The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life
Francine Jay has built a popular blog over at Miss Minimalist about minimalist living. The Miss Minimalist blog began in September of 2009 and has grown, at this time, to 7,410 subscribers.
The book is just a plain good reality check and I’m not the only one who thinks that.
Out of 60 reviews on Amazon, 48 are 5 stars. I guess that’s why Amazon named the book into the Best of 2010.
My personal review of the ‘Joy of Less’:
If you want a simple minimalist guide that will give you a pep talk of the basics and show you how to start and go through the process, then this is the book. It’s easy and pleasing to read. She writes like she’s talking to you in a pleasant manner.
Most important of all, it gives you ways to get started, like making a list of everything you own. After reading this, you won’t have a problem getting your minimalist life started, trust me.
You’ll learn how to determine what to keep by what it means to you. Francine Jay gives you a reality check. She gives you questions to consider. You answer, you decide.
The negative part is that it is primarily targeted towards woman but that didn’t bother me. If you feel like you need help un-cluttering your home and life, then this book will help. If you already have a well kept minimalist home with not a lot of stuff, then you probably already know most of this book because you’re living it.
For me, I always try to improve my minimalist life and I found some great information to use. Plus, the pep talk writing style helps motivate you to de-clutter and clean. I think we all need a pep talk that will move us toward a more minimalist life.
As far as your minimalist business is concerned, this book will free up time you would have been worrying, cleaning or doing something else. This book will take the clutter out of your life so you have more time to focus on your minimalist business.
Most highlighted spots in Amazon:
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
surfaces are not for storage. Rather, surfaces are for activity, and should be kept clear at all other times.
Decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep, rather than deciding what to throw away.
In order to be a good gatekeeper, you have to think of your house as sacred space, not storage space.
In pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, we need to resist the temptation to recreate the outside world within our abodes.
Ask the following (in your head!) of each potential purchase: “Do you deserve a place in my home?” “What value will you add to my household?” “Will you make my life easier?” “Or are you going to be more trouble than you’re worth?” “Do I have a place to put you?” “Do I already have something that could accomplish the same task?” “Will I want to keep you forever (or at least a very long time)?” “If not, how hard will it be to get rid of you?”
If we recognize the abundance in our lives, and appreciate what we have, we will not want for more. We simply need to focus on what we have, rather than what we don’t have.
“I live lightly and gracefully, with only the objects I find functional or beautiful.”
Ask each item, “What are you and what do you do?” “How did you come into my life?” “Did I buy you, or were you given to me?” “How often do I use you?” “Would I replace you if you were lost or broken, or would I be relieved to be rid of you?” “Did I ever want you in the first place?” Be honest with your answers—you won’t hurt your stuff’s feelings.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching, wrote, “He who knows he has enough is rich.”
What other people are saying:
This book is amazing! Halfway through this book, I had the undeniable urge to start purging “stuff” from my drawers, closets and shelves.
Francine Jay has put together a manual for minimalism. This book has all the steps needed to get control of your life and all its “stuff”.
Re crafts (and this one made me feel the pain): …reality check: do you enjoy doing the craft as much as collecting the materials for it? If not, perhaps you should rethink your hobby….
Awesome book, I love it! Possibly the best $9.99 I have ever spent!
I am amazed at the progress I have made from reading this book. My closet is now half empty and my kitchen counters are clean and free of clutter!
I read it in one sitting and keep re-reading on my Android Kindle.
This was the most motivational book I have read. I was downsizing and de-cluttering before I finished the book.
Product Description from Amazon.com
Having less stuff is the key to happiness. Do you ever feel overwhelmed, instead of overjoyed, by all your possessions? Do you secretly wish a gale force wind would blow the clutter from your home? If so, it’s time to simplify your life! The Joy of Less is a fun, lighthearted guide to minimalist living. Part One provides an inspirational pep talk on the joys and rewards of paring down. Part Two presents the STREAMLINE method: ten easy steps to rid your house of clutter. Part Three goes room by room, outlining specific ways to tackle each one. Part Four helps you trim your to-do list and free up your time, and explains how saving space in your closets can save the planet.
Ready to sweep away the clutter? Just open this minimalist book, and you’ll be on your way to a simpler, more streamlined, and more serene life.
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For minimalist living, the ‘Joy of Less’ by Francine Jay, aka “Miss Minimalist,” is the minimalist guide that will take you to the next level. As it’s mainly for beginners or those who need the most help, I still got a lot of great information out of it. I wasn’t a beginner at the time but I also was far from an expert.
If you need a pep talk or reality check and the push to start a minimalist life, this minimalist book will get the job done.
Make sure you check out the blog, Miss Minimalist at missminimalist.com and enjoy all the great articles Francine Jay has shared with us.
What minimalist book has given you the biggest reality check? Have you read the ‘Joy of Less’ by Miss Minimalist? What did you think? How did it help you advance your minimalist life?
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