Have you ever wondered why there are so many people interested in pursuing minimalism, yet there are only a few exceptional persons that seem to have made it their way of life? For most, it seems that there is a constant fight against clutter… a fight against society, and even a fight against their own wants.  With their minds, they have to calm down their emotions whenever a good bargain pops up somewhere. “No, I’m not going to buy this, even though I’d like to. I’m pursuing minimalism. I’m putting the bargain down and will start running…now!” Yet, for the few that are counted among the ‘die-hards’, these things seem harmless. They just flow through life effortless, never once paying attention to the astonishing amount of commercials pointed their way. Never once slipping, but always remaining focused on pursuing their minimalist lifestyle. What’s their secret, you ask?

Minimalism is never a goal

Although a clean, tidy or even empty home may seem blissful, and not having to haul a giant suitcase with you while traveling is absolutely freeing, minimalism hasn’t ever been (and will never be!) a valid goal in itself. If your life revolves around minimalism, (trust me on this one) it will get boring very soon. It’ll get boring and you’ll lose focus quickly. There must be a higher pursuit than cutting back on the stuff you own.

If you take a look at most of the bloggers that write about minimalism, you’ll soon find out that each and every one of them uses their simplifying to pursue something else. A bigger goal, with minimalism being just the means to get there.

Nina Yau is what you’d call an extreme minimalist, living with only a few items stuffed in a duffel bag. Why? Not because she’s all about the duffel bag, but because she loves to explore the world and feels that owning lots of stuff will hinder her in pursuing her dreams of traveling.

Leo Babauta uses minimalism as part of his ‘Zen Habits’ lifestyle.  Along with mindless consumerism, he’s identifying all bad habits in his life and tries to trade them in for good ones. With pretty good success, may I add.

Faith Janes writes about minimalism, too. She needs to live a minimalist lifestyle, in order to live comfortably in her (combined) family home with 9 others.

My recipe for baking life’s cake is this: 3 cups of Lord Jesus, two ounces of minimalism, a heaping tablespoon of family – all tied together with a pinch of Calvinist theology. No, but seriously… (and yes, of course I’m kidding about the cake!) What I’m trying to say is this: My pursuit of minimalism, just like that of the people I mentioned above, lies in something else than just ‘minimalism’ on itself. Minimalism is a way of life, never a goal. My goal is to be a follower of Christ. Minimalism is one way that helps me achieve that goal.

If your goal is traveling the world, like Nina, minimalism will definitely get you on your way. And you know how it is with people that have set themselves goals… they’re nearly unstoppable! This is the reason it seems that resisting temptation seems effortless for them. This is the reason they’re staying on track and win the battle every time.

If you want to live a life without clutter… a minimalists’ life, just ask yourself this:

Why do I want to live a minimalist life?

Think long and hard about this one… it’s the key to find your real goal (and with that the motivation to go on!) I hope that you will soon find the answer to this question, and that it might become clear what your real motives are. Once you know your real goal, getting there becomes easier every day – especially with all the great help these inspired minimalist bloggers provide.

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