I decided to read Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki out of an interest to learn more about Japanese minimalism. I never really got into the Marie Kondo-movement a while back, but as a new year was approaching I decided to be intentional about trying to simplify some aspects of my life 🆕.
Goodbye, Things does exactly that: It’s an easy to follow, no-nonsense book with tons of actionable items. As I was reading it, I often found myself thinking about how the tips Sasaki was sharing could apply to specific items in my own home.
Here are some of my takeaways:
- Minimalism is about more than having a tidy room and less stuff. As nice as a decluttered space is when it comes to cleaning, minimalism actually serves a far more important purpose: It frees up space in the home and in the brain to find and focus on what’s truly important 😌. Before reading this book, I thought minimalism really was just about having less junk🤷🏽♂️. However, the true beauty of minimalism lies in having more space to find happiness. Maybe a little bit cheesy, but also very liberating 😊.
- Our worth is not the sum of our belongings. This is always a nice reminder. In a world where are so digitally connected and constantly exposed to the latest trends, it can be difficult not to fall into the rat race of wanting the newest phone, clothes, or other items 🐀. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting nice or new things, we should remember that we can find satisfaction without them, and we shouldn’t sacrifice our own wellness or sanity trying to get them🙅🏻.
- Some of our unhappiness is due to the burden of our things. Have you ever found yourself feeling frustrated or guilty about spending money on something and barely using it💸, or holding onto an item with the hopes that one day it will come in handy? It’s important to realize that sometimes the things we think bring us joy can actually lead to negative emotions, and getting rid of something rather than forcing function offers a quick and simple solution 🧹.
- Things tend to bring in more things. One thing that hadn’t occurred to me was how sometimes buying one thing unexpectedly leads to many other things. Sasaki uses the example of buying a new phone. While this is just one item, most of us then go on to buy a phone case, a screen protector, new apps, a powerbank, subscriptions…the list can get long quickly 📱. While sometimes this can be totally okay and perhaps even necessary, it does motivate me to be more critical about some of the downstream effects (and purchases) of new items that I want to bring into my home 🤔.
- Minimalism can be digital too. Whenever I’ve heard the term ‘minimalism’, my mind immediately jumped to getting rid of clothes and living in a borderline-empty home 👕. One thing that had not occurred to me is that minimalism can be digital too. Simple acts like clearing out our inbox or deleting unused apps on our phone can go a long way in making us lead a less cluttered lifestyle 📧. After all, many of us spend so much time on our devices, don’t they deserve a deep clean too?
- Minimalism comes in many shapes and forms. Near the end of the book, Sasaki makes it a point to mention that minimalism is not an all or nothing ⚖️. This was great to hear, because the idea of being a minimalist or decluttering can be very daunting…at one point, Sasaki talks about using body wash as laundry detergent😅. While I don’t think I’ll ever be that extreme about simplifying, all of us can find our own starting point with what we’re comfortable with. Minimalism can start as easily as getting rid of expired foods in the back of the fridge and slowly flourish from there 🧀.
At the end of the day, minimalism is not a competition or a destination; minimalism is a tool that empowers us to untangle our homes and our lives in an effort to identify the things that are truly important 💚.
Goodbye, Things was exactly what I was looking for to start my own appraisal of what I have, why I have, and what I can remove from my life. I found this book to be a fantastic read, and I hope you will too!