

What Growing up in a Minimalist Home Taught Me About Money | Simple Money by Salem Becker. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about minimalism. It isn’t about spending less money on everything. It’s about spending money on the right things.

Use Your Wedding China for Breakfast | Psychology Today by Janina Steinmetz, Ph.D. Perhaps the best way to preserve a treasured possession is not always to save it for someday, but to find a place for it today.

5 Surprising Things Minimalists Do Differently | No Sidebar by Jessalynn Jones. I know that I used to think I didn’t have time for creativity as an adult but when I started simplifying my obligations by owning less and learning to say no to stuff I didn’t actually want to do, I started to find little pockets of time that could fit the things that make me feel like myself again.

8 Things You Will Eventually Regret Not Letting Go of in Life | Marc and Angel Hack Life by Angel Chernoff. Oftentimes you don’t even realize you’re blocking your own present blessings by holding on to everything so tightly.

Global Happiness Researchers Reveal Keys to a Good Life | SFU News by Robyn Stubbs. Happiness emerges from a symphony of factors, but if I had to pinpoint one secret to happiness, relationships with other people might be it.

Recently Released Inspiring Videos

The Truth Is There Isn’t Always a Next Time | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Are you wondering how to live in the present moment and stop letting life pass you by?

You Can’t Have It All. Sometimes You Have to Choose. | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Whether wanting to choose family over career demands or trying to work out how to declutter your schedule and stop wasting time, realizing that you get to decide can make all the difference.

The post Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads. appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Ask most people to describe their dream home, and you’ll probably hear a lot of the same things: a large kitchen, high ceilings, granite countertops, a fireplace, walk-in closets, a three-car garage, maybe a view of the water or the countryside.

It’s the type of dream home we’ve been sold by movies, magazines, HGTV, home builders, realtors, listings, and billboards down the street. And many of us spend a lot of money and mental energy chasing it.

But a bigger house is not a happier home. And the features that matter most to a family are rarely found on Zillow.

In fact, if you were to sit down and write out a list of the truly most important things you want in a home, my guess is a kitchen island would fall further and further down the list the more you thought about it.

These are the types of features included in a dream home:

1. Peace and calm. The world outside is loud, demanding, and difficult. Having a home that is peaceful and calm allows us to refill our energy so we can bring our best into the world each day.

2. Laughter and fun. Very few people need convincing on the importance of fun. But if you do, here’s a short list of the benefits of laughter: reduced stress, improved mood, stronger immune systems, better heart health, and deeper connections with the people we love.

3. Patience and grace. Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes—including members of a family. So for all of us, a home filled with honest and humble people who are slow to anger and quick to offer patience and grace is a dream come true.

4. Attention and listening ears. Among the greatest gifts we can ever give another is the gift of undivided attention. And because everyone has something to say and needs someone to talk to, we all want people who pay attention to fill our homes.

5. Greetings and goodbyes. A friend of mine calls this “doing take-offs and landings well.” Whenever someone arrives home, stand up to greet them, and when they leave, stand up to say goodbye. It’s a small action that can change the entire culture of your home and the people inside it.

6. Meals and conversation. Did you know that conversations around the family table may be some of the most impactful we have? Literally, studies show that teens who eat frequent family dinners are more likely to earn mostly A’s and B’s, less likely to experience depression, and less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. And when teens were asked to name the best part of family dinners, 71% said talking, catching up, and spending time with family.

7. Hugs and kisses. Nobody ever outgrows the need for physical affection and hugging is good for your health.

8. Work and rest. A healthy home values both hard work and intentional rest. One without the other always negatively impacts our potential and opportunity. This applies to work outside the home and work inside the home. Work hard, rest well. And craft a culture where the housework is shared so nobody carries the load alone.

9. Hospitality and generosity. A gentleman once taught me, “I learned generosity from my parents first. They routinely hosted meals for their friends and whenever I had friends over, my buddies were able to eat anything they found. From a young age, within the walls of my home, I was taught to be generous with my stuff.” Make hospitality a feature of your home and generosity will be quick to follow.

10. Stability and belonging. Above everything else, every member of a family needs to know they are known and loved. That certainty becomes the foundation on which we build the rest of our lives. No feature in any home is more important.

Here’s the good news about this list: You don’t need a U-Haul or a large down payment to enjoy the features of this home. You don’t even have to wait a single day to begin creating them. They can become a reality right where you are—your current home can become a dream home.

The post 10 Commonly Overlooked Features of a Dream Home appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

“The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” —John C. Maxwell

There are many positive changes that have happened in my habits and life since discovering minimalism. It is possible, of course, that some of those changes would have happened even without minimalism. I might have just matured into them.

But the intentionality that minimalism offered my life was the catalyst for me. Some life changes brought simplicity, others brought intentionality.

