Ep. 297 | Minimalism Rules

Questions answered in this episode:

00:00 How valuable are rules?

04:30 How important are boundaries?

18:22 Once I only have my essential items, how do I keep them from wearing out quickly?

19:23 How is minimalism not a destination?

19:52 What is our language problem?

26:50 How effective is it to reverse clothes hangers to minimize a wardrobe?

27:52 Is it helpful to restrict the amount of clothes hangers to create an appropriate wardrobe?

29:59 How do you develop and maintain the discipline needed to stick to your minimalism rules or other habits you're trying to establish?

#TheMinimalists

[ALightAngel]

I do a lot of crafts so craft supplies are an issue for me. I love having the supplies when I need them but I really wanted to downsize where I could. I started with yarn. I could have donated it directly but instead I made 10 neck scarves and donated them to people living in a homeless encampment. (The weather was exceptionally cold at the point they were delivered.) So I cleansed that category of supplies AND got a tremendous feeling of fulfillment from doing something for people who could really use what I created.

[alanbirkner]

I am 71, I am not climbing on ladders much these days. I went through some art supplies and gave a big bag to the local food pantry for their free
table. Then I filled a bag of sweaters for Goodwill. Another box of China and glassware is going to Goodwill. I use your 20/20 rule. We've had friends
die suddenly with houses full of stuff. We have never had much, now we have less. Tina

[kraykray]

I like what Joshua said here "As a minimalist all my things are my favourite things" good way to look at what we own

[emmaadams]

I love that these episodes always drop right before I go to the grocery store they give me something constructive to listen to on my drive there and back!

[robynfree]

When I get an Amazon package, I fill up the box it came in with donations.

[grumylynn]

Josh, I love that you said "I don't really care" when referring to what we thought about the coffee mug. Caring less about others' thoughts about "things" is definitely a form of minimalism, I would think. And caring too much is consumer-istic, Ya?!

[SirTaoSan]

I have bunch of older clothes. Things that own me since over 10 years (some of them). And that even after throwing out and donating quite a bit.
I'm not a fan of hanging clothes, i've restricted my wardrobe (including seasonal items - i need them here where i live), i'm down to about 5 large drawers.
T-Shirts, Buttonshirts, Pants... everything is folded marie kondo style and stored in said drawers, stacked so that everything is visible.
In order to actually use all my clothes (season permits), i put the freshly washed laundery in the back and only take the one at the front - therefore wearing trough all my cloths. once in a while i have to / i can let go of one or the other, due to being worn out. And once i'm down to a number that's suitable for my life, i'll get one new at a time, when one old has to go.

[rachtl]

Something you don't hear much is how to transition from what you learn as a child about 'having more stuff' and how if you didn't have extra or grew up with one parent there was a lot of stigma. That person then grows up with the idea that having more stuff or abundance is more socially acceptable and more 'normal'. I grew up in a single parent household as one parent died at a young age so we had very little extra. There were no brand names or treats in the cupboard. So fast forward 20 years when I had a child myself I subconsciously over compensated for that and found it hard to let go of things, holding on to that negative lesson that less meant poor or lower class. Its hard to let go of those early lessons particularly if there was shame or bullying but I guess that is the beauty of finding your true self through minimalism and living authentically without fear of being judged.

[cedarrockcabin]

