Joshua Becker's Blog, page 99

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads. (And Your Last Chance to Join Uncluttered for Free.)

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.

So 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.

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Join Uncluttered for Free. Our 12-week Uncluttered online course is strategically packaged for one purpose: to help you declutter your home and start living a better life. This Spring, we are offering free access to the course—so far, over 5,000 people have signed up. It’s going to be amazing! But this is the last weekend to register. Here’s the information.

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Parents Are Bankrupting Themselves to Look Adequate | Bloomberg by Megan McArdle. “The primary reason people have so much trouble saving is that they can always find a reason to justify not doing so.”

Americans don’t like to buy stuff anymore – and that’s a problem | Yahoo Finance by Rick Newman. The shift in attitudes among young people is most striking.

Fear Is Why We Have Too Much Stuff | Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. Fear is what causes us to buy things we don’t really need. Fear keeps us holding onto stuff we don’t need.

Collect Memories, Not Stuff | No Sidebar by Kerry Ogden. When it comes to ridding life of extraneous things, these three questions are instrumental.

Joshua Becker’s West Coast Book Tour

This summer, I’ll be touring the West Coast (10 cities) to help promote my new book, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own (Barnes and Noble | Amazon).

I am excited to have my family along with me—and a number of special guests joining me along the way.

Each event will provide opportunity for me to share the story behind the book and opportunity to meet each of you—something I very much look forward to. There will also be plenty of time for questions, photos, and signings afterwards, if desired, of course.

Admission to the book tour is free. And each event lasts 90 minutes.

Tour Dates

May 09. Phoenix, AZ with Asha Dornfest (tickets)

June 13. Tucson, AZ (tickets)

June 17. San Diego, CA with Dave Bruno (tickets)

June 18. Los Angeles, CA with Peter Walsh (tickets)

June 20. San Jose, CA (tickets)

June 21. San Francisco, CA (Vine Conference) *registration req’d

June 23. Sacramento, CA (tickets)

June 25. Portland, OR with special guest TBA (tickets)

June 27. Seattle, WA (tickets)

June 28. Victoria, BC with special guest TBA (tickets)

While not required, your RSVP is helpful as we prepare for each event.

If you live out West, grab a friend and a ticket. More than anything else, I look forward to saying hello to each of you in-person.

Compliments are Free

Years ago, while scrolling through Facebook, I read something posted by Sarah Peck. And I’ve never forgotten it.

Sarah is one of the most encouraging people I know online and she always makes me smile. Her post was a simple, life-changing thought:

“Facebook ‘likes’ are free. It doesn’t cost you anything to hand them out. So go for it.”

Sarah was offering a quick commentary on how we use Facebook. It doesn’t cost anything to click “like” on somebody’s photo, status update, or new Group page. So do it. I mean, why not? Be an encouragement to someone by clicking the like button (and now the “love” or “wow” button). You’re already scrolling through Facebook anyway.

Her simple post changed how I use Facebook. I used to just scroll and scan, but now I click “like.” It’s a simple way to tell somebody that you noticed them. The same principle applies to Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat and Youtube.

It also applies to podcasts and books and apps. In fact, one of the most important things you can do for a podcaster, author, or app developer is leave a positive review on their product. That’s why, if you interact at all online, you have almost certainly been asked to leave a review. Those are important—and again, totally free to hand out.

If you enjoy a podcast or new app, leave a positive review. If you read a good book, leave a 5-star review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you read a blog post, leave a comment or share it. These simple actions cost nothing, take only seconds to complete, and provide valuable encouragement to the author/creator. It’s a simple act with a huge impact.

And in an Internet world with so much negativity, shouldn’t we be passing out as much positivity as possible? (tweet that)

Of course, Sarah’s advice extends far beyond social media. Perhaps, even more importantly, her thoughts extend to our in-person relationships as well.

Compliments are free. It costs us literally nothing to use kind words. So why not use them as much as possible?

