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The Minimalists | You Are Not Your Khakis

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Subscribe to receive free updates and join thousands living a meaningful life. Email AddressMinimalism The Minimalists Joshua Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus are leaders, writers, and minimalists. They write essays about minimalism to help people live more meaningful lives, lives that are filled with happiness, passion, and freedom. Essays Start Here Our Journey Day 1: Deciding Day 2: Planning Day 3: Packing Party Day 4: The Essentials Day 5: Things Day 6: Fear Day 7: Relationships Day 8: Beliefs Day 9: Growth Day 10: Everything Day 11: Trash Day 12: Contribution Day 13: Sell Day 14: Digitize Day 15: Finances Day 16: Television Day 17: Minimalist Car Day 18: Home Day 19: Mission Day 20: Health Day 21: Time

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You Are Not Your Khakis: How To Donate 90% Of Your Stuff Without Even Realizing ItWritten by Joshua Fields Millburn | Follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+

http://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/

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Back To The FutureI came home one day and it was all gone. If my 28 year-old self would have walked into the home of my 30 year-old self, he would have thought hed been robbed. Where did all of my stuff go? He would have thought. I worked so hard to buy all of that stuff, and now its all gone! My 28 year-old self would have panicked when he noticed that over 90% his stuff was no longer there. It was gone. Vanished. Poof! He had given so much meaning to that stuffthe car, the clothes, the gadgets, the trappings of a consumer culture that he was a part ofbut that stuff didnt have any real meaning. He was part of the disease, not the cure. There were so many lessons he learned in those two years

Lessons LearnedMost of us know that Tyler Durden quote about how you are not your khakis, right? Well, suffice it to say, many of my learned lessons were similar to that quote. I am not my stuff. I am not my jeans. I am not my television. I am not my car. I am not my bank account. I am not my vocation. I am so much more. I am who I am on the inside. I do amazing things, yet I am imperfect. I accomplish incredible feats, yet I make mistakes. I am a caring person, yet I forget about important things from time to time. I am proud of who I am as a person, yet I make bad decisions sometimes. I am a human being, a mixed bag. I am just like you. And this is what I learnedhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 2 of 21


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1. Stuff is just stuff. It can be replaced. You cannot. 2. Stuff is not important. There are plenty of things that are important in life. Stuff is not on that list. 3. Important things in my life include my health, my relationships with other people, pursuing my passions, growing as an individual, and, most importantly, contributing to other people in a meaningful way. 4. You can not purchase a meaningful life. You can only live it, one day at a time.

Donating 90% My Stuff: Baby StepsBut I wasnt robbed. It didnt happen over night. I didnt wake up one day and get rid of the vast majority of my stuff. It took time. It started with a pair of khakis that I didnt wear, grew into an entire basement of clothes that no longer fit, and expanded from there, one item at a time. Once I got rid of one thing, I started questioning other things in my life.

Questioning My StuffI started asking myself better questions to get to the root of why I had all this stuff that I didnt need (or even want most of the time). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Why did I buy this? What could I have used that money for instead? Do I really need this? What would happen if I didnt have this anymore? Could I replace this if I really needed to? Can someone else use this more than I can?

I kept questioning my possessions and started getting rid of more and more stuff. A carload of clothes here, a piece of furniture there, one thing at a time, donating the majority of it. And then I came home one day last week, walked in, and realized that I didnt own much stuff anymore. I realized I could have less stuff and still be happy, still live a meaningful life. I will continue to question my stuff. Do I need this couch even though I rarely sit on it? Do I need these jeans when I have two other pairs? Do I need this watch when my phone has a clock on it? Do I need this, this, or that?

A Certain Kind Of PrisonIts important to note that I dont think physical posessions are inherently evil or wrong or pernicious. I just think we give too much meaning to our stuff, stuff that doesnt really matter at all. Every dollar we spend on stuff is a dollar we have to work for, which takes our time away from us. Our precious time. Our time is our freedom. Thus our stuff has the potential to rob us of our freedom. So maybe I was robbed. Robbed by my stuff. Robbed of my freedom. No more though. I am in control now. I am aware that I am not my stuff. Ill leave you with George Carlins parodic take on stuff, which seems to be memetic of our consumer culture inhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 3 of 21


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general. Man, this is good.

