Joshua Becker's Blog, page 9

The Case Against Praising Excess

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” —Jim Carrey

Our world is quick to applaud success—as well it should. It is entirely appropriate to champion those who develop their talents, work hard, and overcome obstacles. There are many successful people in my life that I admire, look up to, and wish to emulate.

But our world is also fixated on praising excess. This is not entirely surprising. We are not the first society to worship conspicuous consumption, nor will we be the last. But it is certainly a defining attribute of our society.

Magazines overexpose the details of the rich and famous. News publications rank those with the greatest net worth. Television applauds the lifestyle of those who live in luxury. Streaming services parade “stars” in front of us for hours and hours each day. And the Internet attracts readers with countless stories about those living with excess.

Even in our own lives, on a smaller scale, we do the same. We comment on the size of the houses in the neighborhood down the street. We point out the luxury car in the lane next to us. We envy fashionable clothes and designer handbags.

We desire to live the life of those who seem to have it all. In our hearts and in our affections, we praise those who live with excess.

But we are making a big mistake because success and excess are not the same.

It is good to praise success, but there are lots of reasons to stop praising excess.

7 Reasons Why We Should Stop Praising Excess

1. Excess is often arbitrary.

Sometimes, financial gain is achieved through hard work, dedication, and devoted discipline. But that is not always the case. Sometimes, wealth is only a result of heritage, dishonesty, or just plain luck. In those cases, no praise has been earned. And telling the difference is often more difficult than we realize.

2. Excess is rarely the wisest use of our money. 

Harvey Mackay once said, “If you can afford a fancy car, you can make more of an impact driving an ordinary one.” His statement is true. There are better things to do with our money than spend it on ourselves.

This advice stands as wisdom when purchasing cars, houses, clothes, or technology. Just because you have the financial resources to afford excess doesn’t mean it is the best option for your life. We should stop praising those who use it exclusively to that end.

3. Excess adds stress and anxiety to our lives.

Not only is there a greater good that could be accomplished with our money, but increased possessions add burden and weight to our lives. Every increased possession adds increased worry. It becomes one more thing to manage, store, repair, and remove.

Adding extra burden to our already short lives seems like a foolish thing to admire and praise.

4. Excess is harming the environment around us. 

It is difficult to ignore the impact our praise of excess has meant on the earth. Perhaps Gandhi said it best, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

Holding up those who flaunt their excess as an example to follow is hardly a wise decision for anyone’s future.

5. Excess causes us to praise the wrong things.

Our world keeps checking the wrong scoreboard. Those who live in excess are not necessarily the ones who live the most fulfilled lives.

Often times, it is those who live quietly, humbly, and in the service of others who are the happiest. Those are the choices we should be praising and those are the lives we should be emulating.

6. Excess causes us to lose sight of the things we already have.

It is impossible to find peace, gratitude, and contentment while holding on to envy of those who have more. Unfortunately, we do it all the time. Admiration is a healthy emotion, but envy is not. And choosing to exalt those who flaunt their excess results only in greater discontent.

7. Excess is not the answer.

Everyone is looking for answers to the most important questions: What is the purpose of this life? Where can I find fulfillment? And what does it mean to live an abundant life?

These are difficult questions with difficult answers. But surely, “owning as much stuff as possible” is not the answer to any of them. There are greater pursuits available to us than excess. But they can be difficult to discover when all our energies are being directed at the wrong things.

Admire success. But do not praise excess. Our society is longing for people who can tell the difference.

The post The Case Against Praising Excess appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

From Minimalist Lifestyle to Global Change: The Hope Effect Story

In two weeks, I will celebrate 16 years of Becoming Minimalist (both the lifestyle and this blog). If you’ve been following my writing for any length of time, you know that I LOVE listing out the positive benefits of owning less.

In almost every post, in way or another, I point out the life-giving benefits of pursuing minimalism—more freedom, less stress, greater productivity, just to name a few.

If I had to list out my favorite benefits in order, I’m not sure I could. But I do know that opening up my life to greater generosity would be one of the benefits near the top.

When you own less, you keep more money. When you buy less, you save more. And when you need less, you open the door to giving more and fighting for causes you believe in.

And one of the greatest joys in life is being able to do something that helps to solve problems you see in the world.

In one of my recent YouTube videos where I talked about the steps we can all take to be a little more generous, I mentioned the important step of supporting causes that resonate deeply with you. The idea is simple: Start by identifying a cause close to your heart, then connect with an organization that champions this cause and contribute joyfully to their efforts.

