Less - a visual guide to minimalism

Rachel Aust begins her book "Less: A visual guide to minimalism" by defining minimalism as:

unsubscribing from the idea that how much you own equates to your level of happiness.
letting go of the unnecessary.
the removal of distractions.
a way to reclaim your time.
an intentional way of living that allows you to identify what's important to you.
simplicity.
freedom.

Book review of Less: a visual guide to minimalism

How is it a "visual guide"

Flow charts, tables, photos and diagrams. Even if you didn't read a single paragraph of text there's still value in this book.

Decide what to do with unwanted items by following a flow chart. Tips for daily, weekly and monthly tasks to stay minimal are in a handy table. Same for goal setting.

Diagrams of study workspaces and wardrobes help illustrate how to keep those traditionally cluttered areas more minimal. Even lists are presented in visually appealing ways or as a collection of icons - such as the 20 essential kitchen tools.

Not just decluttering

Yes, a fair chunk of the book is about decluttered decor and wardrobes. But that's not it.

Reflecting her list of benefits of minimalism, Rachel also offers tips for other areas areas of life where less is more:

Having a few clear goals and focussing your schedule to achieve them.
Spending on what's important and habits to avoid wasteful spending.
Digital decluttering. Simplifying the stuff on our computer and phone.
Decluttering our mind and single-tasking rather multi-tasking

I should re-read that last one. Even as I write this, I'm getting distracted by alerts of social media comments on my previous article.

In short

This books is easy-to-read and practical. I'd recommend borrowing it from the library for a quick read-through and then using the relevant tips and visual aids for the area of life you're currently minimising.

Comments

Less Clutter More Cash - now available

Do you feel like you have too much stuff? Is your home full of things you never use? Would you like to swap them for cash? We did My wife and I have sold more than 550 items online as we downsize and we've learnt a bit along the way. I've put some of our best tips into this handy ebook. I hope you can use these tips so you too can have less clutter and more cash. Enter your email address below to receive the book for free. Less Clutter More Cash Get my new ebook for free. PS. This will subscribe to the But Wait There's Less email list, so you'll know when the new updated version of the book is available. You can unsubscribe at any time.

My mug shot

This is every mug I own. How many did I buy? Zero. They seem to just appear. I don't even drink tea or coffee. In winter I have might have a hot chocolate or cocoa. So 9 mugs seems like a lot. How does this happen? I reckon most mugs are gifts. There are two reasons for this. 1. It's a safe bet. People need to drink. It's kind of like buying your dad socks for father's day. But the difference is that socks wear out and need replacing. Cups don't. One of these mugs i received as a kid in the 90s. It still works fine. Now it has 8 friends. 2. It's often for what's on the mug. It might be a greeting card-style message, or a sports team logo, or something humorous. It's a good thing that something functional can also provide an inspiring message or pleasant memory as you use it. But the problem comes when we have too much. If I use the cup my sister gave me at Christmas, then I'm not using the 'awesome brother' one she already gave m...

Why living differently is rare

Why do so many go mainstream? Once you discover the benefits of an alternate lifestyle (for want of a better phrase) it's hard to see why more people haven't taken it up. Whether it's minimalism, part-time work, frugality, financial independence or eco-friendly living; at some point we ask ourselves why so many people live the mainstream lifestyle. "Why do people own so much stuff?" we might wonder, "Surely they must realise how little joy they get from those items.". "Why do people (and companies) insist on working 40 hours a week rather than 30?" "Why do people spend practically all their income, rather than investing for a passive income that could last forever?" "Why do people drive so much when there are healthier, more affordable and eco-friendly ways to travel?" The wisdom of Solomon I recently read about the conformity experiments of Solomon Asch. He gave people simple multiple choice questions and record...

But wait... there's less!

Search This Blog