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77 Responses to You Are Not Your Khakis: How To Donate 90% Of Your Stuff Without Even Realizing It

Read below or add a comment... 1. Robert Wall May 9, 2011 at 7:21 am Joshua, your comment about do I need this watch reminds me of a lecture from Sir Ken Robinson. He basically states that people over a certain age (I think its 30 or 35) are very likely to wear a watch, because when they grew up a watch was arguably necessary.


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People under that age threshold are very unlikely to, because they have access to the time everywhere on their computers, on their phones, etc, and theyve never known a world otherwise. It all hit home for me last time Daylight Savings rolled around. To my wife and Is shock, we didnt have to set any clocks. She has her phone, and I have my phone (each of which syncs to the cell tower), we both have our computers (which sync to Internet time servers), and the only other clock we have in the house is a digital alarm clock that auto-adjusts. I just dropped my last watch in the donate bin myself its only function was as a piece of a dress outfit, and I dont really need it for that. But its interesting how the necessity (and ubiquity) of an item as simple as a watch can change over the course of a relatively short period of time (a dozen years or so). I think its a reminder that we need to be, as you say, constantly re-evaluating whether our stuff fits our life. And oddly enough, were *both* talking about stuff today on our blogs. Cosmic coincidence, perhaps? Thanks for a great post Joshua! Reply Rodrigo Afonseca May 9, 2011 at 8:12 am Thats why my Tag Heuers watch is out of battery for about 5-6 years, and Ive never sent it to repare, because I rarely remember of it, and never missed to wear it. Actually, when I go shopping with my wife and son, I feel the will to buy a new beautiful watch, but I never get the guts to buy it. It always turns to me to have a better worth-spending stuff to do, rather than burn my money on a dispensable piece of junk that wont be ever get of my wardrobe. Thanks for sharing your experiences Joshua! Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 9:57 am Thanks for sharing your experiences as well. I can totally relate to the dead watch bit too (and not taking it to get another battery). Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 9:56 am Cosmic coincidence indeed. Thanks for commenting. Yeah, even when I used to wear a suit every day I didnt need a watch. It seems redundant in todays world. Great clock story by the way. Thats an eye opener, I sure. Joshua Replyhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 5 of 21


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Deb k. May 9, 2011 at 5:58 pm Akk! I wear a watch, and yup, hit 35 awhile back. Its easier to find the time, right there on my wrist. Ill go for hours at a time not looking at my phone or computer. Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 8:47 am Thats totally fine too. If you find value in it then its probably worth having. If it feels redundant or unnecessary, then it probably is. Reply 2. Genesis May 9, 2011 at 8:08 am I love this piece, Joshua. And I love how this seems to come at exactly the right time: Im taking my first babystep this week. Im going to take all the stuff from my closet and throw out the 23 pairs of old jeans, the enormous amount of T-shirts I never wear and the accessories I keep just in case and get rid of it all. I dont need any of that. Im only going to keep the items I truly love and what I wear on a regular basis. (Oh and that last bit from your last post, about Yes, I know I look like Christopher Walkin makes me laugh on the inside every time I think of it.) Reply Genesis May 9, 2011 at 8:15 am Walken. Damn it. I ment Christopher Walken. (i have a neurotic tendency to set my own mistakes straight. Im doing a lot better with this though.) Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 9:51 am Hehe. Yeah, I get it like once a week. Hey, do you know who you look like? I know, I know, Brad Pitt, right? Yeah, I get it all the time. Actually, I was thinking Christopher Walken. Oh. Yeah. Or him. Reply 3. Matt Langdon May 9, 2011 at 9:02 am And its not just reducing the number of jeans. Its looking at those things youre holding onto for sentimental reasons maybe your memories or maybe memories of family members. Its looking at those things youvehttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 6 of 21