It’s nice to receive long, thoughtful, drawn-out compliments, but not every kind word needs to be this way. Sometimes just one short sentence can be enough to change the entire course of somebody’s day:

“You did a good job.”
“It’s nice to see you.”
“That’s really funny.”
“You are so thoughtful.”
“You are one of the kindest people I know.”
“I’m glad I get to work with you.”
“You look really nice today.”
“You always brighten my day.”
“I’m proud of you son.”

Each of these compliments take only seconds. And they don’t cost anything to hand out. So just go for it.

In a world full of negativity, everybody can use a little more positivity in their lives.

Besides, you are a beautiful person. And a compliment from you would mean more than you know.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

There’s more to life than buying stuff.

There are many wonderful people pursuing and promoting simplicity. Fortunately, some of them are gifted in communication and choose to encourage and inspire us with their words. I enjoy reading their unique perspective. I’m sure you will too.

So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea on this beautiful weekend. Find a quiet moment. And enjoy some encouraging words about finding more simplicity in your life today.

Memo to Parents: Your Adult Kids Don’t Want Your Stuff | mLive by Marni Jameson. Parents of grown children, please sit down. I have some harsh news for you. Your kids don’t want your stuff. Don’t take it personally. It’s not that they don’t love you. They don’t love your furniture.

What Happens When Fashion Becomes Fast, Disposable And Cheap? | NPR by Zhai Yun Tan. When it comes to clothes these days, maybe you should ask: What’s your waste size?

5 Things People With Tidy Homes Don’t Do | Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith. After years of feeling bad about my messy habits, I’ve learned how to embrace the mess and I’ve also learned how to have a tidy(er) home.

Hoarding Is a Serious Disorder — And It’s Only Getting Worse in the U.S. | The Washington Post by Sara Solovitch. Studies show that compulsive hoarding affects up to 6 percent of the population, or 19 million Americans.

7 Little Ways to Make Life Simpler | Marc and Angel Hack Life by Marc Chernoff. Anyone can make today more complicated than it has to be, and most people will. It takes a touch of wisdom to do the opposite.

Uncluttered: Join for Free this Spring

“The Uncluttered course is about more than just removing clutter from your home. It is about challenging you to live differently.” — Amy Slenker-Smith, Herndon, VA

The Course

In January, we announced a new online course specifically designed to help you own less, live more, and find space to live the life you want. We call it Uncluttered.

The course includes videos, interviews, live webinars, practical articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and an engaged community. It is strategically packaged for one purpose: to help you declutter your home and start living a better life.

Every Monday, participants receive a video from me, an exclusive interview with one of the brightest minds in the simplicity movement, or written content uniquely prepared for the course. They also receive a weekly challenge to complete and significant opportunities to engage with the community in a private Facebook group and with me during live webinars and Q&A sessions.

The Results

Since that first announcement in January, more than 500 people have gone through the course. The feedback has been unbelievable:

The term life-changing gets thrown around a lot, but this course really is. I went into it with a lot of shame and anxiety. Joshua gently guided us in a way that made lasting change seem possible. My home is much improved, but my mindset is also clearer. —Kathryn Wagner, Los Angeles, CA

Signing up for the Decluttering course was one of the best decisions I’ve made. —Tracy Nowak Webster, NY

In the past, I bought every organizing book that came out, but never followed through on any of them. This course has been so helpful by being clear with direction, encouragement, and helpful advice. Thank you so much for helping me to make changes I never thought I could make. —Nancy Dopler, Davenport, IA

My credit card statement came today. $1000.00 under my typical monthly balance! Thank you Uncluttered community. I’ve been at this for years; however, it’s clear I truly needed this group to get to that next level. —Cheyanne Morris, St. Paul, MN

The Opportunity

The Spring Edition of the Uncluttered Course begins on Monday, May 09. If you are drawn to the notion of owning less, but need some extra help getting there, this course (and the Spring season) is perfect for you.

In January, we offered the course for $89.

