I recently read an article that really made me think about the whole minimalist movement. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the article or who wrote it, or else I would link to it here. The premise of the article was that this mother jumped on the minimalist fad bandwagon…and it made her a monster. She recalls one encounter where her son received a toy as a gift from a friend that she thought was “junky” and just cluttered up her house even more, so she threw it out. She basically became obsessed with every single item she brought or didn’t bring into her house. During a play-date the son’s friend saw the toy in the garbage and asked why she had thrown it out. The mother had basically cold-heartedly told her son’s friend who was probably about 5 that they didn’t need more stuff as it just cluttered up the house.

I’m so hesitant to call my lifestyle minimalism as I feel I live a far from minimalistic lifestyle and it has become such a fad movement. You always see these articles on the “proper” ways to de-clutter, which most people associate minimalism with. In actuality it is only one tiny piece of the puzzle. People who jump to minimalism often realize they have a clutter problem. They may try many different tactics to de-clutter and purge and some people will have breakthroughs and realize the far grander idea of minimalism. Most others will purge then go back to their consumeristic lifestyle until the next purge. Or they will become like this mother in the article and become so fixated on the physical items within her household without regards to emotional or environmental factors – the exact opposite idea of minimalism.

I prefer to use the term “simple living” to describe my lifestyle. I believe the entire process to “minimalism” is a continuous life-long journey. While I own less items that most American households, I still feel I have a lot of items I could let go of that I just haven’t yet. I have become a more mindful shopper and almost everything I purchase I ask myself if I really need it or am going to use it. That doesn’t mean that I never buy anything that’s an impulse purchase. Sometimes it just happens.

I’ve also become more mindful of the environment and what I throw away. I hope to do more gardening in the future and hope to start composting next year. I also try to recycle and donate as much as I possibly can. Most of my clothes I buy secondhand as I now understand how harsh cloth-making is on the environment. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ever buy new clothes or forget to recycle something I should have. I just try to be more informed and mindful of the decisions I do make.

I also try and make time for the things that matter to me. A lot of times people overextend themselves and their obligations that don’t quite align with their values. You’ll often hear the simple living or minimalism communities recommend saying “no” to anything that doesn’t align with your values and make more time for what is important in your life. This doesn’t mean you can just blow off business meetings or your child’s soccer games because you just don’t “feel” like going; however maybe it’s a wake-up call that you need some self-care, self-reflection, and to re-prioritize your life.

Another thing that minimalism is not is saying “no” to something just because it pushes you outside your comfort zone. If your goal is to accomplish something but you keep saying “no” because it’s uncomfortable, you’ll never reach your goal and will remain miserable. You should still say “yes” to ideas that push you outside your comfort zone that will get you closer to your goals and more aligned with your values.

Lastly, when we ultimately made the leap to sell our first house we really questioned our goals and priorities. We didn’t want to be stressed anymore. We wanted to be able to pay off our student loans and be able to afford vacations and hobbies. It was then that we took control of our finances and decided to be more actively involved in our financial decisions. It really was quite the life-changing experience and I would say it completely changed our life path. One year can really change everything. If you want to see what we were able to accomplish in that year, read this article.

What I’m trying to say is that simple living and minimalism are not fads. They are complete lifestyle transformations. Some people might miss the boat and only focus on the superficial themes, or are just looking for a quick fix. Simple living is being able to self-reflect and recognize all of the barriers in your life that keep you from accomplishing what you want to. Sometimes those superficial themes are just the vehicle that gets you from point A to point B, but it’s not the end. It’s a continuous process of mindfulness, self-reflection, and recognizing the root cause of the barriers holding you back. Once you realize that, then it’s all problem-solving to get you where you need to be. With those tools, you’ll be able to handle any shifts in priorities and goals that arise throughout your lifetime.

What are your thoughts on the negatives of minimalism? How do you define minimalism and simple living?