Ergonomics & Workspace Design

My desire with each Weekend Reads is to provide you with articles and posts that encourage simplicity and minimalist living. Below, you will find links to blog posts and news stories that I hand-picked over the last couple weeks. I hope you find inspiration and practical help inside them. That is my goal on Becoming Minimalist: to intentionally promote simplicity in a world that needs to hear it. Finding Calm in Complexity | Linkedin by Robert Waldinger. A simple mind shift allows us to come home to ourselves, even briefly, throughout our busy days. The American dream is no longer buying a house—it’s paying off debt | AOL by Sydney Lake. About one-third of Ge…

Imagine saving hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars each year—just by owning less. These 20 stats show how. Most people I know want more time and money. In most cases, I can see why. We’re stretched thin—trying to meet deadlines, pay bills, care for our families, and still find space for rest, joy, purpose, and meaning. The days feel short. The expenses pile up. And it’s easy to believe that the only solution is to work harder, earn more, or somehow fit more into an already full life. But maybe there’s a better answer. What if the solution isn’t found in earning more, but in owning less? Every item we buy has a cost—and not just in dollars. Our posse…

Note: The following article was published in the June 01 issue of Simplify Magazine. Real financial freedom isn’t about affording everything—it’s about realizing you don’t need everything. In 2008, Memorial Day weekend promised beautiful weather—not always the case in Vermont at that time of year. So my wife, Kim, and I decided to spend the Saturday doing some shopping, running errands, and tackling our spring cleaning. Our garage was the first target. That morning, as Kim and our infant daughter slept in, I made breakfast for our five-year-old son, Salem, and then brought him outside to help. But as soon as we started pulling out the bins, he rediscovered…

There is a small nuance in language that I often find myself chiming in on when I see a need to do so. At first, the adjustment seems and sounds small. But in reality, there is a life-giving truth contained in it. And equally so, a great danger in missing it. I first noticed this years ago, during a conversation about minimalism. I was speaking with a woman who had just started simplifying her home, and she said, “It’s just really difficult for me because I’m a woman. And women like nice things.” I don’t think she meant to say it in a negative way. In fact, I’m sure she didn’t. It was just something she believed to be true. But immediately, my mind w…

For over 17 years, I have been writing about minimalism on this blog. During that time, I’ve written over 1,700 articles—sharing stories, principles, and practical tips. I’ve written books that have helped hundreds of thousands of people take their first steps toward owning less and living more. I’ve recorded 400 videos for YouTube. And the Uncluttered Course has helped over 90,000 people declutter their homes, room by room. But over the years, I have kept hearing the same comment: “I start strong, but I struggle to keep minimalism going over time. How can I keep this going?” The answer to this question matters. You don’t just want to read about minimalism…

Seventeen years ago, I discovered minimalism. It took only a simple sentence from my neighbor to forever change my view of material possessions. This is what she said: “That’s why my daughter is a minimalist. She keeps telling me I don’t need to own all this stuff.” The statement came at the most ordinary time: I was cleaning out my garage on a Saturday afternoon. And yet, the statement also came at the most perfect time: When my heart (and mind) was ready to receive it. I had just spent the beautiful Saturday morning pulling dirty, dusty items out from my garage into the driveway. And I had done it all at the expense of my 5-year-old son, who was asking m…

Note: This is a guest post from Joe Darago, Executive Director of The Hope Effect, and a friend of mine for over 30 years. I come from a big family—five sisters and me—filling every corner of our modest home in Northeast Ohio with laughter, noise, and life. There was never a dull moment. My dad’s side looked a little different. He was the only son of Joseph and Teresa, raised alongside two sisters who never had children of their own. But what they may have lacked in children, they made up for in presence. Aunt Marilyn and Aunt Liz were constants in our lives. They attended every holiday, came to many sporting events, and had a saved seat at our six gradua…