Over the past few months I have been on a journey in pursuit of minimalism. I have looked for inspiration and guidance online and books to define my personal definition and how I imagine it come to life for me. Joshua Becker (Becoming Minimalist) has been a large source of inspiration. He defines minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing everything that distracts us from it.” While removing things from your physical space is the most visible way to minimize, for me it expands to other areas of life.

Minimalism can mean many things:

Decluttering a physical spaces
Evaluating your schedule and eliminating commitments /activities that are not important
Creating healthy habits that automate your life and reduce decision making
Protecting your mental health by eliminating activities that make you feel negative, depleted, stressed (for example scrolling social media for hours).

To help me continue on the journey, I joined a 12-week course by Joshua Becker to get inspiration, support and structure to take out the guess work out of the process. I would like to share my progress and reflections through the course.

Week 1 - Know Your Why

The most important step in any journey is declaring your destination. By defining your vision, and how you want your life to look like, you set yourself up for success. The vision will guide you through making decisions & inspire you during tough moments. Think about what you value to most, what benefits you would like to see in your life, what type of relationship you want to have with people around you. You can read more here about how to create a vision.

Now that you have your vision, consider how minimalism will help you with that. Once easy way to do so is by completing the following sentence:

I desire to own less so that I can have…

I captured my vision in two places…first I started with my personal journal. Once I refined my “WHY”, I also put it on the post it and placed it in my office as a daily reminder.

Your vision will most certainly look different than mine, but the more specific you are, the more vividly you can imagine the life you want to live. It can include things like

More energy to play with kids
More time to volunteer at a church or shelter
More money to buy flights to see family & friends
Less fighting with kids and spouse about cleaning the house an doing chores
Less anxiety about a messy house when unexpected guests show up
Less debt

I desire to own less so that I can have more and less of specific things

As you contemplate the vision for your life, consider how owning less can significantly contribute to that vision. Simplifying your possessions can lead to a clearer mind, reduced stress, and increased focus on what truly matters. By releasing the clutter, you allow space for experiences, relationships, and personal growth to flourish. Embracing minimalism not only enhances your well-being but also fosters a sense of freedom and clarity that empowers you to pursue your goals with passion. Take a step today to envision a life enriched by meaningful experiences and serenity, where the weight of material possessions no longer holds you back but instead propels you toward a fulfilling existence.