the minimalist within

8/3/2019 The Minimalist Within

1/32

The Minimalist Within - - - - 1

MinimalistAtHome.com | @FAITHJANES
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/


2/32



Please Share Tis Book

Te Minimalist Within is completely ree and uncopyrighted.

Please leave it in coee shops, repost it on your blog, or pass it along to

anyone you think might need it by sending them here:

http://minimalistathome.com/minimalistwithin
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://minimalistathome.com/minimalistwithinhttp://minimalistathome.com/minimalistwithinhttp://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/


3/32



About the Author: FAIH JANES

Faith Janes is the blogger behind Minimalist at Home, where she writes

about pursuing less mess and more lie through minimalism.

Faith is a wie and homeschooling mother o three children. She is a web

designer, avid coee drinker, and child reeree around the house. She and

her amily live in a combined household o 10 with her parents, siblings,

grandmother, and handul o household pets. Tey all live in a log home on

30 acres just south o Atlanta, Georgia.

About the Photographer: SEVE JOHNSON

All photographs included in this book were captured by Steve Johnson. He

is the photographer and blogger behind Minimalist Photography.

Steve was born in England, and has lived in Indiana or the last nine years

with his artist, cook and writer wie Meg. Tey have one grumpy but

aectionate cat. Steve has ocused on photography or the last seven years

and his work has appeared in national media on both sides o the Atlantic.

He works mainly but not exclusively in black and white and is very

interested in abstraction and minimalism.
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/http://www.minimalistphotography101.com/http://www.minimalistphotography101.com/http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/


4/32



able o Contents

About the Author 3

About the Photographer 3

Introduction 5

What is Minimalism? 5

What Tis Book Is Not 6My Journey Into Minimalism 7

On a Journey 9

Te Appeal o Minimalism 10

Learn to Ask the Important Questions 12

Putting the Why Beore the How 13

Its a Marathon, Not a Sprint 14

Baby Steps to Minimalism 15

Prioritize, Dont Organize 17

How Do You Determine Your Priorities? 18

Prioritize, Dont Organize Your Clutter 19

Prioritize, Dont Organize Your ime 20

A Place or Organization 21

Organized Excess is the Cousin o Clutter 22

How Do You Identiy Excess? 23Te Psychological Security o Stu 24

Overcoming the Sentimental Sabotage o Clutter 26

In Search o More ime 29

Lose the Less and Gain the More 30

Where to Go rom Here? 31

What Did You Tink? 32


5/32



E veryone has a minimalist inside them waiting to be unleashed.You can see it when a child plays with the cardboard boxinstead o their new ancy toy. You can eel it when you walk into a sparsely

urnished yet serene eeling hotel room. Tere is something inside all o us

that craves simplicity. Te minimalist within is always there.

Not everyone is aware o their minimalist potential and ew will seek it.

People may question you or pursuing minimalism because it seems

strange to crave less instead o more. Its not always the easiest path to take.

However, once you unleash your inner minimalist, you will nd a whole

new lie you never thought possible.

I hear rom a lot o people who say, Im not a minimalist, but . . . and then

they go on to describe how they are trying to simpliy their lie. I dont

want you to be araid o the term minimalist. Its not a bad thing to make

choices and set priorities or you and your amily. Minimalism is about

taking back more o your lie by getting rid o the mess that is in the way.

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is simply a tangible way o prioritizing your lie.

Minimalism is available or everyone. Its not a concept to be araid o

or something or only a select ew. Some would reer to minimalism as a

social movement while others dene it as a liestyle choice. While it means

dierent things to dierent people, most would agree that minimalism is

purposely ocusing on the things that matter and letting go o the rest.

Simplicity is the ultimatesophistication.- Leonardo da Vinci


6/32



What Tis Book Is Not

Tis is not a How-o book on clutter and organization. Cleaning out

the clutter in your home is denitely an important piece o the puzzle.However, I have chosen to ocus more on the why o minimalism in this

book. Te how o minimalism is secondary, but Ill provide some basic

steps to get you started.