Developing routine brought both. And it will for you as well. Creating daily routines opens our life to discover and accomplish wonderful things.

As an example, my most consistent daily routine is how I spend my morning.

There are countless articles and videos being made by people who record and publish their morning routines. Some of them are quite outlandish. And, in my opinion, unsustainable (if they are even true at all). But I digress…

My current morning routine looks like this. The times are not always the same, but my mornings follow the same order of events:

4:00am Wake up.
4:30am Make coffee and write
6:00am Breakfast (eggs, sausage, and a vegetable)
6:30am Write
7:00am Gym
8:00am Shower / get ready
8:30am Faith-based devotions
9:00am Begin working on my 3-Item To-Do List for the day

*Please do not read this routine to mean I never stray from it. For example, if I have a late-night commitment, I will start later in the day. At least one day a week, I go to the grocery store at 8:00am (everything after gets moved back roughly 30 minutes).

*I am most consistent with my morning routine, but I do have an evening routine and meal routine and weekly work routine as well.

Over the years, I have found there are numerous benefits to routine:

Freedom. Freedom is found on the other side of discipline. Some assume that a consistent routine would be restrictive to their freedom. But I’ve found the opposite to be true. Having a set pattern to accomplish the most important things creates more space in the long run.

Focus. Too often in life, the urgent takes precedence over the important. Daily routines prevent that from happening by keeping our attention and action on the predetermined, most important things.

Better Use of Time. When time is short, a routine helps us make the most of the little we have. And when time is plentiful, a routine keeps us from letting it slip away.

Mental and Physical Health. Studies have found that older adults with more regular daily rhythms (consistent times for waking, eating, and spending time with others) report less pain, experience fewer symptoms of depression, and sleep better at night.

Better Work. For anyone doing creative work, routine provides the canvas to accomplish it. Austin Kleon writes about it this way: Routine removes the need to wait for inspiration. We simply keep showing up, and over time, the accumulation of ordinary days produces substantial work.

Stability. Rare is the person who experiences no disruption to their day. Life doesn’t work that way. A daily routine helps bring stability after short-term disruptions (travel, for example) and can bring new stability to a longer-term change of season in life (whether we asked for it or not).

Anticipation. When we build our routines ourselves, we naturally include things we enjoy. Which means there are always some elements we look forward to: the first cup of coffee in the morning, sitting down to write, a walk outside, a favorite lunch, etc. These elements help us get out of bed in the morning and/or provide something to look forward to in the evening.

Better for Others. When the people we live and work with know what to expect from us, they can count on us. Regular meals, consistent bedtimes, weekly tasks, and dependable rhythms create a sense of stability for everyone, especially our kids.

Set Culture in Our Life. Routines remind us that we are in charge of the day and that it is wise to make the most of every opportunity. A routine in the morning is the rudder for the day. A routine in the evening resets our mind for a new day tomorrow.

There is great value in establishing routine. If you embrace routine, you’ll know this to be true. If you do not, I encourage you to try.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Start small. Nobody needs to script out their entire day. Start by choosing one area of life where you think a consistent pattern would help (morning or evening, for example). Pick a timeframe that is the least likely to get disrupted by others.

2. Write down the things you’d like to accomplish. Choose two or three habits you’d like to make a priority in your life and add them to your routine.

3. Place them in an order that is easiest to sustain. Some activities naturally flow into others. I like to eat at least 30 minutes before I exercise—so that is why I schedule more writing time after breakfast before going to the gym.

4. Choose a consistent start time. This will be the most important anchor of your entire routine.

5. Include some things you look forward to. 

6. Adjust when needed. Your routine should serve your life. If the routine you wrote out on paper isn’t working, adjust it. Expect this to require some trial and error. Additionally, when a major life change happens, adjust again. My morning routine looks very different today than when we had kids to get ready for school… it also looks different than when both of them were in bed by 9:00pm.

7. Give yourself grace. You will miss days. Simply begin again tomorrow. Don’t believe any assumption (or claim) that everybody follows their routine with 100% efficiency.

A good routine makes life simpler and more intentional. It adds stability, expectation, potential, and freedom.

And in my experience, those are worth waking up for.

The post On the Value of Routine appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” —William Morris

Recently, a study was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

When you see the title, you’ll know exactly why I was drawn to it. The study, conducted by Francis Quinn, a researcher at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, was titled: “Home clutter and mental well-being: Exploring moderators and the mediating role of home beauty”.

The study confirms what most of us would expect: Clutter in our homes is linked to lower personal well-being. Participants with more clutter reported more negative feelings, fewer positive feelings, lower mental well-being, and lower satisfaction with life.

Many studies have shown a connection between clutter and well-being. In fact, here are ten others.

But what caught my attention in this study was the addition of a new conversation: the role of “home beauty.”

