How To Adopt a Minimalist Mindset for a More Fulfilling Life

Minimalism goes far beyond decluttering your wardrobe. It's a radical departure from what we value as a society.

But if you dare to deviate, you will get rewarded. You will escape the shackles of consumerism and live a more fulfilled life.

The key to that is to adopt a minimalist mindset.

Before we get started: I finally published my first proper video on YouTube! I would love for you to check it out (and maybe leave some feedback): Extreme Minimalism: How To Live With 150 Things (Or Less)

Thank you!

I.

Consumerism is the fabric our society is made of.

And it’s set up as a cycle.

We go to work, so we can buy more "stuff." And we buy more stuff, so we can forget about work.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Most of us never question that cycle. It is convenient, after all. We know what to do. It keeps us busy.

So, the first step to adopting a minimalist mindset is to ask, "Why? Why do I constantly need to buy more stuff, most of which I don’t need?"

II.

We think of minimalism as this pop-culture phenomenon, something we saw Marie Condo do on Netflix. Decluttering your wardrobe, that kind of thing.

That is not doing minimalism justice.

Minimalism is not about clearing out the drawers in your bedroom. It is about clearing out the drawers in your mind.

And they need clearing.

Most of us cannot name our values. We are unclear about our goals in life. We have no game plan.

The problem is that there are too many options. And we’ve never taken the time to filter for those most dear to us.

The physical messiness around us — the chaos in our bedroom, our scattered desks — are just expressions of that.

III.

We are all caught up in the accomplishment fallacy — once I get to X, I will be happy.

“Once I make $10,000 a month, my success will be complete.”

“Once we get married, life will be wonderful.”

“Once they award me that PhD, I will be content.”

Don’t get me wrong — goals are important. But the danger is that we fixate on future accomplishments instead of the process. And it’s the latter that brings us joy.

To counterbalance this, we need to relearn how to value experiences. They are what make us feel alive.

It’s walking in a forest at night, your senses so heightened that you notice every little sound.

It’s tasting a piece of fruit, its texture, its sweetness.

It’s having sex with somebody who is completely there with you in the moment.

We all had that skill once. As children, it came naturally. Then our planning mind interfered.

But now we need to come full circle. We need to reenter the now.

IV.

Accept the trade-offs.

A minimalist mind must choose. But when you choose one thing, you reject many other things. And some of these options will be really attractive.

There is no way around it, though. If you say “Yes” to too many things, nothing gets its fair due.

It is a basic truth we refuse to accept — every resource is limited. Your time. Your energy. Your willpower.

Having a minimalist mindset means acknowledging this truth. You must learn to embrace the trade-offs.

Do fewer things, but do them right.

My site was recently hit by a Google update, like many other smaller sites in the personal development space. Lost quite a bit of traffic, not great.

But maybe it's a sign to transition over to video. I was always a bit hesitant because of my Arnold Schwarzenegger accent, but I should probably own it.

So, if you want to give me some love and leave a like or even subscribe, I would really appreciate it: Extreme Minimalism: How To Live With 150 Things (Or Less)

Thank you again.

Until next week,

Niels