As you may already know, my grand plan is this:
- Leave my 9-to-5 job at the end of November.
- Return to Ireland and set up my own business.
- Build the business to the point where I’m delivering more value and earning more money than I am now, while working a maximum of 20 hours per week.
- Move to Spain by May 1, 2011.
I have already begun setting myself up for success. One of the ways I’m doing that is by moving decisively towards a minimalist lifestyle.
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is me selling my TV, canceling my Netflix and giving away all my furniture. Minimalism is me realizing that I don’t have to pay $800 a month for rent (I recently moved apartment and saved myself $65 a week). Minimalism is donating all those clothes I never wear and all those books I never reread.
Minimalism is getting rid of all the crap and clutter so I can be free.
I counted up all my possessions at the start of May and found I had 330. As of this writing, that number has been reduced to 193. I’m aiming to own less than 100 things by the time I leave New Orleans.
Why minimalism?
I believe a minimalist lifestyle will help me succeed in my grand plan for several reasons:
Minimalism cuts out distractions
Less clutter helps me focus, helps me keep the main thing the main thing. Since I began the elimination process, I’ve found it much easier to find the focus and time needed to do my writing, planning and studying.
Minimalism saves money
I’m amazed at how much I can now save per week while earning the exact same income that I have been for years. All along, I was spending huge chunks of money on things I didn’t really need. I’ll go into detail about my financial situation and aspirations in a future post.
Minimalism gives me freedom to move
My new apartment is a temporary sublet, but having to move again next month won’t be a problem. I imagine it will take about two hours, total, to pack, load, transport, unload and unpack everything I own. At the end of November, when I move my entire life back to Ireland, I don’t expect I’ll have to check a bag at the airport.
Minimalism detaches me from material goods
Most people fear a big dip in income because it would force them to drastically change their lifestyle and give up all their toys. But what if you choose to embrace a minimalist lifestyle regardless of your income? You’d realize that you really don’t need to live that superficial lifestyle to be happy; in fact, that lifestyle was one of the main hindrances to your happiness in the first place. Having embraced minimalism, I’m well prepared for the temporary dip my income will take when I quit my day job and start my own business.
Minimalism works
I’ve been following people like Everret Bogue, Colin Wright, Leo Babuta, Karol Gajda, Tammy Strobel and Raam Dev; just a handful of online entrepreneurs who have adopted a minimalist lifestyle to achieve success. They’re living proof that minimalism works.
Helping the movement, the homeless, and myself
Everett Bogue’s fantastic e-book is what got me seriously considering minimalism in the first place, so I’ve decided to help spread his message. I’ve signed up to be an affiliate, meaning I get a 50% cut of sales generated through this here blog. The arrangement should give me an idea of what my current earning power is like, so I won’t be starting out clueless when I quit my job in November.
Unfortunately, since I’m currently a non-immigrant worker in the United States, it’s illegal for me to earn any extra money beyond that which I’m paid by my sponsor/employer. This law is in place to ensure I don’t take more work away from Americans by doing side jobs. Damn Government’s holding me down, man.
So since I can’t get paid, I’ve arranged to have my affiliate earnings deposited directly to the PayPal account of a non-profit, namely The Desmond Project, an organization that provides hearty meals to the homeless in New Orleans every Saturday. I’ve volunteered with them several times in the past year and can testify that they’re great people doing great work.
So if you’re interested in learning more about minimalism, feeding some homeless folks, and helping me figure out how much money I can earn through this website, click here and continue on to buy the e-book. The cost is just $17, though you’ll probably end up saving a lot more than that if the message impacts you the way it did me.
But wait
Everett encourages everyone who buys his e-book to make five copies and pass them along to friends, free of charge. So before you go spending your hard-earned cash, leave a thoughtful comment below and you could win one of the five copies I have to share.
What I’m wondering is: when you’re free, what then? What are you going to spend your time on? I can understand and also feel the desire for freedom, but for me the question “and then?” is a lot more pressing than just that desire.
I also wonder about the “100 things” goal, for myself anyways, can we as humans live in modern society with just 100 items? I mean, if everybody would do this, would we still have houses and bikes and planes? I can understand some percentage of people doing it, but once you buy a house for instance, there’s loads of stuff you need to have to repair the house, keep the yard in check etc..
Thanks for the comment, Niels.