Tis is not a book telling you that your lie choices are wrong. I am not

here to tell you that i youre not living a minimalist liestyle then you are

ruining your lie. I am here to explain how minimalism can be achieved

and why you might nd it helpul.

Tis book is not a one-size fts all description o minimalism. Not

everyone will pursue minimalism in the same way. My version o radical

change may not be the same as your version. Te journey to minimalism is a

personal one, but the oundational truths provide a common ground to

build upon.

Tis Book Is. . .

- A guidebook to help you get started on a journey toward minimalism

- A conversation starter to introduce minimalism to people

- A tool to determine your personal why or minimalism

- A reminder o the reasons we pursue less in order to discover more

- A method or learning to ask the right questions

A vocabulary of truth and

simplicity will be of servicethroughout your life.

- Winston Churchill


7/32



My Journey Into Minimalism

In April o 2010, my husband and I decided to move our amily o ve

into the same home as my parents, my grandmother, and my two youngest

siblings still living at home. We are now a amily o ten plus three dogs and

two cats. As you might imagine, there is nothing about the beginning o my

story that resembled minimalism.

A Not-So-Simple Beginning

Tings started out simply enough. We had been making small progress

while we adjusted to living together, but it just began to eel like we were

drowning in all o our stu. It had been a continual rustration to keep

things picked up. Because o how quickly we moved out, I did not get to do

all the purging o possessions that I had planned. Plus, I knew that I had

two storage units crammed ull o more things to go through and it just

became overwhelming.

The simplest things are

often the truest.- Richard Bach


8/32



A Minimalist is Born

While I was researching how to declutter, I discovered Joshua Beckers

blog, Becoming Minimalist. Just reading the word minimalist stirred

a desire inside me that said, Ahh, I want that. I wanted . . . less! I wanted

less mess, less cleaning, less organizing, less ussing at the kids to pick up

their toys, less time given away to chores, and less stress dealing with it all.

Instead what I really wanted was . . . more! More time with my amily, more

camping trips, more joy, more relaxation, and more happy memories beingmade.

Something snapped in me that day. I couldnt read enough about

minimalism! I had not been more excited about something in such a long

time. Everywhere I looked I saw things that I wanted to give away, some

things that might be worth selling, and just so many things that needed to

be thrown out. Te minimalist within me had been unleashed and there

was no going back!

In character, in manner, in style,

in all things, the supremeexcellence is simplicity.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.becomingminimalist.com/http://www.becomingminimalist.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/


9/32



On a Journey

Aer months o decluttering and organizing, I view minimalism as a

journey and not a destination. Even with the decluttering behind me, there

are daily choices that need to be made on what items we choose to bring

into our home and how we spend our time.

Minimalism is a complete mind shi and pursuing it has been one o the

biggest areas o personal growth or me. As you continue to read, I hope toinspire you to tap into your inner minimalist as well.

A Word o Caution

I you live with other people, there will be challenges ahead. Living in a

household o 10 people has made it challenging to pursue minimalism.

It took awhile beore my amily didnt think I was crazy or wanting to

get rid o so many things. My amilys denition o living with less may

not be the same as mine, but seeing their openness to change and their

willingness to clean things out has been very encouraging. It means so

much more than i I had tried to orce my opinion on them.

Dont attempt to drag anyone else along on your journey to minimalism.

Dont be judgmental o someone elses choices. Let your journey and

experiences be an example that inspire others, not condemn them.

The best part of simplicity has

nothing to do with how manysocks you own; it lies in beingclear about your intentions

and motivations.- Chris Guillebeau


10/32



Te Appeal o Minimalism

What is it that draws you towards minimalism? Is it a desire or more

time in your lie? Is it a yearning to be ree o clutter? Is it just a sense

o knowing there must be more in this lie than youre experiencing right

now? It could be some or a combination o these things.

Te greatest aspect about minimalism is that it can mean dierent things

to dierent people. It will likely mean one thing to a young, single personand something else entirely to someone who is married with a amily.

You are ree to build your own personal ramework o what minimalism

means to you based on the same oundation that other minimalists have in

common with you.

