Simplify

I am taking Joshua‘s Uncluttered course at this time. This book was suggested to me online and I bought it from Kindle to read. It was so well written and so concise that I was able to gleen a ton of useful and helpful information from this book. I want so much to be successful at decluttering my home and my life in order to live a life free from overwhelming clutter. I crave order in my own personal home and in my life. Thank you so much Joshua for writing this book. Every word that was written and kept through editing was essential. This was not a book that rambled on just to fill up space. I learned so much from this read and can’t wait to finish this review and get going! This is the second time I’ve taken the uncluttered course and I simply haven’t keep up with the program. But after reading this book today, I feel excited and energized to get moving! I’ll begin with my vehicle (for the fastest win) and move on from there. Thank you, and BRAVO! Well done!

I had not read a single post from his blog before purchasing this book. I was in for a pleasant surprise.

This book is extremely concise (less than a 100 pages), which I value in any blog post, article, or book on simplicity. Quality over quantity.

Which brings me to the next point, this book is on PRINCIPLES (as indicated by the title of the book), meaning it will teach you how to fish instead of just handing out fish. If you want someone to hold your hand, buy the Simple Living Guide (500 pages!) and she will direct step by step, dump your drawers out, separate into three piles kind of stuff. There are many blogs on declutting, and Miss Minimalist and Zen Habits will walk you through. There is no point in Joshua reiterating what countless others have covered in regards to clutter. He is simply here to introduce to you the simple life, offering principles that you'll want to keep for a lifetime. The benefits are immense.

BOOK UNFOLDING:

Book starts out with his story. I like the approach, makes you feel welcome. His stories are insightful and entertaining throughout the book. First story goes: some neighbor tells him about her minimalist daughter while he's spending time in the garage cleaning, yet another weekend gone.

He boils things down to the top reasons why you should simplify your life. He points you to his blog if you need more reasons. I was delighted to see the bullet point about simplifying so your kids don't have to rummage through all your stuff one day! Other minimalists don't touch on this important subject. All the junk piling up in my mother's house --- I wonder how I will counter that monumental task if my dad passes or if some tragic accident happens to both of them. It's not a delightful topic to think about, but it makes it easier on everyone if you prepare and figure out what really matters in life before you pass, not just for your sake, but for the environment and for your children.

Josh takes you through the pros and cons of capitalism. You hear both sides. There are pros and cons to everything. Going green has cons like less-than-baby soft toilet paper or having to lug your empty water can around instead of drinking out of throw-aways. When people write books about their ideas, they often leave the cons out. I like his balanced approach.

He then takes you into budget making (critical for a life of simplicity). His plan is the simplest I've come across. He mentions (wisely) that you can't just put $400 for food, because it varies from month to month. He implements savings and charity donations into his budget, so the rest left is free to spend. He's on the money!

The book covers these topics: Find clutter magnet spots in your house. Opt out of junk mail. Turn hangers around when using a garment to get a clue as to what you actually use every month (brilliant idea!). How to deal with simplicity with kids. How to manage enjoyable gift exchanges (clever points here). Buy quality. Don't get addicted to anything. Give. Don't take short cuts. Love things without owning them, love nature. Speak with integrity. Manage time and your computer desktop. Benefits of less TV. (Basically, he reveals the right direction with innovative ideas to try immediately.)

He finishes the book off inviting you on this wonderful journey of less encumbrance with superfluous things...more time with people who matter. Gives you a lovely family, Christmas portrait on the last page.

IN SUMMARY:

I enjoy how Joshua doesn't push his religious beliefs. I am a Christian, but I still don't like to be preached to. I did enjoy all the great quotes throughout, especially the one by Spurgeon. My dad loves Charles Spurgeon!

If you can't tell, I thoroughly loved this book. I have read a great deal of books on minimalism, but nobody sums it up and packages this kind of life like Joshua does here. Definitely worth having in your Kindle library. I have reaped plenty from having less: mobility, time (to enjoy life), more savings, focus --> a satisfying career, stronger relationships, a greener lifestyle... The list goes on, and it will for you, too.

Becker gives many practical guidelines on how to simplify your life in many areas without becoming a fanatic. Called "Rational Minimalism", he advises to concentrate on those things in life you love the most, and to get rid of all other distractions. He does this without requiring us to get rid of most of our furniture or just pare our live down to the 100 most necessary items. Becker, like the rest of us, has "stuff". He also has a wife and two kids. Get rid of cable? Not with kids - but minimize time watching and reduce your package to one of the cheaper ones. Toss the kids toys away? No, but again, realizing that kids play with certain toys more than others, he encourages to give those toys not used to Goodwill, and to even get the kids involved in the process. Own too many clothes? Turn every clothes hanger in your closet backwards, then when you wear an item place the hanger back normally. After 2-3 months, you will have a good idea of what clothes are just take up space, and what you can get rid of(I am going to try this idea!) There is a rule called the 80/20 rule that applies to many things in life: 20% of the realtors make 80% of all real estate sales; 80% of offerings collected by a church come from 20% of the membership; of a list of 10 things you feel you "must" do, 80% of the satisfaction comes from the top 2 items. Becker uses this to start connecting the ownership of less stuff to an increase in happiness and joy. But be forewarned: Though the Kindle version of this book was $2.99, he doesn't go into the spiritual side of it much. He leaves that for the end, when he tells you about his second book, Inside-Out Simplicity, and offers you a chance to purchase. This book left me hungry so it was no problem buying the next one! Kudos to Joshua Becker!

I have always loved the idea of decluttering and keeping life simple and never realised i wasnt decluttering, i was organising and reorganising...i am a mother of four boys and a husband who is naturally a keeper of things so keeping things simple seemed like an impossibility. i had really resigned myself to the fact that 6 prople in one home was just destined to be a cluttered season in life. not so! This book gave me simple instructions and advise that inspired me to get started and stay on the simple track. My kids and husband have finally seen the light and love the space we have...they have all embraced the new lifestyle (they have usually been so hesitant). Not only do we have less, but we use it all and we know where it is! My attitude toward possessions has changed from wanting to hold onto things that may bless my life at some stage in the future, to using only what I need and blessing others by giving excess away or selling it really reasonably priced. I no longer find the urge to spend at every sale, I know where everything in my house lives and best of all I find greater value in empty spaces and surfaces more than I ever did in objects! We have more money, more time and greater ruthlessness... Unlike other books of this nature,I find myself feeling more inspired as I go rather that fizzling out after one purge. When I feel unsure about how much I am getting rid of, I continue referring to its pages to stay motivated...I have not once, missed anything that has left my home. Not once. I recommend this to anyone who is really seeking some inspiration and looking for an over night change of heart!

I have wanted to start minimalizing for a Long time now, but always thought it wasn't practical for me. A homeschooling mom of 4 small children, I really didn't think I had the time nor ability to pursue a more simple lifestyle. This book provided me not only with the motivation and thought change necessary to pursue simplicity, it also have me practical steps and lighthearted illustrations I could relate to. Joshua doesn't approach this topic as a prideful authority who has it all figured out... He is open and honest and shared the different stages of his own families journey in such a way that it invites you to try without a huge fear of failure. He focuses on changing our thought processes which is the key to changing our lives. I am young in this journey of minimalism, but my husband and I are so excited about creating new freedom in our lives and home. This book empowered me to start doing something I've longed for by giving me the insight, the tools, the motivation and the evidence to make it happen. This is a good, quick read that you will ENJOY.