One such need in the world that has always resonated with my wife Kim and I are helping orphaned children around the world—children who have lost the love and support of their parents (for whatever reason). No doubt our love for vulnerable children is largely inspired by Kim’s own experience of being abandoned at the hospital as a baby—but wanting to help children overcome tragedy doesn’t require such a backstory. Sometimes people are simply motivated out of love or a desire for justice in the world.

For us, this passion to help children led us to create a nonprofit organization, back in 2015, to revolutionize orphan care around the world.

The Hope Effect

With INCREDIBLE support from this Becoming Minimalist community, Kim and I launched The Hope Effect. Our mission was to change the way the world cares for orphans.

And we’re doing it!

Around the world, millions of children are growing up without the love of a family. In many developing countries, these children are raised in institutions—commonly referred to as orphanages.

Unfortunately, decades-old research has shown that institutional care actually has devastating long-term effects on children. Children raised in orphanages don’t receive the love, support and individual attention found within a family environment. This leads to significant developmental delays, and eventually children age out of orphanages only to face a future of crime, prostitution, or trafficking.

Orphanages are better than children living on the streets, but there is a better way!

Every child deserves a family.

And that is the work we are doing around the world. The Hope Effect is working to get children out of orphanages and into loving families.

In less than ten years, we have stretched around globe—pioneering and expanding family care in places like Mexico, Honduras, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Through the love of a family, children like Alberto* have hope for a brighter future.

Alberto’s Story

Alberto, a young boy from Sonora, Mexico, spent the first five months of his life in an orphanage due to his mother’s struggles with addiction.

Sadly, he suffered from developmental delays and serious health concerns. Alberto had a severe skin condition that limited his hair growth and left him with sores all over his body. While the staff at the orphanage tried their best, Alberto needed the individual attention and care that is found within a family.

Thankfully, because of The Hope Effect, Alberto was welcomed into the arms of a foster family, and he began to thrive under their love and affection.

I want you to get a picture of the lives being changed because of this Becoming Minimalist Community. If you have five minutes, watch this short video to see how Alberto’s life has been changed forever because of family:

Join The Circle Of Hope Today

May is National Foster Care Month. So this month, I invite you to partner with us by joining The Hope Effect’s Circle of Hope.

The Circle of Hope is a group of committed supporters, passionate about helping orphaned and vulnerable children, who increase their impact through monthly giving.

As members of the Becoming Minimalist community, I know you desire intentionality in your life. Circle of Hope gives you that opportunity because monthly giving is the most efficient, budget-friendly, and impactful way to support this important work.

And here’s the best part, if you join this month, you will double the impact of your gift for an entire year! In honor of National Foster Care Month, some amazing supporters of The Hope Effect have generously offered to match all new monthly gifts for the first 12 months.

There are children all around the world who have lost the love from their parents. We are passionate about helping them finding new, loving parents—because every child deserves a family.

Of course, you could also give a one-time gift. But my greatest desire this month is to add monthly supporters to the team. In fact, if you become a new monthly supporter of The Hope Effect this month, (donating $100 per month or more—or if you are a current supporter and raise your monthly gift to $100 or more), I will personally call you on the telephone to say thank you and answer any questions you might have.

It is one of my greatest joys talking with those of you who have joined in this important cause. Just be sure to use this link when you join the Circle of Hope.

The Hope Effect is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax-deductible within the U.S. And because we know you want your donation to be used for the reason it was given, 100% of your donation can be directed toward orphan care work.

Thank you so much for embracing the mission and vision of The Hope Effect. I am honored to be part of such a generous and compassionate community.

Together, we are changing the way the world cares for orphans. Thank you for being a part of it.

*The child’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.

The post From Minimalist Lifestyle to Global Change: The Hope Effect Story appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.

How TikTok Is Wiring Gen Z’s Money Brain | The Wall Street Journal by Julie Jargon and Ann-Marie Alcántara. Between TikTok and having your friends around you, you’re pressured to buy the things because you want to fit in. That’s always been the case, but with TikTok it’s more prominent.

10 Essential Principles of Minimalist Living | No Sidebar. Minimalism isn’t about giving up joy, happiness, or fun. Just the opposite, minimalism is about living a bigger, better, more exciting life.

Getting Ahead vs. Having Enough | Behavior Gap by Carl Richards. Just for a minute, imagine what it might feel like to be satisfied with simply having “Enough.”