At the start o my journey, I spent a ew minutes writing mysel a note

entitled Why Do I Want to Do Tis? It was a really good exercise or

me to articulate the reasons why I chose minimalism beyond just the

short-term goals o decluttering our house. I go back and read it a lot. Its an

encouraging reminder or me. I youve never really considered why youre

drawn towards minimalism, I encourage you to do this today.

Simplicity is the nature of

great souls.- Anonymous


11/32



Reasons to Defne the Appeal o Minimalism:1. Avoid the temptation to give in to clutter. Tere are simply some days

when the mess threatens to take over and it just seems easier to give in

rather than ght. Remind yoursel why you choose to win.

2. Know your convictions so you can share them with others. Te

message o minimalism is a great one to share and I truly believe it can

help people and their amilies. But i I cant explain what Im doing andwhy Im doing it, then people just tune out.

3. Its an important step to defning your priorities. Minimalism is so

much more than just decluttering your house. By listing the principles

that motivate you, youre one step closer to prioritizing the rest o your

lie.

4. Youll be thrilled looking back at your progress. Its a truly awesome

experience to be reminded o how things were and then be able to see

how much progress youre making. Its a great motivator.

As you simplify your life,

the laws of the universewill be simpler.

- Henry David Thoreau


12/32



Learn to Ask the Important Questions

When it comes to any decision, its important to ocus on the reasons

why youve chosen it and not make the initial ocus be how you plan to

accomplish it. I you want to run a marathon, dont ask how youre going

to run over 20 miles. Ask why you want to run in the rst place. Maybe its

an eort to get healthy or simply to prove something to yoursel. Whatever

the reasons, keeping them in mind will help you remain ocused while you

consider how you will reach your goal.

My best advice or anyone pursuing minimalism is to make sure youve

decided why you want to have a minimalist liestyle. Asking the question

Why do you want to become a minimalist? is much more important than

asking the question How do you become a minimalist?

Te practical implications are important, but they pale in comparison

to personal conviction. Maybe you dont even know the reasons why

minimalism appeals to you and thats ok. For some people, just having a

eeling that lie isnt peaceul is enough to spur you into action.

Simplicity is the glory

of expression.- Walt Whitman


13/32



Putting the Why Beore the HowDont Ask: How do I get rid o all this clutter?

Ask: Why do I want less clutter in my lie?

Dont Ask: How do I clear out my schedule o all these distractions?

Ask: Why do I want to reocus my time?

Dont Ask: How can I spend less?

Ask: Why do I want to save more?

By putting the ocus on the why, the how will be easier to answer. Its

important to ask the question, Why? because it keeps us in check. It opens

our eyes to new points o view and helps us move beyond our current way

o thinking. I we continue to trudge through our days not questioning

what were doing or why were doing it, then we end up unhappy and

unullled despite having a lie ull o possessions and obligations.

Our actions will always follow thetrue desire of our heart.

- Joshua Becker


14/32



Its a Marathon, not a Sprint

Ive always been in awe o people who run marathons. Knowing how to

pace yoursel or such a long distance like that is totally oreign to me. Itssuch a huge accomplishment to nish a race o that length. Its no wonder

people crowd along the side o the road cheering the runners along.

Te thing is, i you saw a single runner on the side o the road training or

their next big marathon, it might not look all that impressive. Te speed at

which they trot along typically isnt all that ast. Based on a rst impression

you might not think it was a big deal at all. On those training days, no one

is handing out cups o water or shouting, Great job! Keep it up! You can doit!! Instead, with each stomp o their eet and swing o their arms, they are

getting closer and closer to their goal and to the nish line they see in their

head.

A journey towards minimalism is defnitely a marathon and not a sprint.

It wont happen quickly and it wont be a one-time race. Its important to

pace yoursel and try not to get discouraged when you see how much ar-

ther there is to go. Enjoy the little victories along the way.

Always keep your fnish line in mind. Remember to write down the

reasons why youre running this race. Tere are bound to be setbacks along

the way, so having your objectives and reasons clearly dened can be the

sort o encouragement you need to cheer yoursel on.

