True Change Today

Benefits of Minimalism

Less is More

The benefits of minimalism are numerous. This post will highlight 5 of them I consider the most important. Anyone who embraced minimalism in one way or the other knows that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Owning less and living intentionally is a simple concept, yet many people, when they first hear about minimalism, think that minimalism is only about reducing material possessions – only the act of decluttering. But minimalism offers many benefits beyond having less stuff.

I must admit, that living a minimalist lifestyle is one of the best decisions I have ever made and has improved my life immensely. Less is more in more ways than you can imagine. There is joy that can be found in pursuing less. It’s a simple lifestyle, yet it’s hard to adopt. I hope the benefits below nudge you to give it a try.

5 Benefits of Minimalism

1. More Time

One of the most important benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle is having more time. As you have fewer material possessions to care for, it becomes easier to do the things you really enjoy.

Let’s be honest, stuff is needy and time-consuming, and the more we own, the more time we use to take care of our precious belongings. You have 2 cars; the registration process needs to be done twice. That means more time spent doing things you don’t enjoy. You have more things in the house, therefore more time spent cleaning. Imagine the following scenario:

You have a living room and an elephant sculpture inside it. Obviously, you have more things inside, like sofa, chairs, TV, TV stand, various knick-knacks, etc. But for the purpose of showing you a point, we will use only one thing.

Let’s see how long it takes to clean a room with the elephant sculpture in it. 

  • Step 1. You’re wiping the floor
  • Step 2. You came to the elephant sculpture and you move it, to wipe the floor where the elephant had been sitting
  • Step 3. Then you need to return the elephant to its original position
  • Step 4. Clean the hollows and crevices of the elephant sculpture itself

Now, let’s see what it would be like if you didn’t have an elephant sculpture in the room.

  • Step 1. Wipe the floor

Done! That simple. It takes a quarter of the time and a quarter of the effort to clean the floor. 

Now imagine the work and time required for cleaning if you have 2, 3, or 10 elephant sculptures in the room. Multiply that by all the things you own, and you can see that we spend an enormous time cleaning. Time that can be used for better things, like learning a new language, or mastering a habit, cooking delicious meals, or just relaxing and enjoying a good movie.

Which do you prefer? Cleaning or relaxing? At the end, the choice is yours alone.  

Own less to have more time.

“No thank you, I don’t want more time”, said no one ever.

Life, if well lived is long enough.

2. More Money

Spending less on things you don’t really need can cut your expenses and increase your savings. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that buying less would mean having extra cash for things you like. You can travel the world, pay debts faster, invest, buy a house, etc. A minimalist lifestyle can help immensely with that, and reaching financial freedom is easier than ever before. If you only have enough, the need to compare with others will slowly fade away, and with it your shopping habits. 

Minimalism has taught me that my true worth is not determined by my net worth, but having more money can never hurt you. Choose to own investments instead liabilities, and let the power of minimalism lead you to a brighter future.

We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.

3. More Freedom

We all want to be free, and freedom from stuff is liberating. The sense of freedom that comes from living a minimalist lifestyle is truly amazing. Imagine all the stuff you own like the big anchor that ties you down. You want to move, but it’s hard to pack everything, rent a van or truck, and then unpack everything in the new place. Even worse, if you plan to move overseas. The more you have, the more anchored you are. By having less, you have more freedom. More freedom to move, more freedom to choose, more freedom to live life on your own terms. Freedom from debts, obsessions, greed, comparison, working for someone, or on something you don’t enjoy. 

Minimalist lifestyle advocates for minimal material possessions, and by adopting it, you can free yourself from the desire to buy and own. Therefore, it gives you the freedom to make decisions solely on what you need, and not on greed.

The shortest path toward freedom is appreciating what you already have.

4. More Happiness

True happiness gives meaning to life, and minimalism gives meaning to the things that actually matter in our lives. Minimalism teaches us to focus only on the important things that directly affect us and to remove everything that does not add value. This leads to a purposeful life. By the end of decluttering, happiness naturally comes to you because you have decided to leave only the things that matter most. Happiness can’t ever be found in stuff, only deep within us. If you don’t really need something, let it go. Happiness comes in abundance when you own less stuff.

We move closer to what we love when we walk away from what we don't.

5. Less Stress

When you have more time, more money, more freedom, and more happiness, stress quickly evaporates. You have more options. You can work fewer hours or even quit a job you hate, you can travel the world with a single backpack, you can take dance classes or painting or something third. When you realize you don’t need to live from paycheck to paycheck, or for the weekend, your stress levels drop, and you automatically start to be happier.

Another benefit is not caring so much for stuff because you realize they are only tools, not the masters. If it breaks, you can fix it. If you lose it, you can always replace it. If it’s no longer adding value, you can eliminate it. Less clutter = less stress.

Care less and you'll stress less.

Other Benefits of Minimalism

  1. Visually appealing 
  2. Easier to clean
  3. Less waste
  4. Good for the environment
  5. Find things easier
  6. Live in a smaller place
  7. Own higher quality things
  8. Example for friends, neighbors, and kids 
  9. More productivity
  10. More room for what is important
  11. Better health
  12. Better relationships
  13. Better creativity, confidence, and clarity of mind
  14. Reduced fear and anxiety 
  15. Retire earlier

Look around.
All that clutter used to be money.
All that money used to be time.

 

Cheers!

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