I’ve been writing about and thinking about minimalism for over 16 years. Ironically, one of my strongest conclusions is that minimalism isn’t always the answer. There are many places and seasons where simplicity is a breath of fresh air.
When you are overwhelmed with options, you should pare them down. When your house is cluttered and unrelaxing, it makes sense to begin reducing the number of your possessions. I also worry that too many people pursue a superficial form of simplicity to feel that their lives are not in chaos when, in fact, there is no way forward but to wade into the messiness of reality.
Most importantly, and from personal experience—the pursuit of minimalism can be a way to hide from complexity. You see, real life is indeed messy. Sometimes, the clearest sign that you are living well is a house with a little clutter, a desk covered with notes, and a to-do list with far more on it than you could ever hope to accomplish.
These things are not inherently wrong. Do you find yourself avoiding important work and instead using that time to declutter your physical environment? Do you spend a lot of time lost in your thoughts, trying to bring order to the ideas in your head rather than applying your brain power to practical situations in life? Do you avoid starting things because you’re uncertain how the problem will end? Do you gravitate towards the easiest tasks that allow you to solve immediate problems or quickly check an item off your list? Do you feel di.