But today, we are announcing you can receive free access this Spring!

This is a one-time offer to celebrate the release of my new book, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own. 

To redeem your gift, pre-order The More of Less (print or ebook) by May 2 through your favorite online retailer. Visit the Uncluttered Registration page with your receipt and use the number to complete the registration form. Your purchase is your registration.

The hardcover book is priced at $10.79 (Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BAM | CBD). The digital version is $11.99 (Nook | Kindle | iBooks).

I realize this offer may prompt some questions:

1. Is the course really free? Yes, well kinda. You do need to pre-order the book. But other than that, the course is free.

2. Why are you doing this? The honest answer is that I want to sell a lot of books. Bookstores watch pre-order campaigns closely. And based on the number of pre-orders, they will make important decisions about how many books to order, which stores to place them in, and where to place them in the physical store. Your pre-order will help bookstores around the country recognize the interest people have in this topic and this book specifically.

3. What about all those people that paid $89 in January? Is this fair to them? During the registration process in January, we were upfront about the free offer in May. Many people decided to wait… but 500 people decided they wanted to go through the course right away.

4. When is the deadline? If you want to register for free, you will need to pre-order the book and register by May 2.

5. Can I just wait until then?  You could, that’s fine. The course begins May 9. But we’ve had thousands of people already join the Spring course. Most of them are already interacting in the Facebook group and many are already posting photos of decluttering efforts in their home. In other words, they found motivation to get started right away. You will too.

6. This is great Joshua! How can I help you? Wow! What a thoughtful question, I am glad you asked. First, you can tell friends and family and blog followers about the course and invite them to take it with you. Second, no pressure, but book purchases from a wide variety of retailers are actually very helpful for me and my publisher. Most pre-orders come through Amazon. If you would like to help support the book in a different way, consider making your purchase through a different online retailer. Here are some suggestions: Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, CBD, Powell’s.

Again, Uncluttered is a 12-week online course with videos, interviews, webinars, articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and community. It is strategically packaged for one purpose: To help you unclutter your home, own less stuff, and find space to live the life you want.

If you would like to join us for free this Spring, visit My Becoming Minimalist for more information about the course and an opportunity to register for free.

Whatever Is Accessible, Gets Utilized

Every Tuesday after school, my 9-year old daughter asks me for money. I should be prepared, but it surprises me every time. Probably because I never know what day of the week it is.

But the scenario is always the same. After she walks home from school and sets her backpack down by the closet, she’ll ask me for a couple dollars.

“What do you need the money for?” I’ll ask.

And she’ll respond, “Dad, it’s Tuesday. The ice cream truck is coming today.”

One of the benefits of being a kid in Phoenix is that the ice cream truck is available all year long. For our street, it’s Tuesdays. And apparently, when you are 9-years old, the appeal of the ice cream truck is too much to ignore.

I mean, it’s ice cream, in a truck, who could possibly resist?

The first time I ever considered the relationship between accessibility and consumerism was during a panel discussion with Graham Hill and Halina Brown on HuffPost Live. It was a simple connection—one I probably should have made earlier, but I hadn’t.

One of the reasons for rampant consumerism in our society is low prices (fast fashion, for example). But another, equally important reason for the steady rise in consumer purchasing is accessibility.

As more and more retail stores appear on more and more street corners, consumerist habits become more difficult to overcome.

My daughter would eat less ice cream if the truck didn’t visit our street each week. My son would make less trips to the convenience store if it wasn’t within a bike ride of our house. And we’d all shop at Target less if it wasn’t so easy to get to.

Some companies have built an entire business model on accessibility. Walgreen’s comes to mind. So does Starbuck’s. As does Amazon.

Amazon, actually, is a perfect example of how accessibility impacts consumption.

The New York Times once wrote, “Jeffrey P. Bezos, Amazon’s founder, ‘has been on a mission to eradicate every conceivable obstacle to shopping online since the 1990s when he patented Internet ordering with a single mouse click’.”

