The dangers of reading
minimalism.com
“When you combine the how and the why, you will have a recipe for lasting transformation.” – Ryan Nicodemus
The dangers of reading
One of the biggest reasons I depart from my minimalist philosophy is reading.
Specifically, reading about what others are doing.
I read a blog post, or a magazine article, about someone doing something interesting: traveling, using a new productivity system, doing a new kind of workout, brewing artisinal coffee, making bread. And then I want to do that too.
And I think we all do this. We all read inspirational things, or hear about them from a friend, and fantasize about ourselves doing the same thing.
This is often a good thing — inspiration is good, right? Learning from others is definitely good. But this inspiration can often cause me to forget about what I’ve learned, and soon I’m heading down a new path, buying a lot of things to support my new pursuit … only to abandon this pursuit when I’ve read something else.
This has happened to me dozens of times. I want to learn Spanish, programming, breadmaking, pizzamaking, teamaking, hiking, Crossfit, ultrarunning, drawing, fiction writing, guitar, history, films, great novels, and more.
Individually, each of these is wonderful. But when I get obsessed with the next new thing to learn about, the other things suffer. I can’t learn about them all at once. Such distraction pulls away my focus, keeps me from doing well at any one thing.
What’s the antidote? Focus. Sticking to something long enough to really learn it. Remembering your priorities. Not getting distracted by every new thing you read.
The answer isn’t to stop reading, but to be more mindful of your impulses when you do read.
Words by Leo Babauta
01 – Journal
Read entries from the archive of the Minimalism Life® community journal
Constructing a simplicity framework: Two lists to help simplify your life (by Carl Phillips)
When is it serviceable to say no? A lesson from a lockdown (by Julie Katigbak)
Struggling with digital minimalism: What to do with social media networks as a small content creator (by Burkhard Rosemann)
Share your story
Do you have an interesting story you would like to share on minimalism.com? We want to read about it. You have the opportunity write about your experience of how minimalism has impacted your life and get your words published in our community journal.
02 – Minimal art
From our curated gallery
03 – Minimal design
Explore our list of curated design resources
Melo: breathing exercise device (tool/hardware)
04 – Minimal lifestyle
Explore our list of curated lifestyle resources for simple living
The 100 item challenge (article)
Why I don't want stuff by Derek Sivers (article)
The slow fix by Carl Honoré (book)
05 – Shop
Discover our hand-picked minimalist products in the Minimalism Life® shop
06 – Brands anchored by simplicity and sustainability
Minimalism can be about frugality and owning less, but it can also be about supporting ethical brands with sustainability at their core. Here’s several that you might be interested learning more about:
CLAE: Minimalist footwear from LA
Luca Faloni: Luxury Italian men's clothing
Collars&Co: Minimalist polo shirts
JAK: Portuguese leather sneakers
Nordic Knots: Rugs inspired by the beauty of the Nordic light
Steele & Borough: Vegan, lightweight and water repellant bags
Void Watches: Simple Swedish timepieces
Meller: Minimal shades
Floyd: Unique and distinctive travel cases
Stiksen: Premium caps from Sweden
Discover more minimal brands on minimalism.com
This truly resonates with me. With a world of infinite possibilities at my fingertips I find myself constantly jumping from one new thing, new idea, new diet, new exercise routine, new app, new YouTube channel subscription.., etc etc… but it’s not all bad. After the initial honeymoon period with my “new (fill in the blank)., which may be a week, a month or a year, I reevaluate the new things that I’ve brought into my life. I then decide to keep what has worked for me and ditch what has NOT worked.