Participants were asked how strongly they agreed with a simple statement: “The interior of my home is beautiful.”

People with more clutter were less likely to see their homes as beautiful. And people who saw their homes as beautiful reported better well-being on every measure. Perceived home beauty was even more closely tied to some measures of well-being than the clutter itself.

In other words, part of the reason excess possessions affect our well-being may be that they make our homes feel less beautiful. Nobody dreams of a house full of clutter.

(The researcher is careful to note that the findings can’t prove cause and effect. But they line up with other studies and what many of us have felt as well.)

If the beauty of our homes plays a role in how we feel, we would be wise to consider how to make our homes more beautiful.

Now, I’m not an interior designer. So don’t expect a discussion of design styles.

But there are things we can do to make our homes more beautiful, several of which are mentioned in the study. Here are nine of them:

Remove clutter. It’s the most important first step and will make all the others easier. The more clutter people reported having, the less beautiful they found their homes. If excess possessions are negatively impacting how you see your home, remove the excess. This will help: The Simple Guide to a Clutter-Free Home

Reduce visual complexity. The study points to something called “perceptual fluency” and its role in how beautiful we perceive our homes to be. It refers to how easily our brains process what we see. A room with a lot of visible, physical clutter takes more mental effort to process, and we tend to like it less. Reduce visual complexity by reducing the visual noise.

Give everything a place. One of the study’s measures of clutter focused not on how many things somebody owned, but on how clutter affected the livability of the home. They measured this with statements like “I can’t find things when I need them because of clutter.” A beautiful home is one that works. So another way to see our homes as more beautiful is to give everything inside it a designated home.

Choose decor that holds meaning. Research cited in the study found that a home that reflects who we are and our identity is linked to greater well-being. Choose decor in your home that means something to you. A family photo brings more joy than a mass-produced print you found on clearance at a department store. I’ve written about that here.

Arrange your home for the life you want. The study notes that people often arrange their homes to shape their behavior, like leaving a book out to encourage reading. We can arrange our home to encourage the purpose we want it to fulfill. If you want to read more, put a chair by the window with a lamp. If you want your family to talk more, arrange the living room around conversation rather than the television. If you want to eat more family meals together, make sure the dinner table is readily available. Your home can move you toward your values or distract you from them.

Let in light. Daylight is a natural beautifier—so let it in.

Keep up with repairs. The researcher named “quality of maintenance” as a possible factor in a home’s beauty. In other words, when we keep up with small and large repairs, we feel better about our homes. So make a list (wall nicks, squeaky doors, a running toilet, a burnt-out bulb) and cross them off one by one. Larger repairs will take more time and probably money. But that’s the maintenance needed for living in them.

Appreciate the beauty in your home. People who self-described their home as beautiful reported greater well-being in life. But here’s the thing: that question was determined simply by how people perceived their own homes. There were no external standards being applied. When we learn to appreciate our home and feel gratitude for it, our mental well-being improves. So maybe the greatest step we can take to beautify our homes is to feel more gratitude for what we have, rather than always wishing for something different.

Fill your home with what matters. The study points to earlier research showing that people rated rooms as more beautiful when their deepest needs were met there: needs like feeling connected and free to be themselves. In other words, a home becomes more beautiful when it is filled with love, patience, encouragement, stability, and acceptance. Those things might not photograph well for a magazine, but there is nothing more important than these.

How we feel in the home we create is a significant factor in the lives we live. So let’s be intentional about what we allow in and what we allow to stay.

The post How to Beautify Your Home appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

“I make myself rich by making my wants few.” —Henry David Thoreau

“Words are important,” they say. Indeed, there is power in them. That is why you find political campaigns and brands working hard to fine-tune and repeat specific ones every chance they get.

Words have the power to change our thinking, our attitude, and our actions.

And few words carry more power over our lives than the word “need.”

Think about it. Once we call something a need (whether aloud or just in our head), it has power over us. A need is something we have to have.

Once something becomes a need in our life, we stop questioning it. We never consider removing it. We replace it as soon as it breaks. We budget around it. We cut out other things in our lives before we’d consider giving it up. Sometimes we work longer hours to pay for it. And nobody is allowed to question it—not ourselves or others.

I think that is why advertisers work so hard to convince us their products are “needs.”

Did you know that less than 10% of engagement rings in the 1940s included a diamond, but today that number is almost 90%? The change happened in the late 1940s when a jewelry company intentionally began marketing diamonds as a symbol of forever love. Once they convinced the public that a marriage needs a diamond, they won.

That is why it matters so much what we put in the category. And why we should work hard to not confuse need with want.

We all have legitimate needs. We have needs for survival: water, food, shelter, clothing. We could probably add education, healthcare, transportation, among others. Then we have needs that help us grow into the people we were created to be: relationships, tools, opportunities, and resources for personal growth.

