Minimalism

What is the purpose of minimalism? In this post, I aim to define minimalism as I perceive it. I am an aspiring minimalist who currently faces many of the struggles of transitioning to a minimal lifestyle. I believe that the purpose of minimalism is to find purpose in life through living devoid of the distraction of excess. When people think about minimalism, oftentimes they will believe that it is about aiming to live with as little as possible, to the point of impracticality and discomfort. Minimalism is about having fewer possessions that are of greater value and personal use, potentially meaning that one person’s minimalistic approach may appear totally different to another’s because of their specific requirements. Speaking on the decision to acquire certain things, The Minimalists give a clear explanation. “Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.”

If you look at minimalism as a series of restrictions you wouldn’t be entirely wrong, although it shouldn’t be defined merely on these restrictions. A minimalistic lifestyle requires you to be disciplined and critical, deciphering between what you need and what you want. But in regulating your desires and acquiring what is truly important to you in an intentional fashion, minimalism allows you to find existential freedom and live a life that is filled with what is of true value to you without accumulated clutter and excess.

This is why as I progress in my life, I am incorporating decisions that can aid this minimalist lifestyle, striving to surround myself with what I feel is important and adds value to my life.