Photo by Daniel Hering on Unsplash
I’ve been a minimalist for 5 years and over time have found myself attracted to extreme minimalism. Extreme minimalists go all out, choosing to own only the essentials while freeing up their new time and space for fulfilling passions such as travel ,career, or simple peace and tranquility.
Some examples of extreme minimalists are Fumio Sasaki who wrote Goodbye Things, Youheum from Heal Your Living, and Anja on Anja’s Artworld.
Extreme Minimalism does have limitations, and it’s especially challenging to achieve if you have a family, but it’s absolutely possible. It’s also one of the most freeing lifestyles you can adopt.
To be honest, I don’t even consider extreme minimalism to be extreme at all; I call it the ‘back to basics’ lifestyle. The ultimate reset. I think the reason most of us tend to look at only owning the essentials as extreme is because we’ve had it drilled into us since the day we learnt to walk that more is better. That the fastest, busiest person is the winner. The one who owns most is the happiest.
And none of it is true.
Because at the end of the day, if you’re speeding through life bearing the trophy of busyness, never stopping to consider what it is that you want, or to see beautiful sights beyond racks and stacks of stuff, life will pass you by until only regret is left.
Regret for a life unlived.
Think about it. We never actually feel satisfied with what we buy or own. We buy more and more to feel excited and fresh and to escape the uncomfortable, neverending itch of desire. If more stuff was the answer, Amazon would have solved my yearnings years ago.
In Bronnie Ware’s book, ‘The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying’, the most common regret was, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
And what is expected of you?
Kids? A ‘good’ job where you endlessly climb the corporate ladder to be able to buy even more? A career you never wanted in the first place? To be a ‘good’ person who never questions the rules or expresses your true feelings? To own a big house you can never seem to get on top of? To be the perfect parent? The perfect son/daughter?
Do you really want any of it, or do you find yourself constantly dreaming of a different, less stressful life?
One where you live on your own terms and wake up to freedom. Freedom from debt, other people’s expectations, needless chores, busyness, and excess. Where your space is airy and relaxed.
Sounds amazing doesn’t it? And the best thing is, it doesn’t have to be just a dream.
When you get rid of all the excess and shed the non-essentials, you make room for what is essential, whether that’s more time with family, space in your mind, or time to study for a new career. You stop wasting endless hours caring for and organising crap you don’t need, don’t wear, and haven’t seen the light of day for decades.
Your thoughts become clearer. Goals gain clarity.
Sometimes, your stuff may even be worth a substantial amount of cash which can help you to pay off debts or fund something else you’d rather be doing instead.
At some point, minimalism seeps into life itself, gently nudging you towards the purging of anything else holding you back; toxic relationships, outdated beliefs, negative thoughts and feelings…
These are all benefits of minimalism but so called extreme minimalism magnifies those benefits to the max.
Whether you’re a beginner or a minimalist looking to go further, start today. I promise, you won’t miss a thing.
If you want to see more minimalist content by me, please check out my new Youtube channel.