I would never argue that deciphering the difference between a need and a want is easy to do.

But I do believe we have a terrible tendency to confuse conveniences and luxuries with needs. And when we do, we pay the price in two ways:

First, our baseline standard of living becomes inflated. Each generation’s luxuries become the next generation’s minimum. The cost of a normal life keeps rising because our definition of need keeps expanding. And many of us find ourselves working harder every year just to afford this new baseline lifestyle.

I don’t want to get too far into the weeds politically. But in America today, the news is filled with reports of an affordability crisis. At the same time, we live in bigger homes than a generation ago, own more vehicles than ever before, eat out more than ever before, pay more for streaming television than ever before, and bet more on sports than ever.

I’m not contending that some people aren’t struggling to afford their needs. But it is important to realize our baseline standard of living and definition of need have inflated quite a bit over the years.

Because when everything feels necessary, nothing feels cuttable.

And marketers lean into this strategy at every turn. They have an uncanny ability to take something brand-new that we’ve never used before, convince us that we want it, and then convince us that we need it. We move from novelty to convenience to necessity at breakneck speed.

The second price we pay when we confuse conveniences and luxuries with needs is that we lose opportunities to grow.

In his book The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter describes something he calls “comfort creep.” The more comfort we add to our lives, the lower our threshold for discomfort becomes. Things that once felt normal, like a short walk, a meal made from scratch, or a few minutes of waiting with nothing to do, start to feel like hardships.

This happens when we stop seeing a convenience as a convenience and start calling it a need. A convenience is something we’re glad to have but understand to be a luxury. A need is something we can’t function without.

When we move a convenience back to where it belongs, it loses its power over us. We can still enjoy it. We can still use it. But we hold it loosely. If money gets tight, it’s an easy place to cut. If it breaks, life goes on. And when we do have it, we can receive it with gratitude rather than expectation.

Just to be clear, I’m not arguing that we should go without all modern conveniences. Many of them are a real benefit to our lives.

In fact, I’m writing this article in an air-conditioned room right now, drinking water that has been filtered in a pitcher. What I’m saying is that we should be careful what we call a need and try to use the word sparingly. There is flexibility and opportunity for growth when we do.

So take an honest look at the things in your life you consider essential. Which ones are truly needs? And which ones have you simply grown used to?

Because when you look around, you might start to see things differently. In fact, here are 12 modern conveniences many of us now consider needs (most of which barely existed 25 years ago):

1. Air fryers
2. Bottled water
3. Single-serve coffee makers
4. Smartwatches and Fitness trackers
5. Wireless earbuds
6. Meal kits
7. Tablets for kids
8. Robot vacuums
9. Energy drinks
10. Food delivery apps
11. Free Shipping memberships
12. Artificial intelligence

The word “need” is powerful. Let’s save it for the things that deserve it.

The post Be Careful What You Call a Need appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.

The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. And I enjoy any opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.

I invite you to fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.

I Learnt to Live With Less After My MS Diagnosis – These Are the 4 Changes That Have Helped Me Live Well | Ideal Home by Amanda Jones. The simple lifestyle changes that have helped me find a better balance.

The Practice of Doing Less, On Purpose | Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. What would doing less look like, as a practice?

10 Signs You’re Being Influenced to Buy Something New | No Sidebar by Eric Athas. The modern-day influence machine was much more widespread, invasive, and sophisticated than I’d imagined.

People Watching | Andy Scoles. Putting down our phones helps us notice the people around us and remember that our everyday choices can encourage others without being driven by their approval.

Forever Fourth Chair: Learning from Fear of Failure. | The Bad Minimalist by Kelsey Cookingham. The fear of failure can keep us from pursuing what matters, but choosing to try opens the door to growth we’ll never experience by standing still.

The Neuroscience of Decluttering | The New York Times by Emily Falk. Understanding how our minds work can help us make decisions about our possessions that better align with our goals and values. (*The New York Times may require a subscription to read this article, so I’m adding it as a sixth “bonus” article.)

Recently Released Inspiring Videos

Why It’s So Hard to Resist a Sale | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Ever wonder why you can’t resist a good sale, even on something you don’t actually need?

12 Ways You’re Probably Overspending (And How to Stop) | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Are you struggling to get ahead financially right now? With the economic challenges many of us are facing, finding ways to save money and cut household expenses has never been more critical.

The post Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads. appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Sometimes the hardest things to minimize are the ones we’ve attached expectations to.

“Nobody gets rid of these,” we tell ourselves. Or, “Obviously I’m going to keep that.”

Sometimes we place those expectations on ourselves. Other times, someone has told us, directly or indirectly, never to let something go.

But those expectations are rarely true. People decide every day what to keep and what to let go. And for almost everything we assume must be kept forever, somebody has let it go. And been glad they did.

