7 Minimalist Mistakes You’re Probably Making

In our first two years of marriage I took minimalism so far that it became a point of tension between my wife and I, and a frequent point of debate with my friends.

Looking back, that seems so obviously wrong as to be humorous. I had my principles, and I was going to live by them whether it made my life better or worse.

I have the feeling that I’ve matured a lot since then. Today, while I’d still call myself a minimalist, I’ve learned that the goal of simple living is to get me more of the things I want out of life, not just to be right.

It’s typical of humans to take a good thing and warp it by trying to make it the “main” thing. 

There are other mistakes you can make in the practice of minimalism, and I’ve made most of them. Here’s a short list I just put together with the hopes of helping you to live simply without the extra baggage.

7 minimalist mistakes you might be making:

Assuming you have to be extreme. If practicing minimalism is causing you to be less generous or feel guilty for enjoying innocent pleasures with the people you love, then you’re probably taking it too far. Minimalism doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective. A little bit of simplicity goes a long way in shaking up the status quo.

Focusing on physical clutter only. Most people hear about minimalism when they’re trying to fight clutter in their lives. In fact, some of the most popular blog posts I’ve ever written were about decluttering tips. But bringing order to your physical environment is only the first step towards a truly simple life— you need to get at the heart of things and strip away the beliefs and busyness that are cluttering your soul.

Equating minimalism with a particular aesthetic. I used to be obsessed with the minimalist aesthetic of white walls, empty surfaces, and modern decor. I still have a soft spot for this look in the right context. But what I’ve come to believe is that this version of minimalism is mostly a consumerist dream. It’s about crafting an identity around appearances and the things that money can buy. 

Getting stuck in a neverending cycle of decluttering. Some minimalists seem like they’re always decluttering. It feels like their best mental and physical energies are spent making piles of stuff to be donated. There comes a point when you have to get to the root of the problem and stop bringing new things into your house.  Or else the cycle will never end.

Creating a whole identity around minimalism. One of the definitions of minimalism I like best is Joshau Becker’s: “Being a minimalist means intentionally promoting the things we most value and removing everything that distracts us from it.” A problem I see is that people seem to like the removal part even more than the promotion of what they value most. It’s easy, on some level, to keep removing stuff, but harder to decide what you really want to live for.

Being far too hard on yourself. One of things I used to struggle with a lot (and still do, on occasion) is spending too much time in my own head thinking about how to improve my life. I had a hard time appreciating the fact that my life is a good one: with a pleasant job, a happy family, and meaningful friendships. I just never felt successful enough. Don’t let minimalism be another thing you “have to do” or just another way to improve yourself. Let it reveal to you what really matters and what you already have.

Forgetting that minimalism is about making things easier. The bottom line is this: minimalism is meant to serve you, not for you to serve it. There’s no award for being the most extreme or consistent minimalist, and believe me, it won’t impress your friends. The only reason to intentionally simplify your life is so that you have more time for other things. Figure out what those other things are, and let minimalism make everything else easier.