Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
• 📝 Get access to free 'How To Get Started With Minimalism' checklist: petercook.myflodesk.com/minimalismchecklist
• ☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
What is minimalism, exactly? For many people, minimalism conjures images of living in an almost empty white home. They think it’s about depriving themselves, giving up things they care about or find useful, to get a to a small number of possessions.
I struggled with this as well when I became a minimalist. How much did I have to declutter to call myself a minimalist?
But what I’ve learned since then is that minimalism is not dogmatic. It’s not about some arbitrarily low number of possessions you need to size down to, to qualify as a minimalist. It’s more of a mindset, which goes way beyond the stuff you own.
In this video, I want to share the different definitions of minimalism that I’ve found, from well-known minimalists like Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (aka The Minimalists), Leo Babauta, Joshua Becker, and others, and see where they overlap, and where they differ. Enjoy!
Resources mentioned in video:
• Defining Minimalism - Tara White Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=NNmWULSGS0o
• Why Minimalism is a Better Way of Life: nosidebar.com/why-minimalism
• Mnmlist FAQs: mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs
• The Fall Of Materialism: Why More Millennials Aspire To Have Nothing: elitedaily.com/life/culture/millennials-minimalists/1256085
• About Joshua & Ryan (The Minimalists): theminimalists.com/about
• What Is Minimalism? theminimalists.com/minimalism
• This Is the BEST Definition of Minimalism (with @JoshuaBecker): youtube.com/watch?v=OdIQg2TH8fs
• What Is a Minimalist Lifestyle? Experts Share the Potential Benefits: oprahdaily.com/life/a30530266/what-is-a-minimalist-lifestyle
• Minimalism Explained: exilelifestyle.com/minimalism-explained
• What Is Minimalism? youtube.com/watch?v=beEPuUq_RdY
• Goodbye Things - Fumio Sasaki: https://a.co/d/3zh04Se
• The Elements of Style: bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-elements-of-style/iii-elementary-principles-of-composition
• Nicholas Burroughs quote: twitter.com/tferriss/status/562456002071891968?s=20
• What is minimalism web.archive.org/web/20181108041230/http://lovingsimpleliving.com/2012/03/what-is-minimalism
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:37 There is no minimalism rulebook
02:35 How well-known minimalists define minimalism
05:00 Minimalism is about more than owning less. To create space for what matters
05:57 Silent To-Do List (Fumio Sasaki)
06:32 Elements of Style analogy
07:20 Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.
07:40 Minimalism is not a doctrine, but a tool to bring more joy to your life.
– WHAT TO WATCH NEXT –
3 Lessons from 1 Year of Minimalism: youtu.be/IWQ9NAji7lw
– LINKS –
📚 Interesting books to read:
• Stoicism For Beginners: https://a.co/d/hPU8GTX
• Minimalism 101: https://a.co/d/bJkA6Lt
• Declutter Your Life: https://a.co/d/carqttB
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
• 📝 Get access to free 'How To Get Started With Minimalism' checklist: petercook.myflodesk.com/minimalismchecklist
• ☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
What is minimalism, exactly? For many people, minimalism conjures images of living in an almost empty white home. They think it’s about depriving themselves, giving up things they care about or find useful, to get a to a small number of possessions.
I struggled with this as well when I became a minimalist. How much did I have to declutter to call myself a minimalist?
But what I’ve learned since then is that minimalism is not dogmatic. It’s not about some arbitrarily low number of possessions you need to size down to, to qualify as a minimalist. It’s more of a mindset, which goes way beyond the stuff you own.
In this video, I want to share the different definitions of minimalism that I’ve found, from well-known minimalists like Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (aka The Minimalists), Leo Babauta, Joshua Becker, and others, and see where they overlap, and where they differ. Enjoy!
Resources mentioned in video:
• Defining Minimalism - Tara White Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=NNmWULSGS0o
• Why Minimalism is a Better Way of Life: nosidebar.com/why-minimalism
• Mnmlist FAQs: mnmlist.com/minimalist-faqs
• The Fall Of Materialism: Why More Millennials Aspire To Have Nothing: elitedaily.com/life/culture/millennials-minimalists/1256085
• About Joshua & Ryan (The Minimalists): theminimalists.com/about
• What Is Minimalism? theminimalists.com/minimalism
• This Is the BEST Definition of Minimalism (with @JoshuaBecker): youtube.com/watch?v=OdIQg2TH8fs
• What Is a Minimalist Lifestyle? Experts Share the Potential Benefits: oprahdaily.com/life/a30530266/what-is-a-minimalist-lifestyle
• Minimalism Explained: exilelifestyle.com/minimalism-explained
• What Is Minimalism? youtube.com/watch?v=beEPuUq_RdY
• Goodbye Things - Fumio Sasaki: https://a.co/d/3zh04Se
• The Elements of Style: bartleby.com/lit-hub/the-elements-of-style/iii-elementary-principles-of-composition
• Nicholas Burroughs quote: twitter.com/tferriss/status/562456002071891968?s=20
• What is minimalism web.archive.org/web/20181108041230/http://lovingsimpleliving.com/2012/03/what-is-minimalism
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:37 There is no minimalism rulebook
02:35 How well-known minimalists define minimalism
05:00 Minimalism is about more than owning less. To create space for what matters
05:57 Silent To-Do List (Fumio Sasaki)
06:32 Elements of Style analogy
07:20 Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.
07:40 Minimalism is not a doctrine, but a tool to bring more joy to your life.
– WHAT TO WATCH NEXT –
3 Lessons from 1 Year of Minimalism: youtu.be/IWQ9NAji7lw
– LINKS –
📚 Interesting books to read:
• Stoicism For Beginners: https://a.co/d/hPU8GTX
• Minimalism 101: https://a.co/d/bJkA6Lt
• Declutter Your Life: https://a.co/d/carqttB
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