Recently, I asked the Becoming Minimalist community on Facebook to complete this sentence:

“Most people keep their ________ forever. But I let mine go and don’t regret it.”

And you wouldn’t believe the number of replies. Over 1,000 comments from people sharing the items they minimized and never regretted. You’ll find encouragement in what was shared and (I hope) permission to let things go.

Here are 56 items people have not regretted letting go of:

1. Yearbooks

“I got rid of all of mine 40 years ago. Zero regrets.” —Jane C.

2. Wedding dress

“I never looked at it, and I just gave it away after 32 years! A seamstress is going to use the material to make a dress for someone else. It’s a win-win!” —Marissa C.

3. Greeting cards and wedding cards

“Old greeting cards I saved for 25 years. I let them go and feel much better with the extra space.” —Nancy B.

4. Boxes of printed photos

“Envelopes of pictures that are really not even good shots. I let all of that go and have no regrets at all!” —Kate R.

5. Wedding album

“I’ve scanned all the photos and let go of the physical big album.” —Judy M.

6. Class ring

“No regrets in selling.” —Laura M.

7. Letterman jacket

“We donated ours to the historical society.” —Kimberly A.

8. Old pins

“I recently gave away pins I had from rock bands and some from Mardi Gras in the 1980s. It’s easier for me to give things to someone who appreciates them.” —Dotty B.

9. Diplomas

“Framed diplomas. Freeing to get rid of them, especially considering I’m retired!” —Jill R.

10. Graded school papers

11. Trophies

“We don’t need trophies or medals to define us by certain accomplishments of times past.” —Angie B.

12. Work awards

13. Girl Scout sash

“My mom kept my Girl Scout sash with all the badges. She gave it to me. Why do I feel bad throwing it away? I was fine without it. Didn’t even remember it.” —Joy R.

14. College textbooks and notes

“I thought I would refer to them when I was working but never did. Dragged them around to three different states and finally tossed them into recycling.” —Linda E.

15. National Record of Achievement (for our UK readers)

“We were told this would be our key to the rest of our life, especially employment. I don’t know anybody who took theirs to a job interview or anything else.” —Karen J.

16. Love letters from exes

“First thing to go when he left me.” —Eve E.

17. Old journals

18. Concert ticket stubs

“The admission stubs from all the places you visited can go too.” —Mary C.

19. Old calendars

“I caught myself keeping 10 years’ worth of old calendars like they were a prize.” —Linda J.

20. Baby teeth

“The tooth fairy took ours.” —Rachel F.

21. Baby clothes and blankets

“Favorite baby shoes and clothes. I kept just a couple of outfits for each child.” —Sheridan L.

22. Kids’ artwork

“Take pics and keep a few. Let the rest go! Zero regrets!” —Laura L.

23. Kids’ schoolwork

“Choose one or two pieces from each year, max.” —Amanda S.

24. Childhood toys

25. Children’s books

“I donated all my children’s books knowing that someone else could read them.” —Christina R.

26. Grandma’s china

“I let go of 2 sets from both grandparents that sat in a hutch and were never used. I initially had guilt, as if I was supposed to keep them and pass them down. I felt unburdened when they were gone, and I got rid of the hutch, too!” —Meg

27. Fine crystal

“I’ve got service for 12. Water, wine, and champagne. But I’m letting it go.” —Jen G.

28. Handmade linens, doilies, and tablecloths

29. Cremated remains

“It’s not forgetting about them. It’s setting them free. And once you set them free from that box, they’ll grow even bigger in your heart. I promise!” —Harmony H.

30. Knick-knacks with a “certificate of authenticity”

“It’s time to get rid of the collection boxed up in the closet! I feel better about letting it go now!” —Debra

31. Coin, stamp, and baseball card collections

“We had soooo many coins to pass down. The rest we cashed in or sold and had a date!” —Kimberly A.

32. Records, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes

“Everything is available online now!” —Gerda K.

33. Souvenirs

“Souvenirs from vacations I got as a kid. I’m 61.” —Davina P.

34. Gifts that didn’t work for you (even from your kids)

“If you are holding on to anything solely because you would feel guilty getting rid of it, it needs to go.” —Tara G.

35. Microwave

36. Cookbooks

“All recipes online.” —Sherry P.

37. Magazines

“The stack of magazines you swear you’ll have time to go through next winter.” —Lynn B.

38. Extra furniture

“I used to think having expensive furniture made the house so warm and inviting. Now we’re only keeping what we need.” —Hannah L.

39. Framed art that no longer fits your walls

40. Christmas decorations

“Three totes of Christmas decorations, when I only like a few things. Gone! Don’t miss them.” —Tammy B.

41. Gift bags and grocery bags

“The mountain of gift bags to be reused. I gave all mine away.” —Tiffany W.

42. Product boxes

“Your cell phone box! Why do we think we need to keep these?” —Amy C.

