Joshua Fields Millburn Minimalist Audiobook

this is audible minimalist written by Sam SIV narrated by Gail Embry O'Laughlin introduction I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book minimalist if you are listening to this then you are most likely coming to a realization that most of the stress you feel has a direct connection to all the distractions and clutter that you have at present thus you are probably looking for a way to organize both the tangible and intangible aspects in your life if this is the case then you are in luck being a minimalist will enable you to do all these things and more in a nutshell minimalism is when you take away the superfluous clutter in all its forms and make room for what really gives you contentment once you understand the principles of this philosophy you will find it easier to let go of excessive things without having any regrets this book contains proven steps and strategies on how to start a minimalist lifestyle wherein you will realize that having more does not equate to joy and that acknowledging the beauty of less is the key to a life of happiness and practicality the book also gives you an insight into what minimalism is all about and provides tips on saving money decluttering your things and simplifying your life thanks again for downloading this book chapter 1 the nuts and bolts of minimalism each of us has a minimalist side one that is only waiting to be set free if you ever agreed with the phrase simplicity is beauty then you know that there is something in you that frowns upon the idea of having too much of anything there are certain moments in life children playing with plain cardboard boxes rather than elaborate toys cleaning out our email inbox or even opting for having only a few items of clothing in our wardrobe that show off the minimalist in people it is only a matter of doing something to show off that potential and apply it to our daily lives not everyone understands minimalism if truth be told some might even find it strange and question why anyone would want to pursue something that forces them to live within a limit the common misconception about minimalism is that it is tantamount to having less than what is needed however what some failed to realize is that there is nothing wrong with making choices and setting priorities which is exactly what minimalism is all about five main principles of minimalism before you can apply minimalism to your life you first have to understand this concept the following are the five primary principles of minimalism that individuals utilize to create a foundation that they can use as stepping stones to leading a minimalist lifestyle number one determine what is essential to your life and what is not there are plenty of factors that affect a person's life the focal point of being a minimalist is being aware of what is most important to us and what gives us genuine joy therefore we need to be able to pick out the aspect that has the biggest impact on our lives number two forget the unwanted things this principle is a direct result of knowing what is essential when we get to differentiate the significant things from those that are we can omit them from our lives or they can only bring us down this also applies to your activities learn how to simplify your schedule and curtail your commitments if there are some things on your schedule that you can disregard or delegate to someone else do so give yourself a breather so that you can focus on yourself number three make things count each of us has a priority or preference what is valuable to me may not be as valuable to others and vice versa despite such differences being a minimalist entails that we make these things count and be worthy of keeping number four fill up your life with happiness minimalism can pave the way for a life full of bliss and pleasure but it is not just about emptying your life it also requires that you put in something good that will fill the void just make sure that what you choose to bring into your life will give you delight and not add to the clutter that you already have number five do not stop making changes in your life being a minimalist is not a destination on the contrary it is an ongoing process of making alterations and editing your life until you find what works for you and gives you real joy the reason for applying minimalism depends from one person to another being a minimalist for a single person may mean something completely different to a married person who has a family some may see it as a lifestyle choice while others may view it as a social movement regardless at the end of the day minimalism allows us to focus on what truly matters prioritize our lives and discard any irrelevant mess that is consuming our time or hindering us from making progress chapter two having a minimalist mentality now that you more or less have an idea of what minimalism is about and what it entails the next logical step is to try and implement the lifestyle in your own life before you can assume the life of a minimalist however you have to take the first step changing your mindset this part is where a lot of aspiring minimalist stumble because they have no idea where to start and they become overwhelmed to become a minimalist you have to make a conscious effort to grasp that you are content with what you have and that you do not need any more material things to keep you satisfied does this mean that you are not allowed to own any material possessions of course not the problem with those from the outside is that they think of minimalism as a radical lifestyle when in reality it is not so different from the ones that people normally live minimalists can have hundreds of items including cars computers appliances smartphones king-size beds and maybe even a piano or guitar but what sets them apart is their mentality which is characterized by the following distinctions number one minimalists do not own any extra stuff this is because they know what they need and recognize that they already have enough someone who is living a minimalist lifestyle prefers to buy items or perform activities that add happiness and value to their lives as mentioned earlier each of us has our own set of priorities and things that affect us the most as a result what could seem like junk to you may be of high value to a different person when you know what your objectives are in life you can base your possessions on them number two