There is no greatness where there

is not simplicity, goodness,and truth.

- Leo Tolstoy


15/32



Baby Steps to Minimalism

Like anything worth pursuing...you have to make the time i you want to

see results. I want to encourage any overwhelmed and still-striving-to-beminimalists out there that baby steps will get you where you want to be i

you keep putting one eort in ront o the other.

At this point in my journey to minimalism, I do not consider mysel a

radical minimalist in the traditional sense o the word. However,

the change that is happening in my amily IS very radical or us. Simply

stopping to ask the questions about what were buying, how were

spending our time, and what our priorities need to be has created aradical shi rom how lie used to be. Being convinced that this is the

journey our amily needs to be on is what keeps me taking those baby steps

toward minimalism.

I love this quote rom Joshua Beckers book Simpliy

Our actions will always ollow the true desire o our heart. What our heart

believes and loves always determines the path o our lie. We can mask our

true wants or only a short while. Without a true heart change, we always

return to our hearts rst love. Tis truth applies to all areas o lie: our

energy, our time, our relationships, our spirituality, our money, and our

possessions. Beore any o us can simpliy our homes and lives, we must be

convinced that the liestyle is worth our efort.

I youre able to take giant strides all at once, that is awesome! However,

there are some baby steps you can take today as you journey towards the

goal o having Less in your lie.

You should run your rst

marathon for the right reasons,because youll never be the same

person again.- Bill Wenmark
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttps://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?ii=623150&c=ib&aff=134579&cl=78094https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?ii=623150&c=ib&aff=134579&cl=78094http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/


16/32



10 Minimalist Baby Steps

1. Shop Less --> Save More

2. Watch V Less --> Read or alk More

3. Drive Less --> Walk, Cycle, or Rest More

4. Schedule Less --> Pursue Free ime More

5. Argue Less --> Discuss and Respect More

6. Worry Less --> Seek Peace More

7. Organize Less --> Prioritize More

8. Store Less --> Declutter More

9. Work Less --> Unplug More

10. Consume Less --> Give More

Now its time to get practical . . .

There are no failures -

just experiences and yourreactions to them.

- Tom Krause


17/32



Prioritize, Dont OrganizeAre you tired o living in a crowded house surrounded by cluttered rooms?

Do you eel like all you ever do is clean up messes over and over again? Do

you nd yoursel running around town, trying to keep up with a hectic

schedule? I so, then its time to get organized, right? Wrong. Although

your rst instinct is to start with getting organized, thats actually not your

rst step.

Your frst step is to prioritize. Tats right; you need to prioritize

your lie. Once you sit down and decide what your priorities are, it makes it

so much easier to decide what needs to be taken away. Ask yoursel whats

really important to you. Te principle o prioritizing rst can be applied to

everything rom your clutter to your time.

You wont realize the distance

youve walked until you take alook around and realize how faryouve been.

- Anonymous


18/32



Lost time is never

found again.- Benjamin Franklin

How Do You Determine Your Priorities?Its simply not possible or everything to have the same level o importance. I

everything was considered a priority, then nothingwould be a true priority.

So how do you evaluate what matters and what doesnt? Here are some

questions to help you answer that.

WHY is it important? Its easy to stake a claim that an item or an activity

is important. Ask yoursel the harder question owhy its signicant. I youcant quickly and thoroughly deend your choice, then that should be a

signal that it may not be as important as you originally thought.

Is it BENEFICIAL? Does it benet you (or anyone else or that matter) in

the short term or in the long term? Is it adding to the quality o your lie?

Is it CONSISEN with who you want to be? Does it t in with your

personal values? Are you doing something just because everyone else is? Is

it helping you reach your goals?

No one else can help you decide whats important and whats not. In the

same way that minimalism is a personal journey, determining priorities is

deeply personal as well. Choosing one thing over the other does not make

it a bad choice. Bringing awareness to your lie choices is the frst step in

establishing your lie priorities.


