Is it essential? Totally!
There are many ways to live, and for us, we love to keep it simple. Micah and I try to be essentialists. This means we do not own anything that we do not need. Everything has a specific purpose. Nothing in our closets, bags or storage areas is there because “we may need it at some point”.
We only have few possessions. All our clothes, for example, fit inside one backpack, a useful skill acquired from years of continous travel. We are not minimalists, though. We do not downsize just for the sake of downsizing.
Because just like how collecting possessions without sense or reason is ultimately surrendering control over your life to an unconscious reflex, so is minimizing everything just because. This is our subjective experience with it at least.
Our kitchen is a good example. We cook all our meals, mostly plant-based, and we take joy in doing it right. Sometimes this means having several kitchen equipment going like a food processor, crepe maker, panini press, blender, milk wand, and so on. The small appliances in our kitchen alone will not cut it as minimalist but it is sure essentialist. Everything has a specific purpose. And we use our stuff all the time.
So far, trying to set up our lives like this has served us well. Simple, functional, and effective. It certainly helps with making our lives feel spacious and comfortable, despite only having a very limited number of worldly possessions – or perhaps because of it?
The essentialist approach allows us to focus on what matters to us. There is no waste or distraction. No feelings of limitations either. We have all we need and it feels good. After all, a meaningful life is not about having more but finding out what we can do without. It is all about adding value, not having less.
Markus + Micah 
Both essentialism and minimalism seem to have much in common. You try to own what you absolutely need. That’s what minimalism is all about too (in my opinion)
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They definitely have a lot in common! To me, essentialism is just more tailored to who you are. It’s less “what is the bare minimum you could survive on” and more “what do you need for a meaningful life”.
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Wow! I really liked your essentialism theory. Great post! 🤗😊
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Thank you. What did you like about it?
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What do you think about sailboats?
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They evoke a great sense of freedom, and they seem very environmentally friendly. From what I’ve heard, they can be challenging to manage and live on as well. What has your experience with sailboats been like?
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They are definitely non-essential, that is until you leave the dock, then they become critical. There’s nothing minimalist about them unless you live on one, which makes a tiny house seem extravagant. And they are environmentally friendly from a ‘using wind as fuel’ point of view, but require a ton of harmful products to maintain. Most of all they suck up so much time, but the real question is if there is anything else more worthwhile to spend time on..
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That is a very good question. Is there?
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I really like your views in essentialism and agree with it.
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Many thanks for visiting us. Do you practice essentialism, too?
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Yeah I do believe in not wasting money and use it for things needed. May be not as perfectly as you guys but I try.. 😀
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That is good to hear. We are not perfect in practicing it, I suppose that is why we all practice. Creating awareness on how we live is an everyday thing, and we all try! Glad we are on the same boat.
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I really appreciate this post. My family and I have been downsizing as we clean out our home and a few times we struggle with why we justify keeping certain things. It’s really been a time of acknowledging why we feel the need to hold on to certain things. Thanks so much for sharing this, I appreciate it!!
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Hello, Bri. Thank you for visiting us. It is good to know you are downsizing. I am sure if you are avle to identify and keep the essentials, all will be well. What kind of stuff are you usually having time letting go?
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I’m very sentimental I’ve noticed and have kept small trinkets and cards. Over 24 years my collection has reallly grown!
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That sounds nice. And there is no shame in keeping them if they add value to you!
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Hmm maybe I’m actually more of an essentialist. Nice read! 👍🏻
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Thank you, and good to know!
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👏👏Like the way you approach the things with so much care, I’am loving your essentialist approach!Informative blog 💐and a lot to learn for me👍👌🌈😄
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Thank you for visiting us. Yes, we find that living with intention helps us to enjoy life more and have more space for each other and the things that matter to us personally. We can all benefit from that, right?
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👏👏Yeah 👍Absolutely 😄👍💐forwarding you lots of good wishes, stay safe, stay healthy 😄😄
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Thanks. Back at you!
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Markus + Micah, I really like your essentialist philosophy and find that it really works well for us, too. After traveling the world for years we realized how very little we really needed. And like you we cook most of our meals, so we may have a few specialized kitchen tools. But I must admit we have fun trying to figure out how some tools can do double duty. 🙂 Thanks for explaining essentialism. All the best, Terri
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Traveling teaches us a lot, doesn’t it? And I agree, it is fun to find double-duty use for our stuff. It makes us feel clever in a good way. Haha! Thank you for visiting us.
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I try to buy second-hand or local and natural based alternatives (fibres) to reduce plastic consumption. I usually ask myself if I just want something, or if I NEED it to decide on a purchase. Occasionally I’ll give in to my wants though, but only if its been something Ive wanted a long time that will improve my life.
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That is a very good approach. It is all about value, isn’t it? Lucky you that you can find fiber alrernatives! We have been looking but it is not that accessible for us.
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The cheapest isn’t usually the best value either if it’s not going to last. Unfortunately natural fibre clothes like wool are generally much more expensive and harder to find, much like healthy food.
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Agree with natural fibers. Healthy food, not so much, as we found healthy food is actually simpler and more affordable. This is our experience though. Why do you say healthy food is expensive and hard to find?
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Mainly refering to takeaway when out and about. It also can be a challenge avoiding sugar which is often loaded in foods promoted as healthy options.
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Ah yes, eating out in general is more expensive. And I cannot agree more with the extra sugar – if we do not pay attention we end up loading our body with sugar unconsciously, like with plant-based milk or yogurt and so on.
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I love this! I should learn so much from your lifestyle. I try to consume less and less each day, buying only what I need and getting rid of what I don’t. But I’m not there yet. Thank you for the inspiration!
Lindifique
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Thank you. Buying less is as easy buying more, isn’t it? It is also cleaner inside the house. I am positive you will reach your goals as you have awareness over your habits already. Well done.
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I am not aware of essentialism so reading this made me think. I’m loving this idea!!! In today’s world, it’s so easy to get swayed of wanting to have things that we really don’t need and will just end up on our storage.
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Yes, true! The whole idea is not to get rid of stuff just for the sake of getting rid of it, but to make a conscious decision every time and take responsibility for our choice – whether the choice is to get, keep or remove something.
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I’ve made progress, but still have a ways to go, especially with sentimental items that belonged to my parents. You inspire me to continue letting go!
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I understand, but if keeping things that belonged to your parents adds value to you, like you remember them or feel comforted by them, then they are essential. Again, you define what is valuable to you and not chuck things just because you want less stuff.
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Thank you for that comforting clarification.
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love these two lines: “After all, a meaningful life is not about having more but finding out what we can do without. It is all about adding value, not having less.”
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Thank you. It is true, isn’t it? Having more, without thought, leaves us distracted or inundated. Having less, without thought, has us restricted or wanting. But we are okay with the essentials. Our needs are covered. And really, most times, we have more than we think!
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Love the onesie! I like minimalism only in visual aesthetics. But as a lifestyle it feels more like removing stuff instead of adding to it. This essentialist approach makes more sense to me 💗
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I like minimalist design, too! But you are right, without thought, downsizing can be challenging. Focusing on value though will always work, especially when we are focused and consistent with our values.
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