43. User manuals

“You can find them all online now.” —Allyson O.

44. Old bank statements and check registers

“I just recently got rid of 10 years’ worth of check registers! Threw them out, box and all. Felt so good!” —Joyce G.

45. Charger cords

“I had a whole box of cords that I tossed thinking I’d regret it. Haven’t needed any of them.” —Tracee P.

46. Old hobby gear

47. Unsold eBay inventory

“Unsold merch from that eBay side hustle that stopped being profitable years ago. Let someone else hustle it. They just have to come get it.” —Tim R.

48. Unfinished craft projects

“The craft supplies you haven’t used in ten years because you no longer do those crafts, even though you still think you might get back to it someday.” —Brenda M.

49. Formal wear

“Beautiful clothing you no longer wear because there are no suitable events or workplaces.” —Sally W.

50. Purses

“I had 18 ladies at my birthday party. They drew a number and picked a bag I had set on display.” —Mary S.

51. Old college T-shirts

52. Old jewelry

“I took all my old and broken jewelry and had it made into a solid bangle, which I now wear every day.” —Jennifer

53. Extra Bibles

“We probably have 15 Bibles in our house. I decided it’s better they go to someone who will use them.” —Kim B.

54. Books

“Most people keep their books, but I let mine go. All 3,000 of them.” —Artemis E.

55. Television

56. Vacation home

“I’m all set without it.” —Briggs T.

Honorable mentions: Coffee mugs, bridesmaid dresses, graduation caps and gowns, the punch bowl, old keys, encyclopedias, bronzed baby shoes, teen diaries, Beanie Babies, and the baby crib.

If any of these items are sitting in your closet or garage today, you don’t have to keep it forever either.

Of course, we all get to make our own decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. But if you’ve been wanting to own less and keep getting stuck on “what if I regret getting rid of…,” consider this your permission to let go.

There’s no need to start decluttering by getting rid of the hardest things, but I think you’ll find this list encouraging when you need it to be.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this list. And if you’d like to add something to it, include it as a comment below.

The post 56 Things Most People Keep Forever (That You Can Let Go Of) appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

“No man is free who is not master of himself.” —Epictetus

Of all the things we seek to control in life, none is more important than the self. And none may be more difficult.

If you control the self, you control your life and your future. Fail to control it, and something else will. Because without self-control, we are left defenseless against almost every passing desire.

Of course, before we can learn how to develop self-control, we need to know what it is.

Interestingly, every dictionary I checked defined self-control a little bit differently. Some focused on just the negatives: Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.

Another defined it as: The quality that allows you to stop yourself from doing things you want to do but that might not be in your best interest.

Both are fine. But the definition in Psychology Today may be my favorite—or at least what I have in mind while writing about it: Self-control is the ability to manage one’s impulses, emotions, and behaviors to achieve long-term goals.

I like that definition because controlling ourselves should include both refusing to do the things that don’t serve us and accomplishing the things that do. Both move us toward the life we want.

Self-control, just like love, joy, and peace, is something that we all desire to be true of ourselves. And for good reason. One study followed more than 1,000 children into adulthood and found that self-control was one of the strongest predictors of better health and greater wealth—regardless of intelligence or social status.

I’m sure self-control has never been easy to develop. Epictetus (quoted above) lived 2,000 years ago and wrote about the importance and struggle of controlling one’s actions, responses, and impulses.

But in our world today, where advertisers, influencers, social media feeds, and politicians can reach us 24 hours a day with ever-increasing sophistication and profit from our impulses, growing in self-control is even more difficult. Our passions, selves, and resources are relentlessly under attack.

But all of us can grow in self-control. If that is your desire, here’s how to do it:

1. Believe it is possible. 

All positive change begins with the words “I can.”

Some people have already decided that they simply lack willpower. Sometimes it is in small things (“That’s just who I am”) and sometimes it is in big things (“I’m just bad at self-control.”)

But that is a defeatist attitude. Believing it to be true of ourselves ends our development before it even starts. In fact, in one study, students who believed willpower runs out ate junk food 24% more often and procrastinated 35% more than students who believed otherwise.

Of course you can develop greater self-control. All of us can. And it doesn’t come easily for anyone. Your predisposition doesn’t have to be your future. You can change. Believe it.

2. Start with the little things. 

When we are disciplined with the little things, we learn the skills and mindset to become disciplined in the big things.

Your first step toward greater self-control is to practice in the smallest moments of your day: put down your phone when you get into bed, make the bed in the morning, go for a walk around the block, close the Internet browser and walk away before making the purchase.

Each of these is small. Together, they remind you that you are capable of choosing. And that confidence carries over into bigger decisions.

3. Hold a healthy understanding of the consequences. 

I once had a mentor explain how to resist temptation. His advice: “You resist immorality with self-control and by keeping a healthy understanding of the consequences.”