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collected. Its looking at everything youve got and wondering why. Thanks for this post. I can tell how personal it is. Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 9:53 am Thanks Matt. I wrote a long thing about letting go of sentimental items here (if youre interested): http://rowdykittens.com/2011/03/sentimental-items/ Reply Stacy May 10, 2011 at 1:48 am which was an excellent post btw! Reply 4. tammy May 9, 2011 at 9:33 am Excellent Post as always. It is amazing that since I first started following you both, from your beginnings, just how far you have come. Meaning you really dont care too much about the Physical things we have. More about the relationships we have mean so much more. It makes me happy to see you grow in many ways besides Growing in Stuff. I started about the same time, so you have been my leaders showing me the way. Thanks Keep the charge going. Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 9:53 am As always, thanks Tammy. We appreciate it. Youre awesome. Reply 5. KenP May 9, 2011 at 10:18 am Great post, gents. As someone who has never really had a ton of possessions to begin with, I can at times be condescending toward those who discover simplicity as though it is yet the latest in a number of trends they need to jump on to be socially current. However, I find there to be some actual soul searching and purpose behind the efforts here and find it refreshing. Physical possessions arent evil, they can be some of the most personally valuable and fulfilling aspects of our lives. Its when that level of valuation of things gets put on anything one may possess and the volume of total possessions that problems begin. I had at one point said Id never get rid of my ice climbing tools because they meant so much to me, but as finances got worse they had to go. It bummed me out not just to lose the things themselves, but also to know that until I got financially stable I could no longer pursue an activity that brought me so much joy. Now Im very focused on replacing the tools, not just to possess items, but to return to a fulfilling passion that requires them.http://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 7 of 21


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Trimming the fat is an awesome way to learn about your values and it takes some practice to find out just what the fat is. Im glad to see youre offering an excellent example of how to go about it. Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:11 pm Thanks for the articulate comment (and for sharing your examples). I appreciate it. Reply Deb k. May 9, 2011 at 5:25 pm I agree- the older get, the more I realize its not the number of items I own thats the problem, its how I relate to them. What is important is how a thing impacts my life- does owning it enhance my life? If not then why bother keeping it? I can continue hoarding behavior on my kindle/iPad/iPod/computer. The behavior is the same as if I had the physical thing- the thing is merely in electronic form and is invisible Heres to fulfilling passions! Reply 6. radp May 9, 2011 at 1:17 pm Joshua, So glad at the timing of this article! Lately, I have this growing self-awareness of my hoardings as I like to call them. All the very things that I so painstakingly collected piece by piece over the years are sitting in a storage while I packed up to another country and ironically, I hardly remember the contents of those boxes! I have been very particular on how one should use my stuff, if at all and get very upset when it is not done my way. Fortunately or unfortunately I have realized that my possessions or my stuff have done me more bad than good as I gave more importance to them than to the people who mattered. I am touched by your article and more so by your example of how you went about tackling it. Thanks a bunch for re-assuring me on the right thing to do. Letting go seems harder than it is, but once I do I will be a free person! Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:11 pm Amen! Freedom is closer than you think. Reply 7. radp May 9, 2011 at 1:19 pm I came back to say, Joshua is my favorite name and your blog title The Minimalists strikes such a strong note.. I am sure I wont forget! Replyhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 8 of 21


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The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:12 pm Thanks, Im glad you discovered us. How did you end up here? Joshua Reply 8. Alisha May 9, 2011 at 1:26 pm I wish I would have seen George Carlins video back in 1986 and really took his message to heart. It would have saved me so much time spent thinking about and acquiring more stuff that ironically just took more time and effort to take care of, move and/or get rid of! :\ I eventually learned this lesson along the way though so all hope is not lost! Thanks for a great post keep up the great work! Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:14 pm Amen, we cant change the past, but we can impact the future. Thanks for the comment. Reply 9. Rebecca May 9, 2011 at 3:01 pm I so needed a good laugh today. Thank you. Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:15 pm Youre welcome. What, you were laughing at George Carlin and not my picture in the sidebar, right?

