I don’t necessarily claim to be a minimalist or someone who never over consumes. But it is a topic I get a lot of questions about, especially on Instagram. Ever since moving into #mytinybungalow and choosing to make some changes to my lifestyle, people want to know what they can start doing in their lives to move towards owning less. I don’t know if it was ever my intention to become a resource for something like this, but I freaking love it.
The truth is, just like all things worthwhile in life, living with less and in smaller spaces requires a ton of prep work and effort. Minimizing your life is no easy feat, so today I want to share all the tips and resources I have to help people interested in living this lifestyle.
Minimalist Living Tips & Resources
The Best Books on Minimalism
The life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I think to find success (especially in the beginning) in making real, lasting change to your lifestyle, you should avoid going cold turkey. Which is why I recommend this book first and foremost. You’ve probably heard of it. It got quite a lot of buzz and has become very popular. By discovering which items in your home “spark joy” and eliminating those that don’t, your life is bound to change for the better. This book will teach you just that.
Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life
This is kind of the OG when it comes to books on minimalism in my opinion. It came out in 2011 (along with a documentary that followed in 2016, which I also list below) and sets the tone for what the minimalist movement is all about, which is the idea that true happiness comes from health, relationships, pursuing your passions and positive contribution to society, not “things”.
The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
The idea of this book is centered around the benefits of owning less. It not only encourages decluttering your life but gives you a direct plan on how to do so. Ultimately the book will show you that living a minimalist lifestyle isn’t about giving things up or making sacrifices. It’s about what you gain throughout the process.
Websites & Blogs on Minimalism
The Minimalists
This is the website started by the guys who wrote Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. If you’ve done any research on minimalism you’ve definitely seen their names or media created by them. They also have a podcast, The Minimalists Podcast. That is an endless treasure trove of information. You’ll hear about how to make changes to your life and learn to reconsider pretty much every idea of concept we’ve ever been taught on the topic of consumption.
Be More with Less
I quickly fell in love with this website because it seemed like it had answers to everything I’d ever want to learn about. The creator, Courtney Carver, doesn’t just write about living with less physical items but helps to declutter the mind as well. She also has a minimalist fashion challenge that I’m thinking about doing. It’s called Project 333 and challenges you to dress yourself with 33 items or less for 3 months. Do you think you could do it?
Becoming Minimalist
I love this website and its author, Joshua Becker. He also wrote one of the books I mentioned above, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own. His website, Becoming Minimalist, is fantastic for anyone looking to start this journey because it’s not about telling you how you should become a minimalist. It’s about discovering what that means to you as an individual.
Jojotastic
Ok, let’s be real, my website isn’t quite like the ones I listed above in the way of minimalism, but I like to think I do put out content that can, at the very least, educate and shine a light on the topic. My #mytinybingalow series really does show how to live with less. Maximize smaller spaces and even reduce waste. So I hope you find it helpful in your journey!
Documentaries on Minimalism
“Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things”
This documentary is AMAZING. And it features Courtney Carver and Joshua Becker. Two of the people I’ve mentioned above. It doesn’t shame people for consumption, but rather addresses why we feel as a society, the need to compulsively consume. Why something that used to give us great joy is now a problem that we need to replace with something newer and better. It’s so interesting and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s on Netflix, so I highly suggest watching it ASAP.
“The True Cost”
This docu is all about the garment industry, but I wanted to include it because of its effect on where I’m at with my personal journey right now. I’m really trying to focus in on how I’m consuming materialistic things like clothes. So if you’re somewhere on that path as well, this is a must-watch. It can also be found on Netflix, so is very accessible.
Minimalist Influencers & Thought Leaders
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
If you don’t know this already, these are the guys that wrote Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life and put out the documentary “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things”. Clearly, I’m obsessed because I’ve mentioned their book (they have more than one btw), podcast, website and documentary. These guys really started the movement in my mind and truly are thought leaders in this space.
Joshua Becker
Joshua Becker’s story really inspires me because it kind of all started because he realized he was spending his free time managing and maintaining all his stuff instead of spending it with his family. I love the idea of putting these valued relationships in front of everything else. If that’s what minimalism is, definitely sign me up.
Courtney Carver
Again, someone else I mentioned already, but I can’t stop because this woman has so many amazing words of wisdom to share. Her perspective on the way we consume clothes and fashion fascinates me. Not to mention, it really motivates me to buy with intention, which is something I’ve been trying to implement more and more of every day.
A Few Tips for Living a Minimalist Life
Make it your own unique journey
If I’ve learned anything about how to live a minimalist life, it’s that everyone’s journey looks different. From making super small changes like not shopping for a month to making huge decisions like opting for a tiny house. Everything counts for something. And all the folks I’ve mentioned in this post agree and support that idea, which I love.
Educate yourself and stay inspired
Having curiosities about other ways of life is natural, so I encourage you to educate yourself and follow people who truly inspire you, and maybe even challenge you a little bit. Reading books, listening to podcasts and watching documentaries are all amazing ways to learn and grow so don’t hesitate to dive in.
So, now that you have a little bit of information (and hopefully some inspiration) would you give the minimalist life a go? If you were to start right now, what’s the first change you think you’d make?