19/32



Prioritize, Dont Organize Your Clutter

When you get ready to declutter your rst closet, drawer, or toy box

remember to prioritize rst. ake a moment to really look at the items inront o you, then start by pulling out the most important items.

oys. I its in a toy box, start by pulling out the things that are reallyloved. (Tis applies to childrens and grown up toys). Pick out the items that

are played with a lot. As you start pulling out the best toys to save youll

naturally be le with the toys that arent a priority anymore. Tey might be

broken or they might even be brand new. Te bottom line is i they arent

being played with, then they arent worth keeping.

Clothes. First, pull out the items you wear the most. I you have twoor more o something and you naturally choose one over the other, then

the rst choice is your priority. I youre like me, you nd that you wear

the same clothes over and over again because those are the clothes you eel

good in, that are comortable, and you eel like you look your best when

youre wearing them. Tere is almost certainly a large number o clothes

that youre hanging onto that almost never see the light o day.

Clutter. When youre ready to attack the junk drawers, your books,your kitchen gadgets, and the rest o your clutter remember to prioritize

rst. Dont keep something just because it cost a lot o money. Dont keep

something just because you got it as a gi. Dont keep something just

because you might need it someday. I you arent using it now, then chances

are you dont really need it. Hanging onto things or the maybe some days

will simply choke out the enjoyment o your today.

Action expresses priorities.

- Mahatma Gandhi


20/32



Prioritize, Dont Organize Your ime

Dont kid yoursel. rying to organize and coordinate your amilys

schedule that you are making more time or things. Giant wall calendars,

Day imers, and even iCal on your iPhone wont help you gain more time

to spend with your amily. Only by rst prioritizing your time will you be

able to see what can be cut out o your overly scheduled lie.

Be honest with yoursel. Im sure there are things that you can eliminatebecause its true or all o us. Teres always something we agreed to that we

knew wasnt a good idea. We knew we were sacricing time spent with our

amily because o it and we kicked ourselves as soon as we signed up or

that extra something.

ime is our most important orm o currency. Its all about how we

choose to spend it. We always seem to be in search o more time. Make

your priorities now and make conscious decisions about how to removethe other distractions.

Peoples homes are a

reection of their lives.- Peter Walsh


21/32



A Place or OrganizationTere is a place or organization. Im not advocating that you abandon

all sense o order and keeping everything in its place. I just like to drive

home the point that you shouldnt start with organizing things beore you

prioritize them.

Dont ool yoursel into thinking that i you put your clutter into cute

color-coordinated boxes that youre organizing your lie. I something isnt apriority then it isnt worth keeping. I something isnt worth keeping, then

its simply not worth organizing.

The key is not to prioritize

whats on your schedule, but toschedule your priorities.

- Steven Covey


22/32



Organized Excess is the Cousin o ClutterOrganization is a tricky thing. It can ool you into thinking youre getting

rid o clutter and getting rid o your mess and chaos. Yet, instead o

getting rid o the mess, youre just putting it in cute color-coordinating bins

or stacking it neatly so it looks more presentable. Its sort o like people who

dress their dogs up in costumes or Halloween--it is really unnecessary and

kind o silly.

Its not wrong to be organized and its not wrong to have extras o

things. However, living in excess and being surrounded in things we no

longer need doesnt t with the minimalist mindset. It simply doesnt t the

paradigm or how we want to live.

Have nothing in your house that

you do not know to be useful, orbelieve to be beautiful.

- William Morris


23/32



How Do You Identiy the Excess?I you want to avoid the excess in your lie and avoid its cousin Clutter, ask

yoursel the ollowing questions:

1. Do I really use that many?

2. Would I buy that many i I bought them again?

3. Could I make do with less?

Tese questions can be applied to everything rom Rubbermaid to extrasocks. Te answer to question number three is almost always going to be

Yes. ry it or yoursel and see. Youll be happy you did.

Simplicity, clarity, singleness:

these are the attributes that giveour lives power andvividness and joy.

- Richard Halloway


24/32



Te Psychological Security o Stu

I can always count on my kids to teach me important lessons. I learned a

valuable lesson rom my two-year-old daughter on how holding on to stu

makes us eel secure.