Reply Rebecca May 10, 2011 at 10:45 am Laughing at George Carlin, all the way. Re: the pictureIf its comedic value youre going for in your picture, might I suggest a carrot nose and a funnel cap. Your friend could be holding a duck. Now that would be funny too. Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 1:08 pm Haa! Reply 10. Marina Reedehttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 9 of 21


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May 9, 2011 at 3:31 pm i am so happy to be connected to the sharing of your valuable thoughts! in some ways ive been minimalist, sort of because i keep moving (i need to write this book called Im Still Trying To Move Back To Florida!). obviously our ability to be deeper people speaks to who we are. as for myself, ive travelled the world, lived a full life, love my interior. i may not love all parts of my life right now, but when you are rich inside you know that things come back, and you are not so stuck on the superficial. these are great gifts of minimalism too. do you think you had to come from / grow up having enough? i did and i shed, trusting i can get things again later. one of my brothers is just collecting stuff (pretty nice stuff, he has a cabin near lake tahoe!) but i think its because his crucial growing up years were during an ebb of my parents financial lifethanks again for the fabulous posts! Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:16 pm Love that title. And Amen to being rich inside. My mother used to always say, we dont have any money, but were rich in love. Reply 11. Matt May 9, 2011 at 3:56 pm How do you decide what you need? I think you could eventually get to the point where you say that you dont need jeans anymore, because you have shorts, and you dont need your shorts anymore because you have those swim trunks that can serve two purposes. Where do you draw the line on things that you need? Reply The Minimalists May 9, 2011 at 5:18 pm I keep what I like and get rid of the rest. I have three pairs of jeans now (one pair is my dirty pair for construction work and volunteering). Used to have 20 pairs once upon a time. Perhaps try our packing party: http://themins.com/day3/ Reply Jess May 9, 2011 at 5:46 pm Re: where to draw the line, I keep thinking that need is actually not the best word for this. Obviously, minimalism is different for everybody, but it seems like the the point is not to own only those things that prevent you from dying, but to own only those possessions that make a significant, genuine, and lasting contribution to your happiness. For example, a heavy scratchy army blanket would meet my need for shelter. I dont need my nice soft fluffy comforter to survive, but I have sensitive skin, so it sure does make me happier than a scratchy blanket. By the same token, having four comforters didnt make me any happier than having one. It takes a lot of examination and experimentation to find out what actually does and doesnt contribute to your happiness, since our culture tells us to focus on the initial gratification, and not think about what really works for us in the long term. (Not to mention putting a huge emphasis on status, and discounting the value of free time, relationships, etc.)http://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 10 of 21


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I think the other piece is that theres no single right answer that applies to everybody. If I had a kid with a bedwetting problem, having a second comforter would make me significantly happier than one. If I lived in a warm climate, that one comforter wouldnt earn its place in my life. Does that make sense? Reply Matt May 9, 2011 at 7:04 pm Thanks Jess! That is helpful! Reply 12. Jess May 9, 2011 at 5:27 pm 4. What would happen if I didnt have this anymore? This was the eye-opening question for me. When I first started examining my things, I had a hard time letting some of them go. But when I started asking myself so what if I do get rid of it?, I realized that the consequences of getting rid of most things were very small. Like, say, going to my beautiful and well-stocked library if I want to read that book again. More importantly, it showed me some of the benefits of getting rid of the item. I knit, and am in the process of giving away my yarn stash. Im really excited about this, since the next time I want to knit something, I can choose exactly the pattern I want to knit and exactly the yarn I want to use, instead of feeling obligated to knit from my stash. Having that great big should put a damper on my enthusiasm for knitting, so I actually knit less. Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 8:42 am Exactly. Its funny how our mindsets can change if we look from a different perspective or ask a different kind of question. Reply 13. David William May 9, 2011 at 8:03 pm I like it! You are definitely living proof! I appreciate that you guys truly walk the walk. My gf has taken insanely incredible strides to changing her lifestyle. It is inspiring to watch people you care about stop caring about stuff and truly start caring about life. Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 8:43 am Totally agree. It becomes infectious. More and more people in your life will start to follow suite in very subtle ways (but youll notice it more and more). Reply 14. Suehttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 11 of 21