O! M! G! Many times I’ve thought that if my house caught fire how relieved I’d feel. Like a weight had been lifted. We had downsized & had a lot of junk in boxes in storage. We had all this junk from combining 2 household that we hadn’t dealt with then had my parents estate to deal with and as we were wrapping that up I was diagnosed with cancer, went through chemo then recurred before being well enough to deal with the junk. Over 2 yrs passed. Thank God mice got into quite a few boxes of junk while in storage. When I recovered and started going through boxes, every time I’d grab a box I secretly hoped mice had gotten in as that gave me permission without guilt to throw out the whole box without going through it (they never chewed through, but got in through the punch-outs to carry the boxes). Unfortunately, they did not get into all of them. So then I reboxed the junk to organize the junk I didn’t know what to do with and am going through them now. I have now created a guideline that if I haven’t dealt with that box within a month, out it goes. That guideline came to me after hearing about Ryan’s boxing party. Guilt is my biggest stumbling block. What will my sister think if she finds out I gave away this thing. I ended up with my mothers Crystal because my sister had Crystal so she proclaimed it mine. WTH am I going to do with it?! I have never been a China/silver/Crystal person. Give me mismatched handmade pottery dishes, mason jars and stainless steel flatware any day and serve buffet style. Putting on airs ain’t my thang. I am also giving my adult children things they want now and getting rid of as much as I can as I have learned….they don’t like want my junk either.

[ArleneAdkinsZell]

Your statements about language and its effects are so true and language is something that gets me going. The word 'diet' has been corrupted over the years, it actually means 'the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats' not some eating plan that a person goes on and off of. In the past, doctors always asked about your diet, but because of really good marketing and saturation, the word has taken on a different meaning and the misunderstanding has not helped the health of Americans. The best eating habit in the world, is to just eat what works for your body. There are many more examples, but I will not go on, thank you guys for sharing and inspiring.

[nicoleschlanger]

Anna's question is so relatable. I have went through the same thing. I found for my self personally it was how much I spent on these items, that made me not want to dirty or wear out. I wanted these things to last forever so using less stretched out the life of these items.

[trueeagle]

"Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without’". I heard this song by Don Grooms years ago at The Florida Folk Festival, ( was not able to find it on the internet). In the sixties when our favorite pants tore, we put a patch on it. The thing is, if you keep putting patches on eventually you have a new pair of pants. A rule that applies to most every thing, even the cells in your body.

[hopemurphy]

this brought back memories of a book i had which was published posthumously but made by a photo journalist Dan Eldon called 'the journey is the destination'. i sometimes think of this when i feel like a goal i have is becoming overwhelming as it helps to snap me back into the present. love your podcast ❤

[bitspiritual]

My husband isn't a minimalist and is sentimental but will do without and doesn't like to spend on himself a part from books and gym gear. I'm minimalist, no attachment to things but like to treat myself and our family to events. The rules we share are save up for things to buy them in full (nothing on finance a part from our mortgage), don't buy things we won't use or enjoy, experiences and activities are essential purchases to us, have savings in the bank and live under or means

[anielyantra]

Here is my pruning process; I do it by sets. A set is your clothes or your kitchenware, etc. I lay the set of stuff out so I can visually see all of it. Then I prune to the essentials I wish to keep. I take all the rest and bag it and put it in a staging area. If I feel I pruned too much I rejoin the deleted items. After 30 days, the rest of deleted stuff goes and I make a mental note to not buy it again.

[Bobbi-the-Croz]

I did the backward hanger strategy one year. It was revealing and helpful to let go of things that kept me clinging to my fantasy self. I also have only a certain amount of hangers, when I bring in something new and there is no hanger for it, something must go. 👍🏼

[kraykray]

I liked the suggestion a caller made about waiting a month before a purchase. Great tip👍

[PinkSallyProductions]

I’ve just started your new audiobook and this episode is a great companion to it. Thank you both for helping me (OCD and over-sentimentality had left me with a stuffed house) to define my boundaries with ‘stuff’ and clear not only my house a lot, but also my mind! Be well 🌹

[DavidDavisDH]

The only time I disregard minimalism rules is when it comes to my car tools because I fix my own car, so maintenance stuff like brakes, spark plugs, oil changes, etc, the tools are not always used often, but it saves a lot of money when I do them myself compared to a shop.

[augustineschaefer]

My favorite things are the things I’m currently using. I don’t quilt anymore so I don’t have a small stash of fabric, I now have a small stash of wood and a table saw. I don’t miss the fabric, but I know that I’m only one stop away from fabric (that I’ve not bought in years)