And now, with the invention of the Amazon Dash Button, they have made shopping even more accessible. Without leaving your pantry or laundry room, you can place your order for consumer products with the press of a button… like an ice cream truck permanently placed inside your home.

Accessibility drives consumption. At least in these cases (and many more).

It is important for us to notice how accessibility impacts our behavior. Because the principle extends beyond shopping.

In life, whatever is accessible, gets utilized.

Unhealthy accessibility shapes unhealthy habits in our lives:

Keeping sweets in the home makes us more likely to eat them.
Having televisions conveniently located throughout a home results in more watching.
Placing your cell phone on your nightstand encourages late night browsing, early morning email, and even sleep texting.

But equally powerful, accessibility has opportunity to spur healthy habits as well:

Keeping fresh fruit and vegetables in your home makes healthy snacking more likely.
Having educational toys available for your children spurs learning.
Spending more time together as a family encourages conversation.
Removing vices from your immediate surroundings (tobacco, sugar, alcohol, television) is the first step in overcoming them.

What healthy habits are you trying to develop in your life? What unhealthy habits are you hoping to break? And how is accessibility influencing your behavior?

9 Simple Tips to Thin Out Your Closet

There is something uniquely attractive about open space in a closet.

When was the last time you saw a staged photo of a closet stuffed to overflowing with clothes? Rarely, if ever. Instead, clothes hang neatly and are organized tidily–with room for air and energy and open spaces. This is attractive to most of us.

But our closets look very different. They are stuffed full of shirts and pants and shoes and belts and jackets. We run out of hangers or shelf space, and then we shop for storage solutions so we can store even more clothes. Our closets become cluttered all too quickly.

Still, we are drawn to the idea of the thinned-out closet.

Of course, a streamlined wardrobe offers more benefits than simple beauty. It saves time in the morning (and sometimes, the evening). It reduces stress and frustration. It saves money. There is a special pleasure reserved for those who look in their closet and love everything they see.

If you are looking for help decluttering your wardrobe and thinning out your closet, here are nine simple tips to get you started:

1. Start easy. Begin by removing the clothes that are stained, ripped, or faded beyond recognition. Items that are no longer in wearable condition can still be donated.

2. Remove seasonal items. Remove off-season clothing from your closet to free up some needed space. If you didn’t wear an item at all last year, get rid of it. Then, store the remaining pieces in a separate closet where they will not be in your way cluttering up your closet.

3. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit once and for all. If you’re in-between sizes, certainly keep some clothing from both. But if you haven’t cleaned out your closet for quite some time, there are likely a number of ill-fitting items that can be removed entirely—whether you changed sizes, the item shrunk or stretched, or it never did fit quite right. Those ill-fitting items are weighing you down physically, mentally, and emotionally. Pass them on to someone who can use them.

4. Reduce your need for additional accessories. If you’re holding on to something until you find the “perfect accessory,” let it go. Clothes often multiply in our closets because of the Diderot effect (one purchase leads to another, which leads to another). In the future, look for pieces that compliment your existing accessory pile. After all, if you’re constantly adding things to your closet, you’ll never get ahead (not in your closet and not in your checkbook).

5. Consider the idea of one. If one can be enough, embrace it. Rather than owning an entire assortment, try owning just your favorite black dress, belt, handbag, or jacket (just to name a few ideas). A closet filled with only things you love and use will be a closet that you love to use.

6. Reassess current trend purchases. The fashion industry gets rich on one principle: constantly changing fashion trends. You see, the fashion industry cannot survive on people buying only the clothes they need. So the industry invents false need by boldly declaring new fashion trends and colors for every changing season. But you don’t to have fall for their tricks. Find your favorite timeless fashion and start playing by your own rules.

7. Physically handle every item. If you want to make significant progress thinning out your closet, remove every item entirely from the closet. Return only the pieces you truly love. If that task seems too overwhelming, complete the process in sections (i.e. shoes today, shirts tomorrow). However you seek to accomplish this project, it is important that you physically handle each item at some point. The physical touch forces decisions.