5 Minimalist Habits To Achieve Financial Freedom | Forbes by Amy Slenker-Smith. When you lack financial discipline, the disorganization continues. Don’t let clutter cost you time and money.

10 Questions to Help You Declutter Your Spending | Simple Money by Harper Bennett. By adopting a minimalist mindset towards spending, we can simplify our financial lives and focus on what truly matters.

Recently Released Inspiring Videos

Ten Little Habits to Change Your Life in One Month | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Here are ten micro-habits that have the potential to make a macro impact on your life in just one month.

20 New Ways to Measure Success | YouTube by Joshua Becker. While we strive in how to be successful, I suggest we consider some new ideas of what success can look like.

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

5 Things You Can Do Today That Your Future Self Will Thank You For

“Six months from now, what will you wish you had spent time on today?” —James Clear

It’s easy to miss the potential of today because “today” happens so often.

But each day provides opportunity. As a result of our actions today, we will move forward, stay the same, or (unfortunately) slip further away from the person we want to be.

Every single day, we make choices. And even though both routine and chaos can blur that fact, it remains true whether we feel it or not. We make choices every day about how to spend our time, our money, our energy, and even what receives our attention.

And these choices, whether they are made deliberately or unintentionally, whether they are small or large, always shape the direction of our lives. Annie Dillard said it this way, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

Knowing that, we would be wise to make purposeful decisions every day that move us in the direction of the people we want to become. But what decisions are those exactly?

Before I answer that question, it’s important to realize that oftentimes in the rush-rush of our busy lives, we give our days little thought. And when we don’t give them thought and intention, we end up following the same motions and routines as yesterday, we prioritize what is urgent over what is important, and we get caught in a cycle of responding to the loudest calls and latest fads rather than the most meaningful ones.

In doing so, we give up our right to choose.

It’s easy to see why this happens. Our society often equates busyness with productivity and stillness with wasted time. Our world constantly pushes convenience and short-term benefits on us. And the pursuit of conformity has long been a temptation to the human race. As a result, our lives slip into following the masses.

However, by recognizing the power of our choices today, we can realign our actions with our values and passions and the life we aspire to lead. And when we choose well today, six months from now (or one year from now… or ten years from now), we can look back with gratitude at the decisions we made.

Nobody can predict the future—this is true. Life can change in the blink of an eye. But regardless of what the future holds, there are things we can do today that our future self will thank us for.

Regardless of what happens in your life tomorrow, I don’t believe you will ever regret doing these five things today:

1. Investing in Our Health

Our body and mind are the instruments through which we live our lives and make a difference in the world. So prioritizing our health is one of the most profound investments we can make in ourselves. Unfortunately, too many of us will not do that today.

Whether it’s exercising, eating healthy, or simply choosing to go to bed at the right time, each healthy choice contributes to a stronger you today and tomorrow.

In the future, ensure that you can look back today and be grateful for how you intentionally took care of yourself. No matter what the future holds, you will be glad you did.

2. Investing in Our Relationships

The quality of our lives is greatly influenced by the quality of our relationships. In fact, according to the world’s longest-running longitudinal study on happiness, the single greatest factor in human happiness is healthy relationships.

Today, you have the opportunity to deepen connections with loved ones, reach out to old friends, or start brand new relationships. It may require you to turn off the television, put down the video game, or even turn down a new business opportunity, but your decision will pay off dividends for years to come.

These moments of connection bring joy and hope into our lives, filling it with hope, support, and love. Nobody ever gets to their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at the office as the old saying goes. But lots of people wish they had spent more time with their family and loved ones. Make a decision today your future you will be thankful for.

3. Investing in Your Personal Growth

None of us have fully arrived and all of us have room to grow. This fact will never change. And by that I mean, we will never reach perfection. Some might hear this and think, “Then why grow at all?” But those who have intentionally invested in their personal growth see this differently.

The better versions of ourselves we become, the better we can show up in this world. The more we grow, the more we can help and influence others. Personal growth, when understood correctly, isn’t just about becoming better versions of ourselves, it’s about becoming the type of person who can enable others to become better versions of themselves.

Push your limits today. Tackle a new problem. Read a new book or find a new podcast. Become the best you that you can become today. And you’ll discover an even better version of you tomorrow.

4. Making Wise Financial Decisions

74% of working Americans say they are stressed about their personal finances these days. And 80% of Americans believe they would be happier if they had more money.

There is no doubt that some people in the world need more money, but it is not 75% of Americans.

