Eighteen years ago this Memorial Day weekend, I chose to live a minimalist life.

The morning started commonly enough. I offered to clean out the garage as part of our annual spring cleaning efforts while living in Vermont.

I had visions of my five-year-old son working alongside his father on the job. But he was done after roughly thirty seconds of cleaning. As soon as he rediscovered his summer toys, he disappeared into the backyard.

Kim and our two-year-old daughter were cleaning the inside of the house. So I was alone with the garage project. One thing led to another and hours later, I was still working on the same garage.

Salem ran back up to the front every 20 minutes or so asking me to come play with him. Each time, I told him just a few more minutes. Each time, I knew I was probably lying.

At some point, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor June, who was outside working in her yard at the same time. I started complaining a bit about how much time and effort had gone into my project. I think I was looking for some affirmation that this is just what life looks like.

She changed my life in one sentence: “You know, that’s why my daughter is a minimalist. She keeps telling me I don’t need all this stuff.”

I looked at the pile in the driveway. Then I looked at my son, swinging alone on the swing set in the backyard.

Something clicked that I had never noticed. My possessions weren’t just taking up space in the garage. They were distracting me from the thing that mattered.

Not only were my possessions not bringing me joy, they were distracting me from the very thing that did.

And we decided, in that moment, that we would become minimalist. Over the next nine months, Kim and I removed 60-70% of our possessions and discovered that owning less gave us more—more time, more money, more peace, and more opportunity for the things we actually valued.

That was eighteen years ago. And I have never once regretted the decision.

Each year on this anniversary, I like to look back. Eighteen years is a long time. But if I could do it all over, I’d choose minimalism again.

Here are 18 reasons why:

1. It gave me back my time. Every possession demands something from us. They need to be cleaned, maintained, organized, stored, moved, repaired, and removed. When we own less, we get those hours back. And they are always more than we think.

2. It freed me from financial stress. Owning less meant spending less and being able to live on less.

3. It made our home easier to live in. A home with less in it is easier to clean and easier to enjoy. It becomes a source of rest rather than stress. And when we get to focus less on the things inside our home, we get to focus more on the people.

4. It released me from the comparison game. We waste so much life comparing ourselves to others. Choosing minimalism didn’t mean that I never compare myself to others anymore. But it did remove, at least, the most common source of comparison (external symbols of success).

5. It helped me be a better father. The day I discovered minimalism, it was about wanting to be a better father and a more engaged dad. Minimalism gave me that life. And not just being a better father for my kids, but also being a better husband to my wife.

6. It freed me to become more generous. When we discover how little we actually need, we free up our lives for generosity. And who doesn’t want more of that?

7. It pushed me to dream bigger dreams for my life. Our lives are too valuable to waste chasing and accumulating material possessions. We can accomplish more. And once we begin redirecting our energies toward those bigger goals, we discover more potential in ourselves than ever dreamt. Don’t ever settle for something so small as stuff that will end up in a dumpster when you die.

8. It helped me model something better for my kids. As you know, kids learn more from what they see than what they hear. Once we began intentionally owning less and living for bigger things, our kids were able to see the benefits of a countercultural life.

9. It gave me the freedom to pursue work I loved. Minimalism allowed me to choose a life that costs less. And because of that, it paved the way to find work I love. I loved my job before minimalism because it was meaningful. And I love my job today because it is meaningful. I am thankful that minimalism put that within reach for us.

10. It changed how I defined success. The world has a very specific definition of success. And for most of my early life, I accepted it without question. Minimalism gave me a better one. And for that reason alone, I would choose it all over again. Because how we define success affects almost everything about us.

11. It taught me the value of “enough.” There is something life-changing that happens when we can define what “enough” looks like for our lives. Enough home. Enough clothing. Enough money. Learning that there even is enough, and then what that might be for our lives, is a pathway to freedom and opportunity.

12. It made me more intentional about everything. Minimalism, for me, started with possessions standing in my driveway. But it didn’t end there. I soon discovered more intentionality in my health, habits, calendar, and even in my approach to work. As I soon discovered, intentionality in one area of life often sparks intentionality in other areas. Minimalism did that for me.

13. It led Kim and me to found The Hope Effect. When we stopped spending our resources on ourselves, we had something to give. That realization, and a book deal in 2015, led to the founding of The Hope Effect—a nonprofit started by the Becoming Minimalist Community—that is changing orphan care in Mexico, Honduras, Thailand, Cambodia, and around the world.

14. It helped me understand myself better. Owning less forced questions upon myself I never would have asked otherwise—especially about the unhealthy motivations compelling my actions. That journey inward can be painful, but it is always worthwhile.

15. It helped me stop trying to impress people with the things that I own. It is impossible to not impress other people. Our lives will always leave an impression. The only question is whether the impression we leave will be positive or negative. Minimalism caused me to stop trying to impress people with the things I owned and begin trying to leave a positive impression by the life that I live.

16. It sparked a movement I never anticipated. When I started writing about minimalism in 2008, I had no idea anyone would read it. Becoming Minimalist was the first website dedicated entirely to minimalism. Now there are thousands and thousands across every single social media platform and outlet. And I think that’s a wonderful thing. The more people who discover the life-giving benefits of owning less, the better.

17. It gave me something worth writing about for 18 years. That’s a long time to write about one idea. But it hasn’t felt that way. I never get tired of looking for new ways to introduce people to minimalism. At least not yet.

18. It has brought me a community of people that I love. It brought me to you. Thank you for your constant support and love. I love this community. Minimalism gave that to me. Thank you for being part of it.

When I started writing eighteen years ago, I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. And I had no idea the impact it would have on millions of others.

But that’s the magic of minimalism. It changes us more than we expect—and in better ways than we could have imagined.

Own less, live more. You’ll be glad you did 18 days from now, 18 months from now, and 18 years from now.

See Joshua Becker Live. The Uncluttered F...

See Joshua Becker Live.
The Uncluttered F...

Becoming Minimalist

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