When I started my journey to minimalism, one o the rst areas I

decluttered was my daughters room. She had so many toys she hardly ever

played with. I successully cut down her stued animal collection to less

than hal o what she started with. I soon discovered that it was time to

declutter her room even more.

Aer we rocked together and sang her avorite song, winkle, winkle

Little Star, she would ask or each stued animal she owned--one by one.

I I indulged her, she would have every single one o her stued animals

in bed with her or the night. Eventually, hal the mess would be thrown

on the oor and she would end up lying on top o the rest. It looked

incredibly uncomortable; however, she would keep asking or anything and

everything she saw.

So, heres the lie lesson my daughter taught me that night: You may think

that having lots o stu around you will keep you secure, but in the

end it just makes lie incredibly uncomortable.

Te things that make you eel secure may not be stued animals, books, or

dolls. But have you ever truly looked around at what youre keeping close

to you and asked, Why am I keeping that?

The great seal of truth

is simplicity.- Herman Boerhaave


25/32



Perhaps you eel more secure with an overstocked pantry o ood that

hardly ever gets touched but you like eeling prepared. Maybe youre

holding on to lots o extra clothes that you might be able to t into one day.

You might be keeping lots o knick-knacks and photographs because youre

araid o losing the memories.

Maybe there were things you always wanted as a kid but never had, so

now you collect them and just cant stand to part with them. You could be

like me and hang on to books...ones youve read and loved and those you

intend to read someday.

Te objects that we nd security in will be dierent or each o us. Tese

are the things in our lives that are hardest to get rid o because o the

psychological sense o security they carry with them. Its not really that

they do anything or us, but we just get accustomed to having them around

which makes it eel strange to imagine lie without them.

When you go looking or a sense o security in physical things, you

simply wont fnd what youre looking or. Instead, look or a true senseo security in people, in relationships, and in time well spent. Whenever

you can learn to let go o the physical things youve attached your sense o

security to, youll realize a reedom waiting or you. In time youll realize

you dont miss them...just like my daughter doesnt really miss that giant

wiener dog shaped like a pillow.

Unnecessary possessions are

unnecessary burdens. There isgreat freedom in simplicity

of living.

- Peace Pilgrim


26/32



Overcoming the Sentimental Sabotageo Clutter

Its inevitable really. Somewhere in the process o clearing out the junk that

is suocating your lie, you (or someone you live with) will all victim to

sentimental sabotage. You know what Im talking about. Tat emotional

attachment to stu that makes it harder to get rid o things. Notice I said

harder, not impossible.

Im not talking about throwing out your wedding pictures or your childs

baby book. (Just out o curiosity, when was the last time you looked at the

lock o hair rom your childs rst haircut?) Tis is more about hanging

on to the clutter that you cant seem to let go o. See i you hear yoursel in

some o the ollowing statements.

Simplicity is not the goal.

It is the by-product of a good ideaand modest expectations.

- Paul Rand


27/32



Sentimental Sabotage Statements:

I have to keep this because [insert random persons name] gave it to me

as a gif.Most likely, they wont even know or care i you get rid o it.

But Ive had it orever.Tat seems like long enough, dont you think?

I might need it someday. Chances are you wont really need it. In act,

you probably have something else that would work just as well. I youdiscover that your lie is meaningless or more difcult without it, someone

will probably sell you another one. (In act, check eBay. Someone else is

probably trying to get rid o the same stu, too.)

It might be worth a lot o money.Sure, it might be. Ten again its only

worth something i someone is willing to pay or it. I youre too attached

to sell it now, do you think youll be willing to sell it later? I youre hanging

onto something just to hand it down to your kids, remember: dead packrats have miserable children.

Do any o these statements sound like you? Weve all said these things at

some point. So how do you overcome these sentimental setbacks to your

minimalist eorts? Be honest with yoursel and try to assess why youre still

holding onto certain items.

Simplicity is a

state of mind.- Charles Wagner


28/32



Questions or Battling Emotional Attachmentsto Stu:

1. Do you still have it because o its unction or its memories? I its

more about the memories and doesnt serve much o a purpose, it

might be time to let it go.