However, 100% of us, regardless of where we live, would feel better about ourselves and our future if we became more intentional with how we handled our money. Wasted dollars are wasted potential. No doubt that is one of the reasons this blog continues to reach so many people.

Today, you have that option. You can refrain from an unnecessary purchase, you can move some money into savings, you can learn how to invest wisely, you can give away a little bit, or you can sit down with a pen and sheet of paper and get very clear on where your money is going.

No doubt, if you do, you’ll be glad you did.

5. Focusing on the Direction of Your Life

Slowing down long enough to reflect on the direction of your life and then making intentional choices about your path is one of the most significant and important actions we can ever take. But again, too few of us do that. Instead, we rush from one thing to another not even realizing life is slipping away underneath it.

Francis Chan summed it up this way, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

Taking time today to focus on the direction of your life might mean setting a new vision, changing goals, choosing new daily habits, or even changing course when you know something isn’t right. Either way, it will require time with your heart and soul and mind and thoughts.

Of course, staying true to your values and moving purposefully towards your vision will not only shape your future but also enrich your present. When you look back, you’ll be grateful for the time you invested charting your own direction.

The greatest mistake we can make today is making a decision that we regret in the future. But the second greatest mistake is to simply waste today.

Choose instead something that your future self will thank you for. Any (or all) from the list above should guarantee that.

The post 5 Things You Can Do Today That Your Future Self Will Thank You For appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

A Simple Habit That Brings Me Clarity and Peace

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Allison Fallon, author of Write Your Story.

Most of us want to live a simpler, more intentional life. But in a world with “can’t-miss” meetings and emails, pings and dings from messages and DMs, school pick-ups and drop-offs, holiday hoo-ras and birthdays, tornado warnings and twenty four hour news cycles, it can be challenging to narrow in on what can stay and what has to go.

There’s a simple habit I have been using for years that helps me take the chaotic and overwhelming amount of information that comes into my experience on any given day and whittle it down to what really matters. 

That tool is this: writing about my life.

It started as journaling. 

Data shows that journaling for as little as twenty minutes a day for four days in a row can improve your mental, emotional and even physical health. But for me, journaling wasn’t as much about improving my health as it was about uncovering an ability to hear myself think in a wild, loud, static-y world.

Sometimes I would see my words on the page and think to myself: oh, that’s how I feel about my two year old’s new habit of hitting his sister. I didn’t realize.

But in the past several years, I’ve taken my writing practice beyond a daily habit of journaling and discovered that turning my experiences into stories brings a new kind of clarity and calm to my life that is grounding and peaceful.

Sometimes, at dinner, my husband and I will say to our two kids: “tell us a story of something that made you smile today (or cry, or laugh, or pee your pants).”

They are two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half so they mostly stare at us blankly for now—but one day I hope they will appreciate the kind of connection and healing that comes from sitting around a table with those you love and sharing stories of the things that matter most to you. 

That gesture that made you smile. 

That comment that broke your heart.

The starting place of your passion for bumble bees.

The day your daughter was born into an ice storm.

How, on the day your dad left, you remember seeing his blue Sportsman suitcase with a red tassel sitting by the door. 

These are the stories that make up who we are. And most of us aren’t telling them.

Storytelling is powerful because it has the ability to cut through the noise and show us what really matters.

I’ve witnessed this to be true in my writing practice; and I’ve discovered it to be true for the thousands I’ve helped as a ghostwriter and a book coach. My job requires me to listen deeply to the stories of others, to pick out what matters most, and to tell the story in a way that is gripping to a reader, no matter the details. 

This role has taught me that all stories are interesting, if we know how to tell them.

When you write your story, you are forced to make decisions about what’s important to the story and what’s not. You must decide what is an absolutely indispensable detail and what’s just adding to the noise. You inevitably narrow in on what the story is actually about. 

Do you know what your story is about? 

The story of your illness… 

The story of losing your mother…

The story of being falsely accused…

The story of your divorce…

The story of growing a business from next to nothing…

What is that story really about?  

Writing your story can be healing and gratifying. And yet most of us aren’t doing it—not because we don’t believe in the power of storytelling—but because the task feels overwhelming. Which is why I wrote my new book Write Your Story, to make the process an absolutely easy and enjoyable process for anyone who wants to do it.  

Here’s a simple prompt that can get you started: 

What have you overcome and how has it changed you? 