I believe owning less than 100 things will help me achieve the goals above. I don’t expect I’ll always own less than 100 things — I may want to own a house someday — or that everyone should be that extreme. The vast majority would do well to think long and hard about consumerism though, and realize that the more they spend, the less likely they are to be happy.
As for “what then?”… whatever I want. I’d like to continue traveling, possibly making my way towards Southeast Asia. I’d also like to get more involved in philanthropy, perhaps work closely with a non-profit that resonates with me or set up my own. All I know for definite is that I’ll keep moving towards experiences that interest me. I was sketching out a bucket list for myself this morning and there’s no shortage of things I can spend my time on once I’m free. Learning to play musical instruments, learning new languages, building new skills, building new relationships, exploring foreign places, writing articles that help and inspire people, learning more about myself and the world, etc.
Thanks for the article Niall
I agree with you in thinking that there are definitely diminishing returns when buying “stuff”. I also think it’s admirable to have less than a 100 items, but for some people it’s probably not realistic, like when you have a family for which you have to cook everyday. The main argument is clear though. What I see as one of the best arguments for minimalism is that it gives you more time and money. Having less stuff and buying/getting very little new stuff saves you money and time caring, repairing, cleaning and organizing all that sh*t (which I think most of it is anyway). Most people get paid by the hour, so for them money is just another equivalent of time. So they’re trading time (and energy) for stuff. If they don’t get that stuff they have more free time, and more free time (to me) equals more life.
I can identify with your goals, I’d love to hear how they’re working out for you. Are you already working towards some of those goals? Can I summarize your goals with “doing interesting stuff, helping people and learning”?
Great Article Niall, really enjoyed it, I own way too much crap at the moment, think I will start delivering to charity shops. Looking forward to when you return to Ireland!
@Niels: What constitutes as a “thing” or a “possession” is debatable in this minimalist movement. For example, I’m subletting an apartment for the summer and so get to use all of the cooking apparatus. But those things don’t belong to me, so I don’t count them. If I moved into an empty apartment, I’d likely be forced to buy a few extra things. Similarly, I lump all my socks together and count them as one thing. Same for underwear. Really, the number 100 doesn’t mean much — I may end up owning more or less things than that — but it’s something to aim for.
I like your summary of my goals. That sounds about right. If I can do those three things for the rest of my life, I think I’ll die a very happy man.
@Dave: Thanks for reading! I just sent copies of the e-book to you and Niels. Enjoy!
Great post Niall. My first blush of minimalism was when I read The 4-Hour Work Week. When he went on with the 80-20 rule and gave how it can b used on many examples, including only using 20% of what you actually use, I said to myself, “Oh crap, I have a lot of stuff.”
When I gave away a bunch of my clothes last month, I didn’t feel as if I lost something, instead I felt I gained. What I mean is, instead of having a LOT random pieces of clothing I now have less, yet higher quality on the whole, clothing.
Less is really more. Except the e-book. I want that!
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Plz cnsdr me 4 ebook! Thx. ; )
I remember hearing you talk about this at CGW and I remember thinking then that I needed to check that out. I’m really interested in living more simply, but I do have a difficult time letting “things” go. Some of it is the old “I might need that” problem. I own a couple of books about getting rid of clutter and how that helps clear out your life and find the life you want to live, but its difficult to stop the cycle. I clear out, get rid of the clutter and in a few months its back again.
Thanks for all the comments folks. All out of free e-books now. Enjoy!
I’m a minimalist and didn’t even know it. I haven’t owned more than 2 backpacks worth of stuff for 5-6 years. The distractions are everywhere though. Even if one only owned a computer there is an endless array of distractions reaching into infinity on the net. Discipline, this is the primary focus of goal achievement I believe.
Hello again, Niall,
Great post and I am looking forward hearing how your journey progresses.
After my year of travel and only having the things on my back, I have really felt the pressure and addictive quality of possessions since returning back to a more normal American life. I have been very slow to add anything to the amount of stuff that I possess, but at times it feels like there is major social pressure to do so.
I wish more knew how alive it makes one feel to have less.
All the best!
Thanks, Joey. I agree, discipline is a big part of it. I’ve gotten better about staying on task when I’m online. I don’t check e-mail much anymore and keep Facebook and Twitter to a minimum. It’s amazing what you can get done once you cut out the distractions and focus on the important.
Benjamin: I think more and more people are shifting that way. There’s definitely a huge minimalist movement building online.
BTW, I loved reading those few things you picked up over the past year on your blog. Glad I was able to meet you on your journey.