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May 9, 2011 at 8:49 pm I really enjoyed reading this essay! I can relate to the comparison of yourself at 28 versus 30. In my 20s & 30s I was into collecting stuff, and now in my 40s, I wonder what the heck I was thinking! The money I spent on that stuff could have been so much better enjoyed on travel or hobbies. I also appreciate 4.You can not purchase a meaningful life. You can only live it, one day at a time. I work as an addictions counselor and a favorite quote from a client who came from an affluent family was, I have all the money I could ever need to get my drugs, but Ill never have enough to buy my recovery. The living it one day at a time hits home too. Thanks! Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 8:44 am Im glad it resonated with you. Thanks for sharing your story as well. Joshua Reply 15. Stacy May 10, 2011 at 1:52 am Great post! Today I realized I am not my Mac. I am not my iPhone and I am not my VW but dang it, Id hate to give up any of those three things. As a (mostly) Stay at home mom, Ive found that clothes are easier to give up than techie toys and books. Life with toddlers is lonely w/o Facebook-moms to whine to! Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 8:46 am Hehe. Yeah, its not about getting rid of everything, just the things that weigh you down or dont really add much value to your life. The good news is that its up to you to decide what those things are. Reply 16. Betty May 10, 2011 at 11:49 am http://rowdykittens.com/2011/03/sentimental-items/.This is an excellent essay on sentimental items. My home is simple, organized, clean and minimal but the sentimental stuff has me stuck! I feel guilty and cant seem to get these things in perspective. I have Rubbermaid boxes with my parents things and childhood keepsakes of my sons that I cant part with as well as cards, letters and mementos. I dont even look at this stuff. Any advice for getting over the hump? Thanks! Betty Reply The Minimalists May 10, 2011 at 1:07 pm


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Yes, read this: http://themins.com/action Good luck. Reply 17. Betty May 11, 2011 at 12:49 pm Okay, Im going to jump in and do it Your blog is wonderful and inspiring, thanks. Betty Reply The Minimalists May 11, 2011 at 9:13 pm Betty, thank you for the kind words. We appreciate it; and were glad you find value here as well. Reply 18. Heather May 11, 2011 at 7:33 pm For me, I never was about what I had but felt pushed to get thingsI got caught up with the crowd..I did..I did. BUTI hit 35..what is it about that age..and couldnt physically or emotionally take it any longer. I sat down with myself (who is quite charming, I might add) and had THE talk..no, not that one..the one about who I was, my life, my passions and I looked at the stuff and realized 95% of it was not for me. I remembered that my happiest and most productive times in life where when I had practically nothing (in others eyes) but had truly what I loved and what made me who I was at that moment. I am getting back there QUICKLY!!! I am kinda of a lets do it all right now darn it or else kind of girl..so I jumped. And its been a LOT of fun and VERY Freeing. : ) Thanks, once again, for the inspiration. Reply The Minimalists May 11, 2011 at 9:14 pm Amen! Congrats to you. Thanks for sharing your story here. Reply 19. Becky May 12, 2011 at 12:32 pm I discovered your blog after Miss Minimalist spotlighted you in her Real Life Minimalists post. I am hooked, and wanted to share my minimalist journey with you. A year ago, I quit a job that was sucking the life out of me. It wasnt what I did that I hated (I was editor of the official magazine of the International Spa Association, and writing and editing are still passions), but rather the environment in which I worked. It was toxic. After shorter consideration than most people thought was smart, I gave notice with no plan laid out for what I would do. I spent the next six months without a day job, and how I wish I had discovered the principles of minimalism at that time! While I know I needed to reconnect with myself and rebuild my self-confidence after it had all been sucked dry, I wasted much of the time I spent jobless. I slept too late. I drank too much. I watched too much television. I spent too much money on stuff I thought might make me feel better about my crumbled career(and the loss of a nice salary), backwards thinking if ever there was.http://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 13 of 21


