Less Is Not the Same as None

Minimalism is about living with less, and as I often say, less is not the same as none. My family seeks to live a minimalist life, but at the same time we are still living, breathing, human beings. We still have possessions. But we have worked hard to escape the excessive accumulation of possessions.

I sometimes talk about “rational minimalism” or “strategic minimalism” to get at what I mean. I don’t advocate getting rid of everything humanly possible. Instead, I encourage people to get rid of what isn’t necessary so they can better pursue their goals in life. For example, I am passionate about my soul, about my family, and about loving and influencing others. Minimalism is a means to these ends for me. It removes physical distractions so I can realize my greatest priorities. 

It can be the same for you as you choose to walk down the path of minimalism. Live with whatever possessions give you the life you want. 

Keep in mind that organizing is not the same as minimizing. Organizing has its place, but organizing our stuff without removing the excess is only a temporary solution. At its heart, organizing is simply rearranging. It doesn’t benefit anyone else—the possessions we rarely use continue to sit in our garage or basement even while other people could use them. It also never addresses the underlying issue that we buy too much stuff. In fact, many times, the act of rearranging our stuff costs us even more as we purchase containers, storage units, or larger homes to house it. 

If you think about it, the act of organizing our things into boxes, plastic bins, or extra closets is all about holding on to our excess accumulation. It rarely thwarts our culture-driven inclination to find happiness in our possessions. We may have rearranged our stuff, but not our lives. 

By contrast, the act of removing possessions from our homes changes our hearts. It is a permanent solution, rather than a temporary one. Once we have removed an item, it is gone for good. And when we get rid of what we don’t need, we reach the optimal level of possessions for us, whatever that may be.

How do you think your misconceptions about minimalism have kept you from simplifying your life?