As you answer this prompt, notice how much clarity rains down. In a story there aren’t many paths, there is only one. One obstacle, one resolution, one central theme the story follows. Life isn’t always this simple, but storytelling is. And when we submit the events of our lives to a tool like storytelling, our life tends to feel clearer too. 

It isn’t everything. But it is something. And sometimes that small something is all we need. 

***

Allison Fallon is an author of Write Your Story (available now) and founder of Find Your Voice, a community that supports anyone who wants to write anything. She is also the author of one of my favorite books on simplicity, Packing Light, and a long-time contributor to this blog (first appearing in 2014). For help writing your story, she comes recommended by me.

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Wake Up to New Potential Today

“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” —Germany Kent

Every morning, including this one, brings with it new potential and a chance for change. This is an amazing opportunity for those who need it—and a stark reminder for those who don’t.

Think about it: whether we wake up feeling stuck in a free-fall or genuinely satisfied with where we are, every sunrise emerges with new opportunity and new responsibility.

And it is up to us, every day, to make the most of this gift. Every day, we can choose to move toward the life we dream of—or sit idle as another day passes by.

For those who feel confined by their circumstances or are unhappy about the current trajectory of their lives, today offers you a choice to chart a new course. You are never too old, or too late, or too anything, to make a change.

The opportunity to choose can never be taken from you.

For you, a new day means a new chance to take a small step toward the life you want to be living. The step you take today doesn’t have to be a giant leap—but it does need to be a movement in the right direction.

Change requires movement. And today provides the opportunity.

Sometimes we know exactly the change we want to make in our lives, other times we are unsure. If you find yourself discontent with your current circumstances, but are unsure what change needs to be made, here are some simple, achievable actions you could accomplish today that would produce positive movement in your life.

Read one chapter of a book to spark new thoughts, new ideas, and intentionally change the things you think about. Make a list of three things you’re grateful for to cultivate a more positive mindset.Commit to walking for at least fifteen minutes, whether it be during a break at work or right after dinner, a walk in nature does wonders for our brain.Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while; reconnecting can boost your spirits and theirs.Declutter one small part of your home, like a drawer or shelf, which can reduce stress and improve your environment. If you want to immediately lift your spirit, declutter an area.

Here’s the amazing thing about today. It doesn’t matter what mistakes you made yesterday, today is always a new day.

So if you need to make a change in your life, do it now.

On the other hand, for those of you who are happy with the direction of your life, today is also a new day. And consistency requires effort. It doesn’t matter if you made all the right decisions yesterday, today will require you to make them again.

It’s easy to become complacent when things are going well. Success is a lousy teacher as they like to say. And just because life was moving in the right direction yesterday doesn’t mean today won’t require wise decision-making.

Every day carries with it opportunity and responsibility because each new day holds the possibility of change—some that are in our control and others that are not.

By continuing to make intentional choices about the life we want to live, we can maintain it. Even more, we can build on it.

Here are ways to keep advancing:

Set a new goal that stretches your abilities, like learning a new skill or starting a challenging project at work.Volunteer your time for a cause you care about, adding depth and broader purpose to your life.Teach someone a skill you’ve mastered; sharing your knowledge can deepen your expertise and satisfaction.Share the lessons you’ve learned with others, looking for ways to pay forward the lessons you’ve learned so others can find pride in their own direction.

Let’s not waste the potential that today holds.

Whether you see today as an opportunity to make a change or a responsibility to build upon, the decision rests with you. Let’s greet today with enthusiasm, optimism, and courage—ready to take full advantage of the potential held in it.

And then, tomorrow, we’ll do it all again.

The post Wake Up to New Potential Today appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Less Clutter, More Home

“A comfortable home is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience.” —Sydney Smith, 1843

It is difficult to overstate the importance we humans place on “home.”

I once heard a commentator speaking about the movie The Wizard of Oz. His opinion on why it has become such an iconic film was “because Dorothy’s journey is ultimately one where her entire goal is simply to return home. And that longing is true for each of us. We all desire a home where we are loved, accepted, and can return to when we need to.”

How interesting then, for me, when I stumbled across this almost 200-year old quote from Sydney Smith that speaks of almost the same truth: A comfortable home is a great source of happiness. On par (almost) with health and a pure conscience.

We know this to be true. Our homes are more than just buildings. They can be a great source of happiness. They are places of refuge away from the world and are the launching pad from which we enter the world to hopefully live out the best versions of ourselves.

They are places to share our dreams and fears. They protect our families and both keep our memories and allow us to create new ones. Our home is a place to find hope, grow safely, and experience peace in a unkind world.