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But, in an effort to focus on the positives, I finally can see that there were many. During this time, my brother (and only sibling) got married, and I was able to spend much more time with him, my new sister-in-law, and the rest of my family than I would have had I had a day job. I read several good books. Two great friends who live out of state came for visits. I spent time playing with my dog and taking him for his much-loved walks. I took naps outside in the mild Kentucky spring weather. I drank out of the garden hose. I played mom to 11 orphaned ducklings who showed up at my door one day (and sent said dog into fits!). I did some freelance writing which eventually led to the editing job I have now, one I am enjoying and doing well at. I took a significant pay cut, but Im happier. I no longer go to work and feel like I have to be someone Im not. All of this before I knew the first thing about minimalism! I dont consider this job a permanent solution, but I can use my writing and editing skills to get paid a comfortable salary while I pay off some debt and figure out exactly who I am. As you guys so eloquently say in your blog, I am finally figuring out that Im not my stuff. I woke up one day and realized that I was stuffocated! It started with my wardrobe. I stumbled across a fashion blog (Dead Fleurette) that resonated deeply with me and inspired me to take a good, hard look at my closets, and then do a ruthless purging of the mounds of cheap clothes that never got worn. A Google search led me to Miss Minimalists post about her minimalist wardrobe. Now, numerous boxes of stuff are packed (and were even before I read your post about packing!), and the decisions about donating, selling or pitching are being made currently. Ive never fallen into the big house trap (too much to clean!) or the fancy car trap (too much money spent on gas and insurance!), so my small ranch and paid-for Corolla feel like good fits as I embrace living with less. I find so much of this journey energizing and liberating, and thankfully my boyfriend doesnt think Im nuts. Were planning to cancel the satellite TV when the contract is up next month, and he just planted a garden. We dont plan to sell the house, just a lot of the stuff in it. Thank you for your blog, and for the inspiration to keep going! I still have quite the journey ahead of me. Reply The Minimalists May 13, 2011 at 8:58 am Wow! Thanks for sharing your story. Congrats on your journey; it sounds like youre making a ton of progress. Its great that your boyfriend is supportive too. That helps more than you know. Thanks for visiting. Looking forward to seeing you around. Reply 20. connley landers May 12, 2011 at 5:25 pm Great site! Heres a minimalist recipe from the minimalist menufesto. Homemade matzo. Make your own snack food with more nutritious and less expensive ingredients. There are only two ingredients; whole wheat flour and water. Two parts flour to one part water. Mix them in a bowl, knead, cut into chunks, and roll thin with a rolling pin, drinking glass or Mankiewicz wine bottle. To remain kosher (and, why take chances?) you have to do this in eighteen minutes or less, from start to finish ( because the dough will start to rise and its supposed to be unleavened), so, preheat oven to 475 and bake 3-4 minutes. If you are successful and want to try a bigger challenge; drink the bottle of wine first. Reply 21. Betty May 13, 2011 at 12:56 am


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I just have to say, George Carlin was the funniest man ever. I saw him in Vegas years ago and laughed til my face hurt. Sure miss him. Reply The Minimalists May 13, 2011 at 9:04 am Amen! Reply 22. Clia May 14, 2011 at 1:03 pm What a great post!! Love the video as well, spot on! It never ceased to amaze me how cathartic and liberating having a good clear-out is. Ive had a good de-clutter myself recently and it has given me such a fantastic sense of freedom. And I keep on thinking of other things I could part with, which I will probably do very soon Reply The Minimalists May 15, 2011 at 12:23 pm Thanks for sharing. You are spot on, by the way. It is cathartic and liberating. Reply 23. Tanna Clark May 17, 2011 at 1:27 pm Fabulous! We are in the process of simplifying life and I am gradually getting my husband used to the idea. The video was great! I am going on an 18 day trip in December and I am already thinking about what stuff I dont want tot bring! Reply The Minimalists May 19, 2011 at 1:48 pm Congrats on starting your journey. Big events like that (e.g., long trips, moving, etc.) often make us question our stuff. Thats why Ryan did his Packing Party (http://themins.com/day3) to simulate a moving. Good luck on your journey. Reply Tanna May 20, 2011 at 3:09 pm Awesome idea! I moved 13 times in 15 years so I had very little before getting married. Now that we have been in the house 6 years we have our share of stuff. The biggest offenders I have as clients wanting to get organized are people that have lived in theirhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 15 of 21


