“It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.” – Bertrand Russell
Believe it or not, I first encountered Minimalism while watching a PewDiePie video. As I started researching it, it seemed to align very much with many of the practices I had already incorporated into my life. As I started using it more, it has helped me better organize my life, live in the moment more, and become less attached to my material possessions.
Concept
The central concept of Minimalism could be explained by the idea of choosing your battles. You have a limited amount of time and energy, and to make the most of your time and energy, you have to decide what you care about and dedicate your time and energy to those things you care about, minimizing distractions from unnecessary things.
Minimalism focuses on owning fewer things. Those belongings don’t have to be cheap, but they must be well thought-out and not brought about by blind consumerism. It also emphasizes focusing on fewer tasks and dedicating yourself to what is most important to you.
The idea behind such practices is to eliminate clutter, distraction, and overthinking to achieve the most freedom, live more in the moment, and live a more fulfilling life.
Benefits
The benefits of Minimalism can be explained by the phrase “less is more.” By owning fewer things and focusing on only what matters to you, you regain all the energy and focus you put on unnecessary things.
You may be dedicating a considerable amount of your energy to things that make you look more interesting or cool and doing activities, out of peer pressure, that you could live happily without.
Minimalism eliminates all these unnecessary things and allows you to be present in your day-to-day life. This gives you more opportunities for self-reflection, relationship-building, and enough free time for spontaneity.
Challenges
Living a minimalist lifestyle can be challenging. Consumerist temptations never cease, and they can be hard to overcome, especially when there is a trendy product that everyone is buying that seems very non-essential to you, but if you don’t buy it, you feel a little left out.
On the other hand, you could jump head-first into Minimalism and take it a bit too far, which could cause you to get overwhelmed with the new changes and give up on the idea entirely.
Thoughts
I became attracted to Minimalism in college. My mind works mechanically and methodically, excelling at creating routines and systems to eliminate unnecessary thinking. However, when I started college, I suddenly began overthinking my appearance.
At some point, I realized that this newfound interest in appearance was making me overthink many things about my life, which hindered my enjoyment of many things I do. As a result, I started thinking in the opposite direction and eliminating everything that could cause me to overthink.
Sometime after, I came across a PewDiePie video in which he talks about how he has incorporated Minimalism into his life and how he benefited from it. This led me to take the idea more seriously and look into it more.
I don’t agree with everything about Minimalism, however. For example, I find the idea of getting rid of all your unnecessary belongings to be a waste of time and somewhat of a hassle.
What Really Matters
What I believe really matters in Minimalism is letting go of your attachment to your material possessions and the aesthetics of your life. Being able to do that frees you from societal pressure regarding your lifestyle.
If you reach a point where you only buy what you need, Exercise only to be healthy, and buy clothes only to look presentable, your life will be much easier, and you will find it easier to connect more with your loved ones and be present with them.
Conclusion
There is no one right way to live. You have to live according to your priorities and in a way that makes you happy. But it is important to remember that your value isn’t determined by what you own, how much money you make, or even how you look.
“It is the nature of a thing that matters, not its form” – Kratos