And at this point, I must mention that I am speaking of an idealized version of home. Not everyone has fond memories of home or lives today in a home where safety can be found. Some experience just the opposite and I am not discounting that reality.

It is true, in many ways, that none of us live in a perfect home because our homes are always occupied by imperfect humans. But I believe our desire for home to be safe, accepting, calm, and comfortable is part of the human spirit. And if you do not have one, you likely understand this longing more than most.

A comfortable home is indeed a great source of happiness.

If that is true, we would be wise to care deeply about the things we bring into it, keep in it, and how our belongings affect that level of comfort.

Sometimes we do that well. Other times, our homes are filled with things we don’t really need. Items we bought thinking they would make life better sometimes end up making it more complicated, more stressful, less functional, and less comforting.

Even worse, when we fill our homes with excess possessions, we negatively affect the other two variables mentioned in the quote: both health and conscience.

Health

Studies show that clutter is bad for our health—both physically and mentally.

For example, researchers at UCLA have discovered a link between high levels of stress hormones and a high density of household objects. In other words, clutter increases stress levels—almost undoubtedly.

Princeton scientists discovered that a cluttered environment limits our ability to focus. Their study reports that a visually disorganized environment has neurological effects similar to what we experience when barraged and overwhelmed by lots of different noises at once.

And clutter can even cause overeating, asthma, impaired learning, and loss of sleep quality.

When we own more than we need, we negatively affect two variables of happiness: home and health.

But that’s not all. Owning too much also negatively affects our conscience as well.

Good Conscience

Overconsumption is ultimately a result of misplaced intentions and resources. Nobody’s greatest value in life is to just own as much stuff as possible.

We dream bigger dreams for our life. We want to be faithful, loving, and kind. We want to be available to the people in our life. And we want to make a difference. These are the values and pursuits that align with heart, soul, and conscience.

But living with good conscience means making choices that match our values. This is where minimalism is so beneficial. Minimalism helps us buy less, buy intentionally, and match both our spending and energy with our values.

Making thoughtful choices about what we bring into our homes means we spend money and resources on things that truly matter to us. When we align our time and money and energy intentionally with our greatest values, we live with a clearer conscience.

Why Less Is More

Sydney Smith was an English writer in the early 1800’s and could certainly never have predicted the amount of things we accumulate in the modern world or the size of our homes.

But his wise words continue to ring true.

Here is his ranking of the top three factors for happiness: health, good conscience, comfortable home.

Embracing minimalism results in all three. It can improve our health by reducing stress. It can clear our conscience by helping us make intentional choices aligned with our values. And it can make our homes more comfortable by eliminating clutter and distraction.

Less clutter, more happiness.

The post Less Clutter, More Home appeared first on Becoming Minimalist.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

For the last ten 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 Twitter.

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.

3 Things Most People Get Wrong About Minimalism | Ronald Banks. To me, minimalism is more about attention than anything else. It’s a tool to assist you in promoting what you value. Once you understand this, recognizing what you may have gotten wrong about minimalism becomes increasingly evident.

Discipline is Underrated | Raptitude by David Cain. At some point discipline entirely fell out of favor.

Want a Tidy Home? Here are the 10 Things to Put Away Every Day | No Sidebar. There is a large number of items that could fit on this list, but we wanted to focus on simpler chores—items that (in most cases) can be put away in 2-3 minutes at the end of the day.

10 Essential Tips for Decluttering the Garage | Real Simple by Leslie Corona. The garage is a place to keep our vehicles—and things would be a lot easier if we just stopped there. But, for many, this ultimate utilitarian space is clutter’s final graveyard.

Defining Success Beyond Material Excess | Simple Money by Joshua Becker. When we endlessly chase more, we risk overlooking the riches we already hold.

How to Declutter an Outdoor Space With Joshua Becker | Karen Hugg. Decluttering a space helps to promote the purpose of a space. It helps to remove distraction from a space. And helps us see how little we need.

Recently Released Inspiring Videos

10 Reasons to Escape Excessive Consumerism | YouTube by Joshua Becker. I am trying to live a minimalist life. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t own stuff. But we have worked hard to escape excessive consumerism.

What if I Just Want to Live a Simple Life? | YouTube by Joshua Becker. We live in a world where aspirational living is presented to us everyday. Do you ever wonder if it’s okay to just want a simple life, free from the desires to chase the luxurious lifestyles presented to us by algorithms and media? Is it okay to not be ambitious? Let’s talk about that today.