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home for a long time and never seem to get rid of ANYTHING. 30 years worth just taking up space. It really helps to have a few moves or in this case pretend to move! Well done! Reply The Minimalists May 23, 2011 at 4:09 pm Thanks! Reply 24. Julie Bestry May 17, 2011 at 2:24 pm Intriguing and thought-provoking post. As a Professional Organizer, by the time my clients contact me, they recognize that theyve experienced a disconnect between their possessions (either the collective mass or merely the lack of systems for controlling them) and their satisfaction with their lives. However, for many of them, the idea that they are not their possessions may miss the point. Its their relationships with their possessions that defines their identities. Sure, many people fall into the what if I need it? trap, but when thats truly the case, logically discussing the options makes it easier to part with items. I hated the omnipresent reference to semiotics in graduate school, but for many of my clients, the stuff is really a symbol of something psychological rather than status-related. The mothers who experience angst over letting go of their (teenage) childrens baby clothes or toys dont realize theyre mourning their kids childhoods and their own essential roles they previously played in their childrens lives. Intellectually, they may say distractedly (and abstractly) someone could use this, but rather than thinking in terms of charitable donations, their first thoughts are almost always that theyll save (item after item) for grandchildren who wont exist for decades. Similarly, retirees keep file folders from projects long since completed, teachers keep artifacts from their classrooms and stay-at-home moms keep those 80s-era shoulder-padded suitsall because their possessions reflect a connection to the a time when they felt they had a role to play and a value in the world. Its not that the retired executives dont enjoy golfing with their friends and the teachers dont like their craft time and the moms dont love their kids. Its just that theres a strong, ineffable quality of connection and unspoken fear that with the loss of the possession, that connection will also be lost. Surely, through our work together, clients come to realize exactly what you said, Joshua, that their lives are still meaningful with less stuff in it, but the path to letting go is not always an easy, straight or comfortable one. Thanks so much for expanding the conversation through your post. Reply The Minimalists May 19, 2011 at 1:49 pm Thanks for the thoughtful response. It was dead on and a good illustration of several perspectives (i.e., retirees, teachers, etc.). Reply 25. Melissa June 27, 2011 at 12:02 am I am not my stuff. Its my mantra as I pack up my home in preparation for moving this week. About half my stuff is going with me, and the other half to the secondhand store as donations (I have no desire to deal withhttp://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 16 of 21


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selling my stuff, even though theres plenty of good stuff). Even my six year old is on board the minimalist train. If we have less stuff, it means less time spent cleaning and tidying and more time hanging out, I said. And he was convinced. Once were moved, Ill see what actually gets unpacked. So far though, the move to a minimalist life has been stressless and a huge relief. And I dont buy anything, hardly. Love it. Reply The Minimalists June 30, 2011 at 9:30 pm Amen! Thats awesome. Thanks for sharing. Reply 26. Thorunn November 20, 2011 at 8:53 pm Im a big fan of your articles! Stumbled upon them a couple of weeks ago and they hit right home. I have been decluttering my life for the past 6 months or so. There are two reasons; one, I believe the less stuff I have the clearer my head will be; and two, I am considering moving to another country (not decided which one) in the next 2 years and so it will be more practical to have less stuff. I went through my closet 3 months ago and ended up selling/donating around 50% of the clothes I owned. Then a couple of days ago I decided to get back in there and see if there was more stuff I could get rid off, and to my surprise I ended up clearing another 50% out, including my wedding clothes (NB I got divorced 2 years ago and really dont see the point in keeping them any longer), and a dress that fit me 15 years ago and is unlikely to fit me again but I kept for no good reason at all. So now my hugely gigantic bedroom closet is almost empty and it feels amazing! Plus its super easy to decide what to wear when you dont have that much to choose from. The best part is that my 7 year old son is really sold on the idea of packing everything and then unpacking the things we really need/use. We set a date to do this on the first weekend of December and are both super excited about it! Might even make a party of it and invite a couple of his friends and mine to join in on the fun. Reply Ryan Nicodemus November 21, 2011 at 12:42 pm Thorunn, I can totally relate to how much easier it is to dress when you dont have a lot to choose from. Joshua and I have joked around about buying multiple shirts and pants of the same style and color so we only had one outfit to choose from HA! That would make it really easy! And its awesome that your 7 year old son is so supportive. To me, that says a lot about the young man whos first reaction wasnt to save his toys, or any other of his belongings. Thanks for commenting! Take care, Ryan Reply 27. Aaron November 21, 2011 at 7:57 am