8. If all else fails, pick a number. To start, choose 10. Thumb through the clothes in your closet and remove 10 items—any 10 you want. Put them in a bag and drop off at your nearest donation center. Likely, you will find the task was not that difficult. In fact, once you get started, you may find 15 or 20 things to remove without even breaking a sweat.

9. Experiment with less. Test your assumptions about the optimal amount of clothing with a few, simple experiments. Try placing half of your clothing in a different room for two weeks. You will be surprised how much easier is to function and get ready with fewer clothes in your closet. Most of us wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time and would live much happier with fewer wardrobe choices than we have now. But you’ll never realize that until you test it out.

There are many reasons the capsule wardrobe movement continues to grow. A thinned out closet is less stressful, less time-consuming, and more convenient. You’ll love it once you experience it yourself.

And there’s no time like the present to get started.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything 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.

Simplicity Leads To Happiness In Children (And Here’s How to Do It) | Raised Good by Tracy Gillett. Slowing down feeds our souls and nurtures our families. No matter what parenting style we practice, this topic unites us.

Anger, Hunger, The Thrill Of The Hunt: What’s Your Spending Trigger? | Forbes by Maggie McGrath. Here’s a list of the nine most common—and costly—spending triggers.

How Your Insecurity is Bought and Sold | Mark Manson by Mark Manson. The vast majority of information that we’re exposed to is some form of marketing.

4 Absurdly Easy Things I Do That Make Life Disproportionately Better | Raptitude by David Cain. Lots of the things we spend our energy on are worthwhile, but some are a better deal than others.

Redefining Happiness | Huffington Post Video (2:52). Jay Shetty urges us to redefine happiness.

Don’t Find Joy In What You Do But How You Do It

These days, there’s a lot of talk about finding your passion and doing what you love. And I think that’s important. We should take the time to identify the things in life worth pursuing and dedicating ourselves to.

But I don’t think finding joy in what you do is nearly as important as finding joy in how you do it.

This is something I learned from my grandma.

Growing up, my family attended church every Sunday. I remember, when I was young, hanging out primarily with my grandmother. Mostly, this was because she was working in the nursery… and I was bored in the service.

Every week, during the message, I would complain about needing the bathroom. After escaping to the hallway, I’d check the nursery hoping my grandma needed help. I would always find her there, sitting peacefully, usually rocking a baby to sleep. On a small black-and-white television, she would be watching the pastor deliver his sermon.

As I got older and I began to understand what was happening in the sanctuary, I grew to appreciate it. The words encouraged me and challenged me. Slowly, I began to spend fewer and fewer Sundays in the nursery with my grandma. And I began to spend more and more Sundays in the sanctuary with my grandpa.

He was, after all, the preacher on the stage.

But I’ll never forget the image of my grandma, rocking that baby, watching her husband on the small television in the nursery.

His sermons were being broadcast all over the country. Yet she just watched them faithfully, from right there in that small nursery, with a baby in her arms.

I’ve never met another woman so gifted at comforting and quieting a crying child—or relieving the nerves of an anxious mother.

My grandmother died on Christmas Eve, 2007.

Leading her Memorial Service was one of the greatest honors of my life. In preparation for it, I began to recall vividly those Sunday mornings sitting in that quiet nursery with my grandmother.

I can see now how she modeled love, humility, contentment, and joy in those moments. She never did receive recognition for her hard work. But she didn’t seem to mind. Because she faithfully served others in her quiet role, my grandfather was able to fulfill his.

We live in a world that exalts and honors those who clamor for attention. We praise and idolize those people who appear on magazine covers, climb the corporate ladder, or have ever-increasing numbers of Instagram followers. We place on a pedestal those who have acquired great wealth, fame, or power.

And many of us desire to achieve the same.