Thirty years later, I consider it one of the most helpful pieces of advice I have ever received about living a moral life. And I think it is a key phrase in developing self-control. When we keep a healthy understanding of the consequences of our actions, we find the motivation to say no.

If we don’t stop smoking, our health will suffer. If we don’t eat healthy, exercise, or go to bed on time, our bodies and minds will pay the price. If we don’t stop shopping, we’ll sink deeper and deeper into debt. If we aren’t faithful to our spouses, our entire family will suffer.

Some consequences of our negative actions are immediate, but many grow and compound over time. Consider what they are. Keep them in front of you. And use that reality to help you say no (or yes) when needed.

4. Get clear on what you want your life to look like.

In his wonderful book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey wrote that highly effective people “begin with the end in mind.”

By that, he meant starting with a clear understanding of our destination, knowing where we want our life to end up so the steps we take today move us in the right direction.

Self-control works the same way. A healthy understanding of the consequences reminds us what we are running from. A clear picture of the life we want reminds us what we are running toward.

So picture the end. Who do you want to be ten years from now? What do you want your life to stand for? When we know the answer, self-control becomes easier.

5. Remove the temptation.

The easiest temptation to resist is the one you never face.

In fact, one study found that people with high self-control actually resist temptation less often than everyone else. They just arrange their lives so they face fewer temptations in the first place!

Sometimes the wisest response to temptation is to simply walk away.

(Interestingly, the same study found that being around other people also increased self-restraint.)

6. Replace the negative with the positive.

Nature abhors a vacuum. It is good to resolve “not to do x.” But research shows that the best way to avoid x is to replace it with y. When we remove a bad habit, it leaves an empty space behind. And empty spaces rarely stay empty for long.

That’s why starting something new is often easier. As an example, one study followed more than 1,000 people for a year and found that those whose New Year’s resolutions focused on starting something new succeeded 59% of the time (compared to 47% for those focused on stopping something).

So rather than resolving to stop scrolling at night, decide to read before bed. Rather than vowing to stop shopping on the weekends, plan a Saturday morning outdoors with your family. Give your heart something better to pursue.

7. Give yourself grace when you slip.

Nobody develops self-control perfectly. You will slip. Everyone does. Nobody is perfect. What matters is that you don’t give up. You only lose yourself if you stop fighting for control of it.

So be gracious and forgiving. As a matter of fact, in one study, students who forgave themselves for procrastinating before one exam procrastinated less before the next.

Admit failure. Learn from it. And begin again. Self-control is grown over a lifetime and we work to get better each day.

Self-control has never been easy. And in a world working overtime to profit from our impulses, it may be harder today than ever before.

But the reward is worth every bit of the effort. Because we only get one life to live—so we might as well be in control of it.

The post A Helpful Guide to Growing Self-Control appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

I am often asked, “Why do people keep reading Becoming Minimalist? Isn’t minimalism a simple concept?”

And to be fair, there is truth behind the question. Minimalism is a simple idea: own less, live more.

But this summer, while on tour, I met countless people who told me they have been faithfully reading Becoming Minimalist for years and years. Some even said they started reading from the very beginning.

I am humbled and honored each time.

The answer to the question “Why do people keep reading Becoming Minimalist?” is twofold.

Number one, minimalism isn’t easy for everyone. It comes easily to some (just like cooking, dancing, woodworking, or golfing). But just because a concept is easy for you to grasp doesn’t mean it is easy for everyone.

In some cases, minimalism means changing a worldview that has been held for 50 or 60 years. And it’s incorrect to think just a few articles or videos are going to automatically rewire our brains.

Speaking of which, if that is you, next Thursday (October 15) I will be teaching a free, live online workshop called 7 Principles to Declutter Your Home (and Keep It That Way).

If you are just starting out on your decluttering journey, need some extra inspiration, want some ideas on how to keep your home decluttered, or have been feeling too nervous to even start, this presentation is for you. I’m going to be offering both the why and the how for owning less. I hope you can join us. Save your free seat right here.

But there is a second reason why people continue to return to Becoming Minimalist over and over again.

This website has always been about more than minimalism. We wrestle with and discuss topics well beyond owning less.

The goal of Becoming Minimalist is to inspire people to own less and live more. But removing the distraction of physical possessions and discovering what it means to “live more” is a much deeper and fuller, even lifelong, pursuit.

People read Becoming Minimalist because they are interested in minimalism. But even more, they read because they are interested in living their most intentional life, focused on the things that matter most.

To see what that looks like, I recently analyzed all the articles I have written over the last 18 years and sorted them into the most common topics.

I thought I would list those topics for you so you can see all that we discuss here.

The topics are listed in order of how often I have written about them. And for each, I have included the three most popular articles (based on reader comments) in case you want to learn more about any of them.

