Minimalism is about living with less. It has become a popular living style. We surely will meet someone who likes the concept. Having some basic knowledge and fascinating stories will help us understand them, connect with them, or even become one of them.
Why minimalism
Minimalism is attractive because we can notice many benefits after applying it in our lives. The lifestyle allows us to stay present and save money, time, and energy to focus on the most important things.
Minimized possessions can foster happiness because buying too many things relies on the stress and burdens of possession. When we unwisely fill our house with junk, we also have to spend time and energy considering where to keep all the stuff, maintain it, and even get rid of it becomes a tough decision.
Minimalism is also about not overthinking. Overthinking can affect our judgment and cause stress.
Who is well-known as a minimalist
Frank Stella is known as the first minimalist. "Minimalism emerged in the late 1950s when artists such as Frank Stella, whose Black Paintings were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1959, began to turn away from the gestural art of the previous generation."
Steve Jobs is also a famous minimalist with a simple dress code and lifestyle and a company that follows a unique minimalist culture. From 1998 to 2010, he consistently wore a black turtleneck, jeans, and a sneaker for the corporate announcements.
Google's one search bar interface is also a representation of minimalism.
How to become a minimalist
For those interested in adopting the lifestyle, there is one book and one website that you will want to take advantage of.
Danshari (断舍离) was published in 2009 by Yamashita Hideko. The title is in Japanese, meaning "refuse," "dispose," and "separate." Refuse means not buying something you need. Minimalism suggests buying only for three reasons: buy something to make life easier, make it happier, or bring unique experiences. Dispose of all unused stuff—separate means detaching things from our life. The yoga practice concept was created by Oki Masahiro (1921-1985).
Theminimalists.com has many exciting suggestions, such as: How many items do you need to live as a minimalist?
How to practice minimalism
When talking about minimalism practices, we collected some exciting topics.
To refuse...
Why minimalism
Minimalism is attractive because we can notice many benefits after applying it in our lives. The lifestyle allows us to stay present and save money, time, and energy to focus on the most important things.
Minimized possessions can foster happiness because buying too many things relies on the stress and burdens of possession. When we unwisely fill our house with junk, we also have to spend time and energy considering where to keep all the stuff, maintain it, and even get rid of it becomes a tough decision.
Minimalism is also about not overthinking. Overthinking can affect our judgment and cause stress.
Who is well-known as a minimalist
Frank Stella is known as the first minimalist. "Minimalism emerged in the late 1950s when artists such as Frank Stella, whose Black Paintings were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1959, began to turn away from the gestural art of the previous generation."
Steve Jobs is also a famous minimalist with a simple dress code and lifestyle and a company that follows a unique minimalist culture. From 1998 to 2010, he consistently wore a black turtleneck, jeans, and a sneaker for the corporate announcements.
Google's one search bar interface is also a representation of minimalism.
How to become a minimalist
For those interested in adopting the lifestyle, there is one book and one website that you will want to take advantage of.
Danshari (断舍离) was published in 2009 by Yamashita Hideko. The title is in Japanese, meaning "refuse," "dispose," and "separate." Refuse means not buying something you need. Minimalism suggests buying only for three reasons: buy something to make life easier, make it happier, or bring unique experiences. Dispose of all unused stuff—separate means detaching things from our life. The yoga practice concept was created by Oki Masahiro (1921-1985).
Theminimalists.com has many exciting suggestions, such as: How many items do you need to live as a minimalist?
How to practice minimalism
When talking about minimalism practices, we collected some exciting topics.
To refuse...
- One in One Out means not buying a new item if the old one is still in use.
- Buy the 1st option with high quality within the most demand. Otherwise, you will end up buying more if you compromise.
- Minimizing the Living Room: Consider removing pillows, rugs, and unread books.
- Minimizing the closets: removing clothes that do not spark joy or haven't been worn for one year and sticking to a simple dressing style.
- Minimizing kitchen: Remove items paying expiration date, use tools for at most one year, or have duplicates.
- We can take pictures of the gift without use and then let them go.
- It's difficult to dispose of because of endowment bias. One tip from Sasaki Fumio(佐佐木) is, "If you think of getting rid of one thing five times, then let it go."
Editor's Note (10/1/2023): We recommend applying minimalism to project management, such as:
- introducing minimum standardization overheads when managing a task
- minimizing meetings, so they are scheduled only when needed and within minimum time
- creating reports with minimum information that can tell the story
- Minimizing team size by only inviting those who can contribute
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