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Uncluttered. If you’re looking for help trying to minimize your possessions, my 12-week course will help you own less, live more, and discover the life you want. But this is the last weekend to sign-up. Registrations ends Sunday, April 28. The experience begins on Tuesday.

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5 House Rules to Make Minimalism Work for Any Decorating Style

Note: This is a guest post from Myquillyn Smith of The Nesting Place and author of House Rules.

What comes to mind when you think of minimalist home decorating? I used to think minimalism was a style of its own—a harsh, colorless contemporary style that worked for twentysomething bachelors with leather sofas and no drapes.

To me that wasn’t pretty, but I had to admit it did sound freeing. My apologies to twentysomething bachelors and actual minimalists. I was wrong.

The truth is minimalism isn’t a style, it’s a lens for understanding that more isn’t always better when it comes to creating a home you can love. You can learn to decorate in any style with the least amount of stuff by following some universal decorating truths.

Here are 5 rules of decorating that can help your home feel finished, cozy, and simple:

1. Minimal is a form of enough.

Now that I see minimalism as more than a specific style, I know that the negative view I had was unfair, because minimal doesn’t mean getting by with less than enough. It’s actually a form of just enough, neither too little nor an excess.

Minimalism is actually a tool to help you meet the goal of achieving the style you want in your home, then saying no to extra stuff that doesn’t actually improve your space or your life. It’s about getting the same results with less effort, less money, less time, and less stuff. And truly, enough is better than more.

2. Luxury isn’t having more, it’s needing less.

We usually think of luxury as having everything we might need or want at our fingertips. But have you ever overpacked for a trip? I have, and oh, how I envied my fellow travelers who weren’t lugging around oversized bags heavy with a disorganized jumble of things they never even used!

When I moved into our new home with a huge bedroom, I realized it felt like the most luxurious space in the house simply because of the extra space. I’ve fought to keep that space clear of extra stuff and clutter, and to this day it feels amazing to be in a room with empty space and not need to fill it. That freedom is the real luxury.

3. Admire, don’t acquire.

Ever feel like there’s so much beauty and inspiration in the world that it’s overwhelming and everything you have is not quite right or enough? I can scroll online, flip through design books, or simply look at my neighbor’s beautiful property and feel like I have too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. But wisdom is learning to appreciate things without trying to own them.

Much of the joy of beautiful things can be found in simply recognizing and appreciating their beauty. Admiring something doesn’t mean I have to try to make it mine. And admiring without acquiring also keeps me free from needing to care for or store extra things or keep moving on to the latest trend.

4. Cozy doesn’t mean cluttered.

Much like I thought minimalism was a style that wasn’t for me, for the first half of my life I believed “cozy” was a style—my style. The problem was, I was attracted to so many beautiful, welcoming things that I filled every inch of my home and made it feel chaotic and stressful.

Now that I’ve learned to use coziness as a tool for creating a welcoming home, my impulse to keep adding more has a stopping point. I can still love beautiful decorative pillows, but I know the true cozy factor is having space to sit down without first moving a mountain of pillows. I can add just enough to meet the goal and no more.

5. Having it all is a lot to keep clean.

My tendency to overbuy home décor started out innocently enough, when I got into the habit of searching thrift stores for great deals on items I could repurpose to decorate on a budget. But before I knew it, I had clogged up my closets, drawers and shelves with great deals that were almost my style or I might use someday.

I sacrificed spending a little more for what I really wanted and needed because I was spending a few dollars here and there—not to mention the time and effort of buying, storing, organizing, and reorganizing those items. Having it all is more work than it’s worth!

Now minimalist decor sounds beautiful and just right. I’ve learned that following minimalist principles doesn’t have to mean cold or heartless but can help create a home filled with coziness, luxury, and freedom!

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Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester, is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Cozy Minimalist Home and Welcome Home. For the past 17 years, she’s been encouraging women to embrace their space—imperfections and all—and make it their own. She recently purchased and redecorated a Victorian home in Morganton, North Carolina, the inspiration for her new book House Rules, which just released this week.

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How to Distinguish Between Wants and Needs

Maybe one of the most underrated skills in our world today is the ability to distinguish between wants and needs. Think about it: When was the last time you sat down to actually distinguish between the two?

I’m not even sure most of us could accomplish it if we tried.

Learning to be content living with just the things we need is even more difficult, but I’m not even talking about that. I’m just talking about even being able to distinguish the difference.

