In our world full of algorithms looking to give us more of everything there is a shift from asking “how much can I have?” to “what am I going to choose to keep?” This is where Minimalism 2.0 comes in. Moving away from decluttering, the new approach to minimalism looks at being intentional with your attention, time, relationships and energy. Whilst the first wave of minimalism (popularised in the early 2010’s) focused on reducing clutter such as clothing, surfaces and letting go, it didn’t really address why we were accumulating in the first place. We would still have our feeds growing, our calendars full and culture telling us to make the most of every second. This meant whilst we were reducing clutter we weren’t necessarily addressing the root issue.
Minimalism 2.0 allows us to look at our clutter from a different perspective. Clutter can come in many ways such as too many tabs open on your browser, recurring social engagements and small commitments. Minimalism 1.0 asked “does this bring me joy?” whereas Minimalism 2.0 is asking “is this worth my attention?” The key difference between the two is that ‘joy’ is a feeling, whilst ‘worth’ is a decision. ‘Joy’ is often temporary whereas ‘worth’ needs to be sustainable.
At the center of Minimalism 2.0 is intentionality. This requires you to make conscious decisions in your life based around your priorities. It doesn’t mean that you need to have one purpose in life that you’re always following, but rather having clarity around what is most important to you currently and designing boundaries to help you. If you’ve decided you want to focus on deep work and quality family time then any invite on your calendar or alerts on your phone will become design issues. You’re creating boundaries.
This will apply to your digital life (you’re creating boundaries around the times you use the platforms), your time (you’re creating boundaries to ensure you have time to think and recharge), your relationships (less but quality relationships) and your possessions (still no unnecessary purchases, but questioning whether what you have are actually worth the environmental impact they’re causing). The aim is to take back control of your decisions.
Criticism of Minimalism 2.0 is correct in saying that not everyone will have the capability to be intentional. Often to say “no” to things, create boundaries around your digital life and reduce your possessions you need a certain amount of financial and social stability. Those who are working multiple jobs as a single parent or have unstable housing may not find intentionality a viable option.Whilst this doesn’t mean the concept is wrong it does make it less universal. The most responsible way to approach intentionality would be to acknowledge that it’s not for everyone but take away the habits that can be applied to any situation. For example regularly auditing your recurring engagements and reducing the sources of notifications.
Even those with more flexibility may find challenges with this. You can create an over monitoring culture when trying to be intentional. Constantly asking if something is ‘worth’ your time can turn every hour into a performance. To avoid this you should schedule some time to not ask if something is ‘worth’ your time. Just ensure that you’re doing it because you chose to. This will stop you becoming rigid with your minimalism.
Typically when trying to create intentionality in your life you’ll start by auditing what you’re actually doing. Track your attention for a short period of time and recognise the 2-3 things that are constantly taking your attention. Maybe you have meetings with no clear purpose, platforms that aren’t giving you information but making you restless or possessions that require too much maintenance. Remove or reduce these for a set period of time. This is a short term experiment. By creating boundaries you’ll learn what you’re missing out on (and what you’re actually losing out on). Anything that remains is because it has earned it’s place.
Over time this will create a new default for you. As many of the low value options have been taken away you’ll have fewer decisions to make. Rather than having a life with little stimulation you’ll have more of a chance to choose to have stimulation. The calmness of your life won’t mean you don’t have desires, but it will mean that you’re choosing to have them.
Overall Minimalism 2.0 isn’t a lifestyle brand. It’s a way to combat the default settings in our over abundant lives. It doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a better life by having less but provides a practical way to test this. If you’re willing to see your attention as a limited resource then it’s one of the most accurate tools you can use to create a life that is intentionally put together.