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I have been a minimalist for years, but what really drove it home was my 2010 Appalachian Trail thru hike. Spending 5 months living out of a backpack will really make you realize how unimportant most of the things we own really are. I am a minimalist because it frees up my time, much like what is stated in this post. I spend my time doing what I want, not taking care of my things. Reply Ryan Nicodemus November 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm Aaron, That sounds like a really cool experience! How many items did you travel with in your backpack? Im only asking this out of curiosity, not to compair to other minimalists . Thinking about going on an adventure like that makes me wonder what things someone would need to live, to be gone for that long in the middle of nowhere. Thanks, Ryan Reply Aaron November 21, 2011 at 3:56 pm Not sure of the number of items, but I brought stuff like warm clothes, sleeping bag, tent, lighter weight gear. My pack weighed in at around 26 lbs fully loaded, with food and water. There were towns to resupply food at every 5 days or so of hiking. Reply Ryan Nicodemus November 21, 2011 at 4:48 pm Sounds like an amazing time! Reply 28. Frank Martin | Modern Monkey Mind December 6, 2011 at 3:31 pm Im a bit stuck as far as clothes go. The vast majority of my wardrobe was paid for by my parents, and theres a lot that was acquired recently. I have quite a few things that I dont wear (do I really need a half dozen pairs of khakis when I wear jeans most every day? Do I need those shirts with the cuffs that have been stretched out of shape?). So, how do I get rid of this stuff? I cleared some out by bagging it up and convincing my mom to store it at my parents house, but theres still a LOT that just feels like its taking up space. Reply The Minimalists December 7, 2011 at 2:36 pm Frank, This was challenging for me too. I felt like I needed to hold onto just in case clothes items. I hope the following helps.http://www.theminimalists.com/stuff/ Page 18 of 21


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1. Ask yourself how much value am I getting out of this? 2. Then, ask yourself is there someone else that could get more value out of this? 3. Finally, Take everything you havent worn in 30 days and place in a donation or throwaway pile (with the exception of seasonal items you know youre going to wear and use when that seasonal weather returns) Final tips: - If you find yourself holding onto items because you might need it just in case get rid of it. - If all else fails, use the one year rule. If the item is something you havent used in one year, then I promise you wont miss it. You dont need 15 paint shirts, or 2 pairs of lawn mowing shoes, or socks with holes in them, or shirts with stretched out cuffs that you dont plan on wearing again, etc. Take care, The Mins Reply Frank Martin | Modern Monkey Mind December 7, 2011 at 3:27 pm Thanks for the reply guys. Cleared out the mini dresser full of extra socks, boxers (which I no longer wear), etc, last night. Theyll be hitting the garbage only because, well, I cant imagine someone wanting to wear second hand boxers. The shirts with stretched cuffs were two of my favorites which is a big part of the attachment, though hopefully I can find something similar that doesnt make me look like a slob because its so worn out. Oddly, this process is going almost the opposite of the way I thought it would. When I started, I thought reducing my library would be a killer, and my wardrobe would be relatively simple. Turns out the library has been pretty damn straightforward (I bought a lot of books during college but never got a chance to read them, and am now finding that, even though I have the time, I no longer have the interest). Reply

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Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus write essays about minimalism and living a meaningful life with less stuff for more than 100,000 monthly readers. About Us. Archives | Books | 33 City Meetup Tour Connect: Twitter | Facebook | Google+ Subscribe for Free: RSS or Email Search for:Search

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