Some of this difficulty, no doubt, is human nature. Hedonic Adaptation is a good example of how quickly we can conflate needs and wants—not just as individuals but as a society.

To make it even harder, the distinction between want and need becomes even more difficult in a world where advertisements constantly blur the lines. Many products we consider needs today were luxuries not that long ago. In fact, this seems to be the progression of most new products on the market. At first, they appear as luxuries. But through marketing, they slowly become wants and then eventually needs.

The distinction becomes more and more difficult.

My goal here is not to diminish the fact that our human-ingrained drive to improve our existence has led to some pretty amazing inventions along the way. Ambition, in the right places, is a worthy pursuit.

But there are some wonderful benefits available to those who can hone the skill of distinguishing between want and need.

This ability would free us up in many ways. It would save us stress and worry. Contentment would be easier to discover. The skill would help us more clearly identify when we are about to potentially waste money. It would help us clear clutter from our home. And perhaps, most importantly, it would enable us to devote more of our time, energy, and money on what truly matters.

Understanding the difference between wants and needs frees us from unnecessary burdens and begins to align our lives with more lasting fulfillment.

I think there is great benefit in owning only what we need as it allows us to more fully enjoy the benefits above. But I also think there is benefit to be found in just knowing the difference.

For example, consider this list of just a few everyday expenditures and how identifying the difference between want and need could dramatically impact your life and bank account:

Transportation: You need a car, but you don’t NEED a $650/month car payment.

Shelter: You need a place to live, but you don’t NEED 2,522 square feet.

Dining: You need to eat, but you don’t NEED to spend $250/month eating out.

Clothing: You need clothes to wear, but you don’t NEED to own 150 different articles of clothing — especially considering we only wear half of them.

Technology: You need a way to communicate with others, but you don’t NEED to upgrade your phone every three years.

Travel: Vacations can be helpful, but you don’t NEED to spend $10,000/year on travel.

Furniture: You need a place to sit at home, but you don’t NEED to spend $31,000 furnishing your home.

It is true of course that some people’s income is barely enough to cover legitimate needs. But for a large majority of us, we feel financially underwater because we’ve begun to confuse our needs with our wants and have overspent in the process.

Taking a step back to evaluate our lives, spending, and expectations is a powerfully helpful exercise.

To help, here are a series of self-reflective questions to evaluate our expectations and spending and ultimately better distinguish our needs from wants.

1. Are there other people living joyful lives with less than I have?

Observing those who thrive with less can inspire us to reevaluate our own definitions of necessity. If someone is living a joy-filled life (maybe even more joyful than mine) with less, this should immediately help us redefine our understanding of need.

2. What exactly are the minimum requirements for a purposeful life in my context?

Understanding what is essential in your own life, in your unique circumstance (family size, career, living area) can help clarify your needs.

3. What could I give up today that wouldn’t affect my daily life?

This question helps us identify some of the non-essentials that currently clutter our lives.

4. Where do my current spending habits not reflect my core values?

Quickly identifying those areas of life where our spending doesn’t align with our values can be a good indication that we’re mistaking wants for needs.

5. Am I discontent with what I have because I truly need more, or because I desire what someone else possesses?

Envy often disguises itself as need.

6. If I had to move tomorrow, what would I choose to not take with me?

This helpful question can help us identify objects and items in our home that really aren’t needed.

7. What is the emotional drive behind most of my purchases?

Understanding the emotional motivations (such as joy, security, or status) can help reveal whether an item is a true need or simply a want.

8. Is this purchase to replace a necessity, or is it an upgrade I can do without?

Differentiating between replacing worn-out essentials and upgrading for the sake of newness can clarify needs versus wants.

9. Is there a less expensive alternative that would serve the same function?

Identifying more cost-effective alternatives can help fulfill a need without indulgence in expensive wants.

10. Does this purchase bring me closer to the person I aspire to be?

Items that align with your personal or professional growth are likely needs.

It doesn’t look like our consumeristic society is going to change any time soon. Because of that, the ability to distinguish between wants and needs will continue to get more and more difficult.

But it is an important skill. Not only is it likely a financial imperative in your life (or may become one in your future), knowing the difference helps pave the way for greater peace, joy, meaning, and purpose.

By regularly questioning our motives and the necessity of our purchases, we create space and margin in our lives for those pursuits and purchases that truly enrich us.

Because of that, we would all be wise to sit down occasionally and reevaluate the difference between wants and needs.

You need to live a meaningful life, but you DON’T need to spend a lot of money to achieve it.

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