The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, have a documentary out (yes, it’s on Netflix) about living a minimalist lifestyle. For most people, when they hear “minimalist” they probably conjure up an image of owning ten articles of clothing, making their own hand-soap, and living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Although that’s one form of minimalism, it’s not what Millburn and Nicodemus preach. Instead they preach a life without excess, less societal manipulation, and less reliance on material purchases to live a fulfilling life. For a lot of us, living a completely minimalist lifestyle isn’t something we want to start today, but, the documentary did hint at a starting point. Below are actionable takeaways to start taking excess out of your life, and creating your bubble.
1. Cut Out the News
It was never explicitly stated in the documentary, but cutting out the news is the first start to eliminating societal manipulation. I have previously blogged about it, and think it’s highly important to living life your way. If it sounds hard to do, take the 10-day news diet. No news, no articles, no Crisis News Network (CNN), for 10-days. You can do it!
Cutting out the news doesn’t mean you won’t know what’s going on in the world. It means you don’t get inundated with news stories 24/7. There are tons of places that news will seep into your bubble. For me, even my anti-news curated Facebook feed still gets plenty of news into my bubble. For instance, I know there’s a circus arriving in Washington D.C. today…
2. Throw Out Your TV
Okay, so maybe this is minimalist advice. But really, you don’t need a TV. With the amount of content on the internet either with a subscription (Hulu, Netflix, HBO Now, etc.) or to buy (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) there really is no need for cable. Yes, there are still commercials on streaming sites like Hulu, but nowhere close to the abundance of cable.
Also, getting rid of cable and getting Netflix doesn’t mean binge-watch all the Netflix originals. It might feel nice to sit and binge, but you’re going to experience remorse a day or two later. Whenever you get a binge-ing urge, get up and read, go outside, or stare at a wall. It’ll be much better for your mental health.
3. Turn Off Notifications
The only notifications I get on my phone are vibrations if someone’s texting or calling me. I’m not very popular so it’s not often, and normally when my phone rings it’s either a telemarketer or my mom.
There’s a sequence in the minimalism documentary where a guy is talking about that nanosecond during a conversation when you receive a text and all of the sudden forget what you were talking about. You’ve all been in that conversation where checking your pocket is more important than the person sitting next to you. Don’t be that person. When you’re in a meeting, or getting coffee with a friend, put your phone on silent and forget about it.
I also turn off all notifications from outside apps. No Facebook notifications or email notifications for me. When I want to check them, I check them, but I don’t have a never-ending stream of vibrations. Only text/calls get the privilege of notifying me.
4. Unsubscribe From Emails
I did this a couple of years ago and it was extremely liberating. My personal inbox always got over-cluttered with emails from companies I bought a product from once, or accidentally signed up for a newsletter to. Some of the newsletters I get I actually want to receive. I don’t unsubscribe from those.
My unsubscribe rules:
1. Do I automatically delete these emails when they come into my inbox?
2. Do I skim through the email to look at product offerings but don’t really care?
3. Is this something that wastes my time with very little value?
If I answer yes to any of these then I find the “Unsubscribe” button and get it out of my gmail. This helps keep my email decluttered, and keeps me from un-needed distractions.
Creating Your Bubble
These are all steps to creating your bubble. Within your bubble is everything that brings value to your life. Outside your bubble is the marketers, big companies, media outlets, and the mainstream society the rest of the world lives in. With social media, and our interconnectedness, the important stuff will still penetrate your bubble. You’re not missing anything. If anything, you’re improving your life hundredfold.
You can start creating your bubble today. Cutting out the news, canceling cable TV, turning off notifications, and unsubscribing from necessary emails is a small step towards a minimalist mindset. Putting these takeaways into action will help you live life the way you want to live it, it’ll help you live free.