Editor’s Note: This article, written by me, appears in the June 01 issue of Simplify Magazine. This is the 29th issue I have published and this month’s theme is: Friendship. “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” The Golden Rule has stood the test of time as one of the most powerful principles ever invented for both moral and meaningful living. It has been shared across continents, cultures, and eras, and its message is simple: to live in harmony with the world around you, treat other people the exact way you would want them to treat you. The Golden Rule holds benefits for our friend ..read more

It’s a measurable fact: The world is getting louder. It is also getting busier and busier. Demands (both internally and externally) are placed on us almost every day. And during some seasons of life, finding even a moment if peace can feel difficult. But it is often when the world and circumstances are the loudest that we need moments of peace the most. These moments of quiet and reflection rejuvenate our minds, enrich our souls, engage our mind, clear our thoughts, and offer clarity and calm in a world of chaos. And while it may not be possible to find peaceful moments 24/7, here are 20 simp ..read more

Sixteen years ago today, on an otherwise ordinary Saturday morning in Vermont, I was introduced to minimalism. That day, way back in 2008, my wife and I had set aside time for annual spring cleaning. I volunteered to clean the garage, hoping my five-year-old son would enjoy the project with me. His interest lasted about 30 seconds, leaving me alone to tackle the mess. As I sorted through the dirty piles of stuff in my garage, the time passed and my frustration grew—one thing just seemed to lead to another. My son kept running up to me, asking me to play with him in the backyard, but I kept pu ..read more

My desire with each Weekend Reads is to provide you with articles and posts that encourage simplicity and minimalist living. Below, you will find links to blog posts and news stories that I hand-picked over the last couple weeks. I hope you find inspiration and practical help inside them. That is my goal on Becoming Minimalist: to intentionally promote simplicity in a world that needs to hear it. The Myth of the Fairytale Wardrobe | The Times by Anna Murphy. There is no such thing as the perfect white shirt or pair of jeans, or any item of clothing — so let’s give up the hunt. Minimalism as a ..read more

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet over the last ten years, you know the growth of Short Video Content has been astronomical. Tik-Toks, Reels, Shorts, the list goes on and on—people love them. Well, if that’s where the world is hanging out, why not use the platform for good? Over the past couple months, I have been posting shorts videos (60-seconds or less) on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube that are designed intentionally to inspire others to own less and provide succinct, practical tips and advice on how to accomplish that. If you enjoy that type of content (as so many people do ..read more

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the clutter in your home, you are not alone. Many people start the journey to a simpler space only to find themselves discouraged by the task ahead. It can be very overwhelming at the start. Quickly, it starts to look like the road to decluttering will be filled with endless challenges, missteps, discouragements, and frustrations. At that point, it just seems easier to give up. But what if some of the obstacles we think we’ll face are built on misconceptions? What if some of the assumptions we believe to be true are actually the beliefs holding us back? In s ..read more

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” —Jim Carrey Our world is quick to applaud success—as well it should. It is entirely appropriate to champion those who develop their talents, work hard, and overcome obstacles. There are many successful people in my life that I admire, look up to, and wish to emulate. But our world is also fixated on praising excess. This is not entirely surprising. We are not the first society to worship conspicuous consumption, nor will we be the last. But it is certainly a def ..read more

In two weeks, I will celebrate 16 years of Becoming Minimalist (both the lifestyle and this blog). If you’ve been following my writing for any length of time, you know that I LOVE listing out the positive benefits of owning less. In almost every post, in way or another, I point out the life-giving benefits of pursuing minimalism—more freedom, less stress, greater productivity, just to name a few. If I had to list out my favorite benefits in order, I’m not sure I could. But I do know that opening up my life to greater generosity would be one of the benefits near the top. When you own less, you ..read more

“Six months from now, what will you wish you had spent time on today?” —James Clear It’s easy to miss the potential of today because “today” happens so often. But each day provides opportunity. As a result of our actions today, we will move forward, stay the same, or (unfortunately) slip further away from the person we want to be. Every single day, we make choices. And even though both routine and chaos can blur that fact, it remains true whether we feel it or not. We make choices every day about how to spend our time, our money, our energy, and even what receives our attention. And these cho ..read more

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Allison Fallon, author of Write Your Story. Most of us want to live a simpler, more intentional life. But in a world with “can’t-miss” meetings and emails, pings and dings from messages and DMs, school pick-ups and drop-offs, holiday hoo-ras and birthdays, tornado warnings and twenty four hour news cycles, it can be challenging to narrow in on what can stay and what has to go. There’s a simple habit I have been using for years that helps me take the chaotic and overwhelming amount of information that comes into my experience on any given day and whittl ..read more