minimalists religiously question the importance of their possessions minimalism is a continuous process and along the way we may find ourselves having a change of heart when it comes to our interests and priorities for instance when a single man decides to get married he might be forced to give up his former hobbies when he was a bachelor such as fishing or sports whenever you find items that are taking up space in your house ask yourselves questions like whether you still need them if there are any consequences if you threw them away or if someone else might want them when you find the answers to such questions you will find it easier to scale down your possessions remember minimalism is not an end point rather it is a relentless journey that can produce numerous changes in your life as time progresses number three minimalists do not give any exceptional worth to their possessions being too in love with material things can become a huge problem as regrettable as it is to say some people go to extreme lengths to gain possessions especially at this time and age for example when there is a new release of a high-end smartphone you see hundreds of people camping outside stores so that they can be the first to get their hands on it there are also those who resort to criminal activity in order to obtain something they want but by having a minimalist mentality you do not share this same fascination and more importantly you are aware of the fact that all these material possessions can be replaced a minimalist mentality helped strip away the unnecessary things in order to concentrate on the more priceless aspects of life such as passion career growth relationships and health this requires you to evaluate the world and those who live in it you will also discern how advertisements can shift your beliefs and make you feel as if there ducks will satisfy your needs when you start to develop a minimalist mentality advertisements and commercialism will no longer have the power over you consequently you will also find that buying material things no longer brings you joy in fact you might even become upset that you spent too much on an item that you do not really need when you deem that the saying less is more is appropriate then congratulations for it is a suggestion that your mentality is shifting from consumer to minimalist chapter 3 spend less save more perhaps the foremost issue that any household has to face is the settling of finances it can be a source of a lot of stress and fighting when in reality it does not have to be by exerting a bit more effort you can apply minimalism to simplify your financial life and avoid any strain caused by money matters the following are some of the steps you can take in budgeting the minimalist way a steer clear of consumerism the first and most critical step and maybe even the hardest one to maintaining a minimalist budget is shunning a consumerist mindset more often than not we get sucked into a black hole of consumerism buying more than what is necessary impulsive shopping or retail therapy that is brought about by too much exposure to advertisements or the need to conform unfortunately we are currently living in a society that prides itself in hoarding stuff and giving in to commercialism even though it is hard we have to be able to convince ourselves that buying material things will not give us true pleasure create a 30 day list and keep it with you whenever you go out to shop if you ever get the urge to make an impulsive purchase stop take a deep breath and jot that item down on your list then wait for 30 days before you buy it habitually our desire for these listed items will fade over time to put it simply think before you buy B do not buy something you cannot afford or do not need when you decide to opt out of consumerism you are on your way to achieving this next step it really boils down to logic and common sense we should learn not to spend beyond our means even if we can afford it we also have to think about whether or not that item is a necessity or just a luxury I am NOT saying that we are not allowed to splurge on something every now and then we are all entitled to enjoy an extravagant item or two however a minimalist must be smart about choosing what and what not to buy should you decide to spend a fortune on something be sure it is worth the investment and that you would not regret it eventually see save up or an emergency fund once in a while a sudden expense comes up if you have already allocated your entire budget you might be stressed out and worried about where to obtain the excess cash needed this is where an emergency fund comes in handy you may keep a simple piggy bank or open a bank account exclusively for this purpose the amount you put in your fund is immaterial you may start small and slowly make larger deposits although it is better to specify a minimum amount that you need to reach $500 is the ideal amount naturally to have extra cash for your emergency fund you need to save by assessing your current expenses and removing the ones that are insignificant a few good examples of such expenditures are subscriptions to magazines cable television eating at restaurants when you can cook at home drinking gourmet coffee instead of making one an overload of shoes and clothes vices such as alcohol or cigarettes warranties surcharge fees on overdue bills and other banking fees whatever amount you gain from your cutback you can deposit into your emergency fund until you reach the minimum amount that you set D avoid using credit cards when purchasing items credit cards can make us feel like we have an infinite supply of money or at least until our billing statement arrives using credit cards when purchasing leads to overspending of money that we probably do not have on things we do not need in the end we lose because we end up paying for the actual fees plus interest this is not to say that everyone who uses a credit card is irresponsible in fact there are those who are very wise when handling credit card finances but in most cases it could be a form of unwarranted temptation whenever possible use cash when buying something you may also choose to use debit cards for this assures that you will spend money that you actually have purchasing with cash is best because you can withdraw a fixed amount regularly and have an idea of how much money you have left in your account if you use credit cards you will have to track your expenses continuously