Intentional Living versus Minimalism
We are far from minimalists. The closest I get to living a minimalist lifestyle is every few weeks when I get overwhelmed and proclaim, “we’re getting rid of everything,” to which my husband replies, “we’re doing this again?,” with both love and a big dose of sarcasm.
Part of me longs to embrace the minimalist culture. I love the way minimalist homes look on Instagram and Pinterest. I love the way they photograph and dream of living in a Pottery Barn catalog where the only clutter is a blanket that is purposely positioned as if it was simply thrown on the couch, but, in reality, was very intentionally placed. Yet, I know that is not my reality for many reasons. In truth, my home does very closely resemble a magazine, but rather than Homes & Gardens, it is Lego.
“In truth, my home does very closely resemble a magazine, but rather than Homes & Gardens, it is Lego.”
I often ask myself, “what would Neil deGrasse Tyson do?” He has lots of thoughts on children, curiosity, and messes, and why we shouldn’t aim for clean homes, but I’ll simply share this one quote, “Kids should be allowed to break stuff more often. That's a consequence of exploration. Exploration is what you do when you don't know what you're doing. That's what scientists do every day.” (I digress, but, thank you, Mr. Tyson, for giving me a mindset that helps prevent me from donating all of our belongings. My husband and children thank you even more.)
All this to say, I am not striving for minimalism. Instead, I prefer to adopt the philosophy of intentional living.
What is intentional living?
Intentional living is living life purposefully. It is making conscious choices rather than simply reacting without thought. In decorating, the goal of intentional living is to curate a home that is in congruence with your beliefs and your priorities.
The primary questions that intentional living asks are:
What matters to you?
Is your home authentic to who you are?
Are the needs of everyone who lives in your home being met?
Does your home serve your unique family?
How is it different from minimalism?
The goal of minimalism is simply to own less. Minimalism can be a type of intentional living. You can be a minimalist and embrace intentional living. But minimalism does not equate to intentional living.
The primary question behind true minimalism is:
How can I own less?
Marie Kondo made famous the idea of minimalism when her book The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up became a bestseller, but even she doesn’t call her philosophy minimalism. At its heart, minimalism is about breaking free from consumerism. It doesn’t necessarily ask why (intention), but how.
“Intentional living gives you permission to adapt and change over time.”
Why I prefer intentional living.
Intentional living gives you permission to adapt and change over time. Today my home looks like a Lego museum. One day, when my children are grown, it may look more like the home of a minimalist. The beauty is I get to decide. I get to choose what serves me and what doesn’t. I get to evolve with the seasons.
The Takeaway
Intentional living and minimalism have a lot in common, but they are not the same. For some people minimalism may be a form of intentional living. For others, choosing to only shop from small businesses is how they live intentionally. Some may be intentional about having certain colors in their homes. Others may have homes filled with books because a well stocked bookshelf mirrors their values.
Minimalism requires you to own less. Intentional living simply asks you to be conscious of the decisions you make. Minimalism looks the same in virtually every home. Intentional living is very personal and unique to each individual’s personality and values.
Comment below to let me know how intentional living looks in your home.
