Intentional minimalism
Minimalism is a spectrum. Some take it to extremes while others do it in specific areas. What's common is the intentional stripping away of excess, but how far and why varies from person to person.
- a.An extreme minimalist lives with the bare minimum: few possessions, minimal commitments, and little distraction. The aim is often freedom, mental clarity, and peace.
- b.A nomadic minimalist may only own what fits in a backpack or suitcase thus a digital nomad, travelling the world with just a laptop, clothes, and essentials. Their intention is to focus on freedom of movement, not being tied down.
- c.An aesthetic minimalist likes a super clean, bare environment like white walls, few objects, sleek design. This is more of a Japanese Zen-inspired environment thus choosing visual and sensory simplicity.
- d.An eco-minimalist reduces possessions to minimise waste and add to the landfill. They may avoid buying anything new, reuses, repurposes, and are motivated by environmental ethics, not just simplicity.
- e.A spiritual minimalist is often inspired by Buddhism, Stoicism, or monastic life. They detach from material things to focus more on inner peace, presence, and awareness, living with what’s only necessary for spiritual growth or mindfulness.
- f.A functional minimalist will keep only what’s absolutely useful. Everything has a purpose; if it’s not used regularly, it’s given away or thrown out, so it’s not always about being ascetic, but about efficiency and clarity.
- g.A financial minimalist lives with less to achieve financial independence so they may live frugally to save or retire early.
It’s not rare to meet people who are minimalists in one or two areas like simplifying their closet, living frugally, or decluttering their home. What is relatively not as common is someone who integrates multiple dimensions of minimalism.Many people simplify in one or two areas: their closet, their home, their budget. But what’s less common is a holistic, integrated approach. Society at large still want bigger homes, new tech, constant upgrades, and social media validation.
We live in a culture obsessed with a fast track to instant transformation, when real depth and understanding comes through time, experience, awareness, and most importantly, reflection. There is no fast track for becoming grounded. It is not about how long we have lived, it's about how fully we have lived life, how often we have paused to examine, let go, and grow. Transformation is not automatic with time; it is always intentional.
We need to be more aware of the path we are taking so we can see better the consequences of our actions. That doesn't happen overnight nor does age guarantee wisdom unless we have made good use of the mileage and have transformed from it. Inner work is a must. Others may sense the stillness in those that have done the inner work, and wonder how they can get there. The answer to that is “Be present on your path. Be awake to it. Notice the consequences of your choices, because that is where wisdom is not at the destination because we don't just arrive there.
I embody all of these forms of minimalism except for the nomadic kind, which I did embrace at 19 while travelling and working in Australia with everything I owned in one suitcase. Today I am living an intentional pared-down life. My space is clean, calm, and distraction-free. I favour neutral tones, natural light, no ornaments or nick knacks except for a buddha statue. Everything I own has a purpose or place, and visual clutter is minimal.
I am conscious of waste, consumption, and environmental impact. Sufficiency, not excess, is my goal for myself and the planet. Spiritually I prioritise mindfulness, presence, and non-attachment which incorporates meditation, self-reflection and contemplation. My space and life are aligned with inner clarity and peace, so I focus on need, not wants or trends. Having a simple system is a big part of my daily rituals. I don’t tend to hold onto things “just in case. I live below my means to avoid debt as I value freedom over so-called luxury and why I have been able to save on a low income.
My consumption is intentional and comes from long-term values, not short-term pleasure. I do not just avoid clutter, I am living in alignment with values across aesthetic, ethical, spiritual, functional, and financial influences. I am not doing it as a trend but as a life philosophy.I strive to live with simplicity ignoring the noise of society, living on my own terms. My environment isn't loaded with clutter, whether it be physical or digital because possessions do not create a sense of safety, security or define who I am. That’s a truth many people never fully confront or only do after loss.
I do not see simplicity as a lack but rather as a liberation, so it is about intentionality and space for what really matters. I am not chasing life, trends, status, or validation. I am not just clearing physical space but also trying to clear mental clutter, resist digital overload, and choosing stillness over stimulation. My intent is to practice emotional freedom, not just physical decluttering. I am not just living simply I am living intentionally.
Living a reclusive, quiet, minimal, inward focused life isn’t a withdrawal from life because I have a conscious connection to the universe. For me peace isn’t found in more, it’s found in less noise, less chaos, less performance, thus it is not avoidance but rather clarity. I am not trying to run away from the world, but I am living life on my own terms, without the usual burden’s many others take on. Like anyone else I am a work in progress and have evolved to where I am now over many years and will continue to evolve.
Being autistic often puts everything into focus for me, past overwhelm, sensitivities, the need for solitude, the dislike of shallow interactions or societies constant projections. The world asks to much that’s fake, performative, or energetically taxing all of which I do not want to be part of. I am trying to build a sanctuary rather than a cage cage, It might not look conventional to many but it's right for me.
Less is not absence it is a space for meaning yet when people see an empty room, they assume something is missing. When I see it, I see presence, a quiet space where my attention is undivided and uncluttered. Often, people's discomfort with minimalism reflects their discomfort with themselves. Simplicity unsettles those are still chasing external validation. Their judgments are merely projections. I’m not against society but rather I just refuse to be owned by it.