Can Minimalism Really Work When You Have Kids?

Joshua Fields Millburn turned to the philosophy of minimalism, or, finding a more "purposeful life" through people and experiences, rather than possessions. We sat down to learn more about the minimalist movement, how minimalism can work for families, and his book, Everything That Remains, penned with co-author and minimalist Ryan Nicodemus.

Twenty-something corporate executive Joshua Fields Millburn woke up one day to find himself a prisoner of his own consumption. Despite having achieved “the American Dream”—married, with a good job, a spacious home, luxury cars (plural), and a closet full of Brooks Brothers suits—he was unhappy, unfulfilled… and unable to understand why.

Then he stumbled across the philosophy of minimalism, which offered a basic truth that Millburn felt he had been overlooking: People are more important than things. Within a year he had sold his home and the majority of his possessions, left his job and unhappy marriage, and moved to the mountains to write. His new “purposeful life” leaves him calmer, happier, and healthier, with more time for “experiences,” friends, and family.

In his new book, Everything That Remains (Asymmetrical), co-authored with fellow minimalist/best bud Ryan Nicodemus, Millburn details the many ways in which having less “stuff” leads to having more time. And that time, in the eyes of a child, equals love.

Q&A with Joshua Fields Millburn: Yes, You CAN Explore Minimalism, Even if You Have Kids

You gave up 95% of your possessions, including your couch. How does a minimalist judge what to keep and what to discard?

Joshua Fields Millburn: When I first became interested in the philosophy of minimalism, I met a guy (author/traveler Colin Wright) who had everything he owned in one backpack. That was it! He traveled the world, moving every four months. I liked the idea of downsizing, but… I wanted a kitchen table, I wanted pots and pans. So I made minimalism work for my situation. I got rid of what worked for me. I did keep the couch initially, but soon realized it was not adding value to my life (mainly because I had sold my TV!).

You also decided to forego a cellphone for 60 days. How did that go?

When I gave up my cell phone it was really a question of other people managing their expectations of me. People were kind of in shock about it. Eventually, they understood that I wasn’t going to be responding to a call or text immediately, or even that same day—or week. The end result for me was that my face-to-face conversations became more meaningful. I’m a good listener now. I am in charge of my downtime. I no longer have the “twitch”—you know, patting myself down every few minutes to find my phone. I learned that we can all reprogram ourselves. I do have a phone now, but I’ve downsized what I do with it—no email, no games. And it is no longer an appendage.

What happened when you gave up home access to the Internet?

It was the most productive month I’ve ever had. It was very freeing. I was less distracted, more focused, and able to spend time doing the really meaningful things—thinking, writing, talking with my friends. Of course it boils down to how you spend your time online to begin with. Clearly I had been spending a lot of time just pacifying myself. I still don’t have Internet access at home. Now when I go online it’s at a coffee shop or library—but most importantly it has a purpose, a goal.