1. Minimalism & Owning Less

This is the heart of Becoming Minimalist: why owning less is worth it and what the lifestyle looks like in everyday life.

• Benefits of Minimalism: 21 Benefits of Owning Less
• The 10 Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life
• 7 Common Problems Solved by Owning Less Stuff

2. Decluttering & Home

Once we are convinced that owning less is better, we need to know how to get there, so these are the practical articles on removing what we don’t need, room by room.

• How to Declutter Your Home: 10 Creative Decluttering Tips
• How Many Clothes Do I Need? A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes
• 12 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happier in a Smaller Home

3. Personal Growth & Motivation

Owning less is only one of the changes most of us want to make, and I write often about how to begin a change and keep going when it gets hard.

• Why Saying You Want Change is Not Enough
• Here’s to All of You Trying to Make the Most of a Bad Situation
• How to Build Your Self-Confidence: The Key to a More Intentional Life

4. Money & Personal Finance

Minimalism changed our family’s finances almost immediately, and it continues to shape how I think about spending, debt, and wealth.

• 7 Pieces of Financial Advice That Forever Changed My Life
• All The Things I Want to Say About Money But Never Do
• Why “Make Your Coffee at Home” is About More Than Just Saving a Few Dollars

5. Intentional Living & Purpose

Removing distractions only helps if we know what we are making room for, so these articles are about deciding what matters most and building a life around it.

• 10 Tips to Start Living in the Present Moment
• Living in the Shadow of Death
• Stop Chasing Success. Seek Significance.

6. Consumerism & Why We Buy

Our homes will keep filling up until we understand why we buy, which is why I pay close attention to how advertising and culture shape our desires.

• 21 Surprising Statistics That Reveal How Much Stuff We Actually Own
• 7 Things That Shouldn’t Impress Us Anymore
• 3 Questions to Ask Before Making Any Purchase

7. Relationships & Character

Who we are becoming and how we treat people will always matter more than what we own, and that conviction shows up here in articles about kindness, humility, and the words we use with one another.

• There are Better Things to Talk About Than Other People (and How to Gossip Less)
• Love People, Not Things
• Compliments are Free

8. Happiness, Contentment & Gratitude

Owning less is great, but wanting less is even better, and that means learning to compare less, envy less, and appreciate what we already have.

• How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others: A Helpful Guide
• A Helpful Guide to Overcoming Envy
• Contentment: How to Find This Unmistakable Freedom

9. Family & Parenting

We became minimalist as a family of four, so kids, toys, and marriage have been part of this conversation from the very beginning.

• Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids
• 35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget
• 8 Keys for a Successful and Healthy Marriage

10. Time, Busyness & Productivity

Our calendars fill with clutter just as easily as our closets, and the solution looks similar: slow down, say no more often, and give our best hours to the right things.

• A Helpful Guide to Becoming Unbusy
• The Lost Practice of Resting One Day Each Week
• The Most Underrated Sound in Our Society

11. Generosity & Giving

One of the greatest benefits of needing less for ourselves is how much more we are able to give, which is also the story behind The Hope Effect.

• ‘Tis Better to Donate Than Accumulate
• 9 Ways Generous People See the World Differently
• 10 Little Ways to Become More Generous

12. Holidays & Gift-Giving

The pressure to buy reaches its peak every November and December, so each year I return to the subject of simpler holidays and gifts that won’t end up as clutter.

• Is It Time for Us to Rethink How We Give Gifts?
• Parents, What Expectations Are We Setting for the Holidays?
• All the Things You Don’t Need for a Perfect Holiday

13. Attention, Technology & Distraction

Physical possessions are only one kind of distraction, and the screens in our pockets and living rooms may be an even greater one.

• 10 Reasons to Watch Less Television
• The Single Easiest Habit Change to Improve Your Life Forever
• 7 Proven Ways to Break Your Cell Phone Addiction

14. Work & Success

We spend a significant portion of our lives at work, and I believe there are better reasons to work and better ways to measure success than a paycheck.

• If You Wouldn’t Do It for Free, Don’t Do It For Money
• 20 New Ways to Measure Success
• Why It’s Important To Work Hard

15. Health & Wellbeing

Minimalism brought new intentionality to how I eat, exercise, and rest, and from time to time I share simple approaches to each.

• You Eat Less Variety Than You Think. Embrace It.
• A Healthier Body Image
• A Loving Nudge Toward Healthier Habits

What began 18 years ago as an online journal about cleaning out a garage in Vermont has grown into a conversation about almost every area of life.

Choose the topic that matters most to you today and start there. When you finish, choose another.

Owning less is where we begin. Living more is where we are headed.

The post The 15 Most Common Topics on Becoming Minimalist (and Where to Start Reading Each One) appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.