Reasons for a Simple / Minimalist lifestyle

People embark on a life of simplicity or a minimalist lifestyle for various reasons.

1) To be closer to nature, and live a more natural life.

2) To care for the environment and live a more sustainable life.

3) To get out of debt and live more frugally.

4) To remove all distractions in life, so you can focus on the important things in your life, such as family, friends or life goals.

5) To live a freer, more mobile life.

There is no right or wrong reasons, and even if your reason is not all of the above, they all overlap and are great consequences of each other.

I started leading a simpler life because I realized that all the things, activities, and even people in my life gave me little time to focus on my important goals, ironically, even when I became unemployed.  I was feeling very overwhelmed, unfulfilled and no closer to my internal life goal of personal growth nor to my career goals. I also care about the environment, and realized that the simple, daily decisions that we make collectively can make a difference. I also want to live a freer, more mobile life, but I am not as minimalist as I would like to be due to my circumstances and the climate where I live, and because while I have little compared to some, I still have to challenge myself to do without as much as I have not.

The benefits of my journey this far has been great. I spend less time thinking about what to wear because 90% of my clothing is black, grey, red or dusty/nude pink, so they all match. I wear minimal makeup, use natura/paraben free toiletrees, make my own shampoo and cleaning products, and eat simple vegetarian food (although I still eat mollusks and shellfish as I am anemic). All of the above things have led to my being healthier and having more energy. I still spend a bit of time cleaning, but by the end of this month, I am doing another purge of household items and books. I have also simplified my social life, and only hang out with a few very close friends, rather than lots of acquaintances. I only go to events and places that I am genuinely interested in, rather than to please others or to kill time. This has allowed me to free up my schedule recently to begin studying for grad school. I know as I continue on minimizing and simplifying the benefits will increase manifold.

This article by Bruce Elkin greatest reignited my fire to simplify even further, as I have been a tad lax in the last year due to personal issues and a family tradegy that got me very down.

The main goal for my path of a life of simplicity has gradually changed over the years, from having less stress and finding myself to now become a more fulfilled and productive person.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks for reading.