Minimalist FAQs: Make Your Life Even Better Than It Is Now
Minimalist FAQ’s
.Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about minimalism and living the minimalist life, for those new to the concept.
Q: Why be a minimalist?
A: It’s a way to escape the excesses of the world around us — the excesses of consumerism, material possessions, clutter, having too much to do, too much debt, too many distractions, too much noise.
But too little meaning. Minimalism is a way of eschewing the non-essential to* focus on what’s truly important, what gives our lives meaning, what gives us joy and value.
Q: Isn’t minimalism boring or too sparse, with nothing in your life?
A: This is a misconception about minimalism — that it’s necessarily monk-like, empty, bland, sterile. Not at all. It can be if you go in that direction, but I don’t advocate that flavor of minimalism.
Instead, we are clearing away all but the most essential things to make room for what brings* us the most joy.
Clear away the distractions so we can create something incredible. Clear away all the obligations so we can spend time with loved ones.
Clear away the noise so we can concentrate on inner peace, spirituality (if we wish), and our thinking. As a result, there is more happiness, peace, and joy because we’ve made room for these things.
Q: What is minimalist living?
A: It’s simply removing things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, uncomplicated life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much.
It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little, and living lightly.
Q: What are the benefits of minimalism?
A: There are many. It’s lower in stress. It’s less expensive and less debt. It’s less cleaning and maintenance. It’s more enjoyable. There’s more room for creating, for loved ones, for peace, for doing the things that give you joy.
There’s more time for getting healthy. It’s more sustainable. It’s easier to organize. These are only the start.
Q: What does the schedule of a minimalist look like?
A: There’s no single answer to this question, but a minimalist would probably focus on doing less and having a less cluttered schedule. However, *what’s on his or her schedule would be necessary6.
A minimalist might not actually keep a schedule or calendar, at one extreme, if he didn’t have much to do each day — he might instead live and work moment-by-moment, or just decide each morning to focus on one or two important things.
A minimalist would also save a lot of time because of having less clutter and fewer possessions. That means less time cleaning and maintaining, and less time searching for things.
A minimalist who clears away distractions and single-tasks would also waste less time with those distractions and switching back and forth between tasks (multi-tasking).
In general, all this results in more time for relaxing, for hobbies, for creating, and for doing fun things.
Q: What rules do I need to follow to become a minimalist?
A: There are no set rules. There’s no one way. What I suggest for living minimally isn’t what someone else would recommend, nor is it how you would live your minimalist life.
In general, however, you want to live simply without too many unnecessary possessions, distractions, clutter, or waste. You want to live frugally, debt-free, sustainably, naturally.
Q: Do you need to be vegan or vegetarian to be minimalist?
A: No. While I believe the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is consistent with minimalism, you can eat simply as an omnivore as well. Again, there’s no one way. A minimalist would try to eat naturally, without too much processing, and not eat too much food (such as the ridiculous portions at most restaurants these days).
Q: I believe in simplifying, but why should I be so frugal — what wrong with a few REALLY nice things?
A: Frugality is simply a way of not spending on unnecessary things — sticking to the essentials. Is there anything wrong with a few nice things? Not necessarily. If you need to buy something, it’s usually better to go for quality rather than cheap because it’s better made and will last longer.66*3 Minimalism is about quality over quantity.
However … it’s always good to examine whether it’s good to be attached to material things. I haven’t completely succeeded with this —I love my Mac, for example—but I’ve been working on it. I am much less attached to possessions than I was just a few years ago, and I recommend that everyone examine their relationship with physical things and products and see if it’s really what they want.
Q: What about finding minimalism in America — where you need 6a car and a job?
A: This site is about finding minimalism within American culture and society—as well as other industrialized nations—not on some remote desert island. The complexities and social expectations of the United States (and other industrialized countries) are exactly why minimalism is needed. All my advice on this site (and Zen Habits) is aimed at people in these modern societies.
I’ve lived a minimalist life in Guam and now in San Francisco. It’s a matter of choice.
Do you need to be as minimalist as me or someone living in the wilderness? Not at all. It’s not about that. It’s about finding simplicity, finding what’s important to you, and making choices rather than adopting the consumerist mindset that most people have.
Q: Aren’t you contradictory by claiming to be a minimalist, owning a Mac, a house, or having six kids?
A: Again, there’s no one way. Everyone must find his path, and mine is different than what someone else would consider minimalist. Also, I have never claimed to be perfect – I’m striving for minimalism, but I always have room for improvement. I have things inconsistent with minimalism, or at least by the definition of others. I’m working on it.
I should say a word or two about having six kids and minimalism. Having six children contradicts my message of simplifying, frugality, downsizing, and greenness.
I don’t have a defense – but I do have an explanation for the inconsistency. I had my kids before (and during) my change in philosophy. My philosophy is evolving even now, so I can’t claim to have believed in the things I believe in now for a long time. Many things I believe in are only recent developments.
As an example, I only recently decided to transition back into veganism (I was vegan once but have been a lacto-ovo veggie for over a year). But I own a pair of leather sandals—do I throw them out? Wouldn’t that be wasteful? Is it better to be wasteful but consistent with my beliefs? It’s hard to say.
However, I have decided that it would be unethical to throw out my children just because I now believe in downsizing. It was a tough decision, but I’m sticking by it.
As a result of my simplification, I can enjoy my time with my children, and I have to admit, they are the best thing to happen to me. I don’t regret having them, even if they contradict my downsizing philosophy.
On the good side, I believe that even with six kids — being vegan, buying less stuff, being energy conscious, going car-less, walking more for transportation – I use fewer resources than the average person in developed countries (and far less than the average American) – this is according to online carbon footprint calculators. It’s not a justification for having six kids, but just a note that things aren’t as bad as they could be.