The more I think about it, the more I shun the term ‘minimalism’ or ‘minimalist’ as a descriptor I would apply to myself. 

Maybe it’s a matter of semantics, but I think intention is a more thoughtful driver than minimalism.

Minimalism is flawed in that the end goal is to be minimal, less, restrictive.

Intention Over Minimalism

For me, it’s the intention driving the pursuit that matters. 

Intention is additive because it’s driven by values and purpose. Without a deeper understanding of our intention, we are left with something that has the illusion of simplicity but is empty in principle.

Paring down the clutter in our lives and in our heads frees up precious resources to spend in more rewarding and impactful areas of life. That’s intention driving behavior.

Intention In Action

Writing intentionally means being more concise as a writer recovering from perfectionism and verbosity.

I don’t consider myself a minimalist writer, but someone who writes intentionally to communicate his ideas.

I try to apply this to my thinking, not just to creative endeavors or ownership of things.

monkeying around

It’s an ongoing struggle against the monkey mind as I continuously check in with my thoughts to evaluate if I’m being intentional with them.

If I dwell on the past or live unrealistically in the future, I try to recognize it and bring myself back to the present to refocus on what’s important. 

It’s not that I’m thinking minimally, but instead focusing on the most important and relevant things (to me).

And sometimes I forget, and the monkey mind runs free to do as it pleases!

Minimizing Minimalism

We can all benefit from some minimalism. Minimizing our inputs, stimulus, and consumption. Even minimizing our productivity.

Minimizing our goals to focus on more profound impact, the junk food we put in our bodies, and the time we spend being sedentary.

But without some intention driving or encapsulating it with our values and principles, it’s not a sustainable or meaningful effort.