Becoming Minimalist Top Posts of 2015

A special thanks to each of you for making 2015 an incredible year at Becoming Minimalist. This website continues to grow each month beyond my wildest expectations—in fact, this year represents the 7th consecutive year of consistent growth. As before, this growth has occurred entirely from the support of readers like you—there is no advertising involved.

Thank you for sharing this website. But even more, thank you for sharing the life-giving message of owning less.

Here are some numeric representations of our growth:

• Monthly visitors to Becoming Minimalist have increased to over 1,000,000 visitors/month.
• The Facebook group grew from 200,000 to 320,000 followers.
• Twitter followers increased from 25,700 to 35,200.
• 60,000 people currently receive Becoming Minimalist posts via email. You can sign-up here to do the same.
• In November, our book Simplify was once again #1 in Self-Help on Amazon.

But the most significant successes this past year are not found in numbers:

• On November 1, we launched The Hope Effect, non-profit organization designed to improve how the world cares for orphans.
• I completed a new book, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own, to introduce the world to minimalism. It will be released on May 03.
• And, on January 1, we will be launching a 12-week course called Uncluttered to help you own less, live more, and find the life you’ve always wanted. To receive updates concerning cost and registration, visit this page.

It has indeed been an incredibly exciting year. The metrics above prove the point. But going beyond the numbers, 2015 marked my second full year of writing and speaking full-time on the topic of minimalism. This message is important and the opportunity is great. I am grateful to be a small part of it.

In case you missed any, here are some of the top posts on Becoming Minimalist from 2015.

Most Popular Posts from 2015 (as determined by readers):

21 Surprising Statistics That Reveal How Much Stuff We Actually Own. Increasing data is being collected about our homes, our shopping habits, and our spending. The research is confirming our observation: we own too much stuff. And it is robbing us of life.

8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day. Those who adopt minimalist principles in their wardrobe choices are discovering more productivity, less stress, less distraction, less expense, and more peace. Maybe it is time you gave it a try.

7 Things That Shouldn’t Impress Us Anymore. Let’s stop trying to impress others with the things that we own. And start trying to inspire them by the lives that we live.

How to Slow Down Your Family’s Schedule. Wise parents take their role seriously. They seek to develop talents, skills, and self-sufficiency in their children. However, they realize this does not occur best within the confines of a cluttered schedule. Busy is not the same as productive.

9 Important Strategies for Raising Children in a World of Technology. The decisions we make for our kids concerning technology are important—but entirely without context.

My Personal Favorite Posts from the past year:

We Are Wealthy. And Why It Matters. We are already wealthy. And this should change entirely the way we live our lives.

Your Predisposition is Not Your Future. Your predisposition is not your future. Your future is what you choose to become.

Owning Less is Great. Wanting Less is Better. Because I don’t want to own more than I already have, I am freed from the constant comparing of my stuff to others. I am no longer bound to the incessant pursuit of more money and more stuff. I have found contentment in the things that I own. I have discovered more room for generosity. And I have begun to bend my pursuits towards things that matter.

A New, Minimalist Economy. Can minimalism and a thriving economy co-exist? I believe they can.

Most Popular Guest Posts in 2014:

Let Go of These 10 Items to Jumpstart Decluttering by Courtney Carver. Letting go of these items will lighten things up and encourage more decluttering, simplicity, and freedom. Once they are gone, celebrate your progress and dig back in.

Fewer Things. More Peace by Sarah Mae. The less we have, the less overwhelmed we feel. And the less overwhelmed we feel, the happier we are.

6 Lies that Keep Our Homes and Lives Cluttered by Rachel Jones. If you need to buy more stuff to organize all your stuff, maybe you own too much stuff.

Most Popular Outgoing Links from the past year:

Why I Got Rid of My Wardrobe | Dallas Moms Blog by Denaye Barahona. What did I have to lose?

The Real Cost of Your Shopping Habits | Forbes by Emma Johnson. The road to bankruptcy is paved with good deals.

The Purpose of Living Simple | No Sidebar by Melissa Camara Wilkins. Making a difference in your life and your world sometimes means that you have to make a different choice than the people around you. But making your own best choices now means you benefit in the days to come.

8 Things That Make You Happier: Backed by Research | TIME by Erik Barker. Wouldn’t you love a real list of things that make you happier? Here’s what scientific research says will work.

Whether you have been reading Becoming Minimalist for one week, one month, one year or longer, thank you so much. This blog owes its success to the support of its readers. Thank you for reading. And thank you for sharing these posts with others.

We look forward to an exciting 2016. Last year represented one of my most ambitious year ever—and now, I look forward to seeing each of those dreams become reality.

Uncluttered will be launched January 1 and The More of Less will be released in May. Both, I believe, hold significant opportunity to help you (and others) own less stuff and live more life.

No doubt, in the coming year, Becoming Minimalist will continue to evolve and be redefined. But it will always stay true to its core message that there is more joy to be found in owning less than can be found in pursuing more.

We will continue to invite as many as possible to discover this truth in their lives. And I hope you will join us.

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