to make sure that you do not go beyond the budget you have predetermined doing so requires more time and energy that you could use on something more meaningful spending cash is not only convenient but also helps you avoid debt tip you may choose to use the envelope system wherein you have separate envelopes containing designated amounts of money for your daily expenditures such as gas utilities or groceries among others e get yourself out of debt this step may either take the longest or be completely unnecessary depending on your financial situation at present if you do not have any debts then you can skip this step altogether but if you do be it student loans monthly car payments rent and utilities fees or just an occasional debt from a friend you should try to settle all of it the soonest possible because it could pile up and become a major problem in the long run when you decide to pay up do it one at a time and not all at once to avoid being overwhelmed once you have set aside for your emergency fund use up the remaining extra money or income you have in paying your debts this process requires patience and discipline when you become finally debt free you will now have funds to spend on more important things by applying these simple steps you could make your financial life so much easier than it was and give yourself peace of mind chapter 4 all to organize and declutter the minimalist way clutter is a minimalists worst enemy this is because too much clutter can weigh us down is a cause of stress a waste of money time and space and a manifestation of our internal state there are several reasons why a person accumulates clutter but some of the most common ones include fear of letting go of things for sentimental reasons impulse buying and consumerism being too busy to sort out items not having a proper system in organizing your stuff no matter what the reason is the fact remains that clutter will continue to pile up if you do not take action you may be able to temporarily clean up but if you do not have an effective system in place the clutter will only amass once again this is why decluttering is crucial to minimalism this process helps us eliminate unwanted and excess clutter in our lives to facilitate decluttering you initially have to learn how to prioritize when prioritizing we should ask ourselves the following questions and answer them truthfully ehh why is this thing significant when we have a fear of letting things go or giving up on activities particularly if we have gotten used to them we usually convince ourselves that they are important and vital to our everyday lives hence we must ask ourselves the harder and more imperative question why is it important if the answer to this question eludes us or we become defensive with our choices then that should serve as a red flag and make us realize that it is not as essential as we might have perceived it to be be do I benefit from it even if we tell ourselves that these things are vital to us we should know whether or not they will be advantageous to us and the people around us and if these benefits are short-term or long standing after all what is the point of constantly doing or keeping something that is not useful or productive to the parties concerned see is it in line with my values and who I want to be are these things consistent with my personal values will they help you reach your goals are you doing it simply because you want to fit in with the rest these are just some of the questions that may pop up in your mind when deciding how important a thing is and if it is in accordance with your principles living as a minimalist is a personal choice likewise prioritizing should also be personal and in depth only you can positively determine the level of significance of what you currently have in your life since different people have different priorities you have to understand that choosing one thing over another does not necessarily mean you are making a wrong decision it only means that you have varying views about what is crucial and what is not eight simple decluttering techniques for minimalists once you have prioritized and established what matters to you you can now pinpoint the clutter in your life and eradicate it below are eight easy decluttering strategies to help you get started number one morning meditation believe it or not the way you start your morning can determine the outcome of the rest of your day therefore you should always start your day right minimalism requires mental strength more than anything else groom your mind and promise yourself that you will devote a portion of your time to decluttering when your mind is prepared your willpower becomes stronger number two F Oh see us this acronym stands for follow one course until successful which is exactly what it suggests multitasking can leave clutter in your lifestyle when you take on too many jobs in one go to avoid mess and be more productive it is more advisable to just concentrate on one undertaking if you must really juggle between tasks try to narrow it down to three so you can work on it more effectively number three borrow before buying every so often we come across situations or occasions such as weddings or costume parties wherein we are required to purchase something specialized sadly these items are most likely used for only once or twice in a lifetime in order to save both money and storage space required for these things you may opt to borrow instead ask a friend or a relative if they have the item you are looking for and borrow first before you decide to make any purchases number four 2-minute tidy up if you have two minutes to spare everyday use it to tidy up a certain area of your house even if it is as simple as folding your clothes and putting them in your closet this is a great decluttering method as well as a productive way to spend your free time number five use and return method assign places around your house where you can keep all your items away otherwise this can bring about a pile up of clutter if you have to use any of these items take note of from where you took it and be sure to return it to its designated place after use number six the 12-month rule make this a rule of thumb if you have not used a particular object in the last year either throw it out give it to someone or donate it go through each room in your house and check all of them for such unused items you may even take it up a notch and lower the