Download our free ebook: 16 Rules for Living with Less
The Minimalists The Minimalists
Emmy-nominated Netflix stars, podcasters, and New York Times–bestselling authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus help millions of people live meaningfully with less. The Minimalists have been featured in TIME, GQ, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, NPR, and they have spoken at Harvard, Apple, Google.

Minimalist Resolution Update 4: April 2011

By Joshua Fields Millburn ·

This will be my last update this year for my minimalist new year’s resolution. I will write a final update once the year has ended.

For those of you just tuning in, at the beginning of the year I resolved to purchase nothing for one year (other than consumables like food and hygiene products).

Why is this my last update?

There are a few reasons:

  1. I’m bored writing about it, so it’s time to move on.
  2. You probably don’t want twelve updates over the year telling you I didn’t buy anything (and I don’t want to waste your time or my time with something so banal).
  3. Most importantly, my internal decision-making pattern has completely changed. I no longer get that impulse to purchase things. Sure, there are still things I want, but I no longer buy stuff on a whim (I noticed this after the first two months, and by the end of 90 days my pattern had completely changed).

I will continue to pursue this resolution for the remaining two-thirds of the year, and I’ll write a recap in January 2012.

Lessons Learned

I’ve learned quite a bit over the past four months:

  1. I am not my stuff.
  2. I do not need to purchase new stuff to make me happy.
  3. I have enough.
  4. I don’t have less; I have more.
  5. It’s much easier than you think: it’s easy to say no.
  6. My time is better spent creating rather than consuming.
  7. I am not a consumer.
  8. Less stuff equals less worrying and less stress.
  9. Less purchases equals less need for income.
  10. Less need for income equals being able to leave a soul-crushing job.
  11. I already have everything I need.
  12. Even though I didn’t purchase anything, I was able to donate the majority of my clothes this month and I still have plenty left.

Read my final update, January 2012: Resolving to Learn from Failure.