What do you think of when you hear the word, ‘minimalism’? Perhaps you’re reminded of an art form or that wristwatch you recently purchased from a catalog that had “Minimalist Watches” plastered on the front page. It’s also possible that you have come across this world in reference to a philosophy—a set of loose principles that a growing number of people attest to as the road map to contentment. In truth, the word belongs to all these examples, some more sincere examples than others.
Regardless of the level of sincerity, all three examples share the same guiding principle and that principle is that when we remove the unnecessary—the overly bombastic elements of life and art—we are left with something truly beautiful. Minimalism is the removal of the superfluous. Just as an artist avoids painting more than what they truly wish to convey, a minimalist simply removes the things—both physical and mental—that holds them back from having the life they want to lead.
At one point or another, we have each had a goal that we desperately wanted to achieve. Perhaps you wanted to read one book a month for an entire year, but despite owning a small library of unread books you could choose from, you simply can’t bring yourself to read just one due to the number of options in front of you. One of those books may just be the boost you need to change your life, diet, or finances, but you never find it because it is obscured by excess. A minimalist chooses to live life with only the things that are functional, useful, and loved. You are not going to read all those books, but you can remove them, possibly leaving you with a few unread gems that you can now devote some time to reading.
Minimalism is a life, edited. Remove the excess and live with the things you love and use. It sounds simple, but nothing simple is ever easy. Take your time, contemplate your possessions and their place in your life, then make the edit.