2. Would you tell all your riends they need to get one? Could you come

up with any real reasons why they needed to go spend money on that

kitchen gadget or knick-knack?

3. Is it important enough to pass down to your children when youdie? I its important to you, write down the story o the heirloom or

your children to read someday. Chances are they dont know why you

treasure it. I you cant think o anything to write about it, then its

probably not as special as you thought.

4. Do you use it requently? Seriously, when was the last time you really

needed it? Did you even realize where it was hiding all this time? I not,

you probably wont miss it in the uture either.

Te most important thing to remember when youre trying to unclutter

your lie is to keep the goal in mind. Just think o how much more time

youre going to have when everything has a home o its own and how easy

it will be to nd the things you really need.

Out of clutter nd simplicity;

From discord nd harmony;In the middle of difcultylies opportunity.

- Albert Einstein


29/32



In Search o More ime

Te most important benet born out o minimalism is IME. Less time

spent on the things that arent important and more time or the things that

really matter.

Less o:

Tings to clean Clutter to put away

Running around to childrens activities

Shopping

Fussing at the kids

More o:

ime as a amily Weekends or un

Dates with your husband

Play time with the kids

Focusing on things that matter

Rest and relaxation

Every accomplishment starts

with the decision to try.- Anonymous


30/32



Lose the Less and Gain the More

We start by making choices and we look or the domino eect that comes

rom making those choices. Start by asking yoursel, Would I rather spend

my time picking up 100 Hot Wheels and a pile o naked Barbie dolls or

would I rather spend that time with my kids at the park? When we choose

one thing over another, that choice has a domino eect. I we get rid o that

pile o cars and naked Barbies, then we spend less time picking up toys, and

as a result, we end up having that extra time to take our kids to the park.Its amazing how the small pockets o time start to add up when we arent

giving it away to rivolous things.

I you dont make a conscious choice in how you spend your time, then

plenty o other things will come up to snatch it rom you.

We cant create any extra time in a day or add any extra years to our lie.

We cant slow down how ast our kids are growing even i we wish we hadmore time to spend with them. We cant put o spending time with our

spouse until later so we can ocus on the kids now. Its all in how we choose

to spend the time we have NOW.

When it comes to time...Less really IS more.

Success is not nal, failure is

not fatal: it is the courage tocontinue that counts.

- Winston Churchill


31/32



Where to Go rom Here

So now the important thing to do is to just start somewhere. I youre

married, its a good idea to talk over your plans and minimalist ideas or the

uture with your spouse so you can be on the same page. I you have

children, its best to start going through your own things rst and be an

example beore attacking the rest o the amily possessions.

Dont be araid to start your journey. Starting with your tangible clutter isthe most straightorward place to start. As you see yoursel make progress

youll be encouraged to keep going. Te eeling o reedom is invigorating

and by witnessing your progress your riends and amily will likely be

curious and encouraged to declutter as well.

Dont be araid o setbacks. Remember, your lie didnt get cluttered

overnight so it wont be decluttered overnight either. ake your baby steps

and get to know other like minded people who share your viewpointand your goals. I cant wait to hear your story o how you discovered the

minimalist within.

Best o luck on your journey to minimalism!

Faith

All of life is a journey. Which

paths we take, what we look backon, and what we look forwardto is up to us..

- Anonymous


32/32



What did you think?I really hope this book has been helpul. My main objective with writing

Te Minimalist Within is to spread the message o minimalismto as many people as possible.

Id like to know what you thought o it and how it helped you so that I canmake my uture books even better. I you have a moment to send me your

thoughts, you can do so on the Contact Form o Minimalist at Home.

Id also love to hear rom you on witter.

Share this book

I this ree book helped you in any way, please spread the word.Print it out and leave a copy in a coee shop, at the ofce, or

share it with your riends.

Post it on your blog, or send people to Minimalist at Home todownload it. Tanks or helping to spread the word.
http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/contacthttp://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/http://www.minimalistathome.com/http://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/contacthttp://twitter.com/faithjaneshttp://www.minimalistathome.com/

the minimalist within

Documents