The Promise of Minimalism

Podcast 195

What would your life look like if you only owned what you truly needed? Joshua Becker shares the life-changing moment that convinced him to live with less and focus on what matters most and the promise of minimalism. 

In this episode, Cathy and Joshua discuss: 

• Defining minimalism and common misconceptions around minimalism 
• The difference between minimalism vs. decluttering
• Lightbulb moment that led Joshua to transition to minimalism
• Do’s and don’ts for beginning a minimalist lifestyle
• Joshua’s approach of decluttering your most lived-in space first then working towards the hardest space 
• Advice for working through learned behaviors of your kids and family
• Why working with your spouse requires love, patience, grace, and humility 
• What matters most to Joshua: faith, family and relationships, making a positive difference in the world
• Tips for those struggling to determine what’s most important to them

Joshua Becker and his young family were introduced to minimalism 12 years ago during a short conversation with their neighbor and he immediately became a pioneer of the Modern Minimalist Movement with his blog, Becoming Minimalist. Through his blog, Joshua’s story and writing have inspired millions around the world to find more life by owning fewer possessions. Today, based on his thoughtful and intentional approach to minimalism, he is one of the leading voices in the modern simplicity movement reaching over 2 million readers every month.

Joshua is the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to intentional living that was named by SUCCESS Magazine as one of the top ten personal development websites.

He is also the USA Today and WSJ best-selling author of 5 books: The Minimalist Home, The More of Less, Simplify, and Clutterfree with Kids. His new book, Things That Matter, will be released in April 2022.

He is a contributor to Forbes Magazine and has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Reader’s Digest, the Drew Barrymore Show and countless other media outlets—speaking live on 6 different continents and for Fortune 100 countries around the US including Google, Airbnb, and SalesForce.

He is also the Founder of The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. Currently, he lives in Peoria, AZ with his wife and two teenage children.

Memorable Quotes:

• “The method, the approach…I have found to be the most helpful for the most number of people to work through your home is  easiest to hardest, starting with the most lived-in areas first.”
• “It’s a little bit like building up a muscle…this decluttering muscle, and the stronger you get, the better you get at it.”
• “There are some things that are difficult to get rid of. And when people get to those—don’t stop because it’s getting difficult. I think when it’s getting difficult is when we take a step back and start asking ourselves questions like, Why is this hard for me to get rid of?”  
• “I think when we use that freed up time and space and energy to help others to make a positive difference in the world, that this is when we get to the end of our lives and we’re most satisfied and we’re most most fulfilled…people can pursue minimalism for whatever reason they want.”