But there is an important truth for all of us that I shared the evening of my Grandmother’s service. It goes like this:

If you are content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.

We don’t always get to choose our life’s circumstances or the roles we are called to fulfill. Each of us are gifted in different ways and invited to pursue unique callings on our life.

Our greatest pursuit then, is to find humility, love, and contentment in the role we are best designed to fulfill—whether that role results in fame and fortune or not.

We find joy by focusing less on the “what we do” and more on the “how we do it.”

Serving quietly and humbly like my grandmother is no less important in this world than standing on a stage. And in that way, I may have learned just as much about life while sitting in the nursery as I ever learned sitting in the sanctuary.

Your Biggest Expense is Your Greatest Opportunity

“Your home is living space, not storage space.” —Francine Jay

Recently, the New York Times referred to our generation as the most stressed, tired, and rushed generation of all time.

“A Portrait of the Modern Family,” is how the author chose to title the article. She is, of course, correct. We are tired, stressed, and busy. In the article, the author cites a number of reasons why this is the case: public policy, workplace structure, unrealistic expectations, just to name a few.

Around the time that article was being published, a different kind of report was being produced, The 2014 U.S. Department of Commerce Report on New Housing, an annual study surveying the size and cost of new homes being built.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there might be a significant correlation between the two.

Certainly, there is a direct link with the number of possessions we own and the stress we experience. Every increased possession adds increased anxiety unto our lives. There is a direct relationship also with excess possessions and an overall lack of time, energy, and focus.

The 763-page study on the homes we live in confirms what most Becoming Minimalist readers already know to be true: We own too much stuff—and yet, rather than getting rid of it, we just build bigger homes to store it all.

Here are some findings from that 2014 report and other related sources:

In 2014, the average size of new homes built increased to an all-time high of 2,690 square feet. In 2015, the average grew another 30 square feet to 2,720.
While our houses have gotten bigger, our families have gotten smaller. Because of these two factors, since 1973, average living space per American person has doubled.
The growth in square footage of new homes has wiped out nearly all the efficiency gains. In other words, though energy efficiency has developed rapidly, we’ve increased our home size to the point that we’re still using almost the exact same amount of energy.
As would be expected, housing costs have risen alongside square footage. In the U.S., the existing home median sale price is $210,800 (up from $154,600 in January, 2012).
Housing expenses, all totaled, accounted for more than 33% of the average consumer’s total expenditures during 2014.
Renters aren’t doing much better. In fact, it’s the worst time in 36 years to be a renter in America. The median rent nationwide now takes up 30.2 percent of the median American’s income, the highest cost burden recorded since tracking began in 1979.
Meanwhile, Americans aren’t even building the largest homes in the world. Australia holds that honor (they are even filming television shows about it). The U.S., Canada, Denmark, and France round out the top five for largest home sizes in the world.

Our homes continue to increase in size, cost, and responsibility. Our biggest investment has become an ever-increasing drain on our resources.

But this doesn’t need to be the case.

Your biggest investment also represents your greatest opportunity.

Consider the benefits of living in a smaller home: less expense, less worry, less upkeep—more time, more money, more freedom, and more opportunity.

When we first began pursuing minimalism, we made a lot of changes in our home. We removed the excess from every room in our house. But when we began removing entire rooms from our home, we started to experience even more significant benefits.

Four years ago, we intentionally decided to buy a smaller house. Our mortgage payments were sliced in half. Our insurance and taxes were also lowered. Our energy bills were slashed. Our ongoing repair and maintenance is a fraction of the expense it was before. And our cleaning responsibilities are noticeably easier.

Recently, I was asked by a friend how we are able to make ends meet financially while still doing a fair bit of traveling as a family. My answer immediately centered on our decision to minimize—not just our possessions, but our home as well.

“When the rest of the world was building bigger and bigger, we decided to buy smaller. And that decision has freed us to do many wonderful things.”

Choosing to buy a smaller house is a decision I have never regretted. Likely, neither will you.