deadline to six months to reduce more clutter effectively number seven online offline relationship your online routines may be linked to or be an indication of your offline habits how many junk files do you have on your computer how many tabs are open in your browser is your email flooded allow yourself some time to delete some items you no longer need and be sure to backup the significant ones in an external hard drive or USB number eight daily break out of the 24 hours that you have in one day give yourself at least 30 minutes and detach yourself from your mobile phone and all kinds of social media this timeout we'll give you solitude and peace and will enable you to declutter your mind use this time to do something personal and allow yourself to appreciate the little things these minimalist decluttering techniques are effortless and can be done at your own pace and time of choosing you may also choose to do them individually or more than one at a time depending on your capacity and free time after a while they will be incorporated into your daily activities and can easily become part of your everyday routine Chapter five embracing a less-is-more lifestyle being interested in minimalism is one thing living and applying it to your life is a totally different ballgame minimalism is openly associated with reducing and diminishing of items some of the more obvious advantages that come out of living a minimalist lifestyle include a cleaner and more organized household less stress and more savings but minimalism is more than just reducing stuff it also leads to a number of life-changing benefits including the following number one getting more chances to engage in more important matters if you value your life then you should not spend another second of it pursuing things that do not give you genuine joy and satisfaction as cliche as it sounds it is true that material things will not last forever and at one point they will fade spoil or be destroyed conversely intangible factors in life such as compassion purpose love happiness and contribution are perpetual if you desire to live a more consequential life then use your time pursuing these things minimalism gives you this opportunity number two more time and opportunities to make life changes being a minimalist allows for more flexibility and chances to make fundamental changes in your life you can move to a smaller but more comfortable house if you wish you can also leave the job that you were stuck in for one that you are completely passionate about minimalism also gives you the chance to spend your money however you want to and more time to do things that you previously did not have any time for like reading a book going to the gym or traveling in other words you gain freedom and intentionality by determining your beliefs and regaining control of your life you no longer have to be influenced by artificial things number three enables us to help inspire and contribute to others there is no denying that we are all born with some sort of selfish nature in us oftentimes we seek meaning and happiness by living a life of personal gain yet this kind of joy is fleeting and never totally gratifying living a minimalist lifestyle permits you to improve the lives of other people when you decide to value personal contribution more than personal gain this kind of selflessness Awards unending happiness and can serve as an inspiration to other people who are lost and are too befuddled by consumerism and blinded by material possessions number four freeing up more space having fewer possessions naturally means less repairing less financial problems less organizing and less cleaning accordingly minimalism frees up space time and effort or five gives us peace of mind when we hold on to material things we stress ourselves out because of our fear of losing them accumulation of these things can be compared to being tied to an anchor it will ultimately pull us down by taking on a minimalist lifestyle we get to let go be free and simplify our lives which in turn severs our attachment to our material belongings thus we gain not only a more peaceful and calm mind but one that is not clouded with greed overworking and materialism the minimalist lifestyle takes some getting used to mainly because not a lot of people are willing to accept that sometimes less is more but once you have gone past that and have embraced minimalism you will find major improvements in various aspects of your life that you never knew were possible conclusion thank you again for purchasing this book minimalism can be a powerful tool in helping people achieve freedom from worry stress conformity fear clutter guilt and sadness you should not be too hard on yourself just because you own items that you feel you do not actually need the problem is not on the item itself but on the value we assign to it sometimes we are too blinded by material things that we forget about the facets of our lives that really matter regardless of what they are we will all have distinct priorities minimalism simply allows us to choose them more deliberately and consciously to be a minimalist is to live a Purpose Driven life one where we can pursue our passions spend our time wisely grow as individuals build stronger relationships improve our helps figure out our mission get rid of discontent and experience true freedom but most importantly minimalism lets us find everlasting happiness through living hence it depends on you to ascertain which parts of your life are necessary and which ones should be eliminated I hope this book was able to help you sincerely understand what minimalism is all about and provided you with an idea of how to start living a minimalist lifestyle without having to follow a predetermined set of rules bear in mind that the first few steps of the journey that is minimalism may be the hardest but ultimately as you move further along this way of life becomes easier and more rewarding this has been minimalist written by Sam Civ narrated by Gayle Embry O'Laughlin copyright 2014 by Sam civ production copyright 2014 by Sam Civ audible hopes you have enjoyed this program

Channel: Danny Parks

Views: 1,263

Rating: 4.8518519 out of 5

Keywords: Joshua Fields Millburn Minimalist, audiobook, audiobooks, audio, free audiobook, audiobook sleep, book, mysteries audiobook, thrillers audiobook, books

Id: WVvuZK0AEtI

Length: 33min 54sec (2034 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 23 2018