The Minimalist Manifesto: Freedom to Work From Anywhere

Written by Everett Bogue | Follow me on Twitter.

This is the first part in a series of articles focusing on the key elements of being minimalist. At the end of the series I’ll be packaging the whole deal and releasing it as a free e-book.

Don’t miss out on the next one, sign up for free updates via RSS or Email.

The world has changed, we no longer need most of our stuff anymore. In fact, those who forsake their stuff entirely open themselves up to a world or opportunity.

A minimalist realizes that stuff only holds you down. When you decide to give it all up, to free yourself from the endless cycle of meaningless consumerism, you can be free to make your dreams reality.

Technology is the enabler.

Technology has given us the power to take our businesses online. We can automate and facilitate transactions that revolve around ideas. A new generation of minimalist practitioners are applying this philosophy to free themselves from the constraints of the physical world. Their businesses are thriving online, while the brick and mortar world is constrained by permanent location.

Permanent location under florescent lights.

Instead of harnessing this dream, many of us are still spending so much money on stuff we don’t use. We spend so much time and effort maintaining stuff we haven’t looked at in years, and might use someday.

It’s all understandable though. The industrial age taught us with billions of advertising dollars that we need to buy buy buy, but another piece of plastic stacked in a corner never made anyone happier.

You’re forgiven.

Now we’ll show you how to change.

It’s time to give it all up. Minimalism can free you, if you let it.

Consumerists are dodging around the truth, and meanwhile you’re the one filling up someone else’s pockets with money they didn’t need to have.

By being minimalist:

  • You can quit your day job.
  • You can travel the world.
  • You can move anywhere you want.
  • You can work from anywhere.

There are many examples of people doing this, but Colin Wright is one of the best.

He decided to ditch all of his stuff and took his sustainable design studio online. Now he moves to a new continent every four months, and since leaving has visited Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, he stopped over in New York and LA, and now he’s headed to New Zealand via Melbourne, Australia. He lives with less than 70 things, and they all fit in a backpack. His business is thriving, and he’s even found the time to write two brilliant free e-books.

I bet you wish you could be like Colin, but any number of excuses are popping up in your head.

Here’s the thing: none of those excuses matter, the only difference between you and the life he leads is the decision to not be afraid.

You are the director of your own destiny.

So why are you filling your house with junk instead of living your life? Make the choice now to rent a dumpster and destroy your attachment to the piles of useless physical things forever.

We’re living in a post-geographical society, and this has changed everything.

You can attain freedom. You just have to make the decision to free yourself. It starts with the stuff, next comes your time, eventually you’ll find that you had the power all along to thrive with only the essentials.

We all have the ability to be free, to live anywhere and work from anywhere. Being minimalist is the key.

  • Thanks for the comments everyone. I love hearing from you all.

    @Aunt Jill. Thanks for commenting! It's true, I don't have room for tupperware in my pack. There are all sorts of great options for house-sitting and other ways to keep a home base. I'm not ruling out that I won't ever have a home base, but right now it's not something I'm particularly interested in. Freedom first, home base later. ;)

    @Darko. Exactly! You've made some great choices, and I'm glad you shared them with us. I like that you're choosing not to just dump stuff, and instead are taking decisive actions to sell every item. Good stuff, thanks for your comment!

    @Stormbringer. Everyone is different, and it sounds like you have a lot to worry about. I know I can be a little enthusiastic at times, because I'm living this life and I know how freeing it can be. Do what you can, take simple steps toward the goals which you're interested in.

    @Everyone else. Thanks so much for your support. You're all awesome. Thanks for spreading the word as well.

    Best,
    Everett
  • I really love the energy that goes from your post. I feel the need to declutter my room right now, because the idea of knowing exactly what I need to live and nothing more really gives me power of clarity that I didn't know before. I really want to achieve this and when I see my room, I just see stuff stuff stuff. And the most curious thing is that it still seems to be empty! There is simply no room for really important stuff.

    I like simple solutions but I am overwhelmed when seeing my room, so I start simple and take one piece at a time and decide: "Do you stay or leave my room?". I think that will lead to great success without being overwhelmed

    thank your for your post
  • While I can draw a great deal of truth from minimalist philosophies, I have a problem: Responsibilities. I have bills to pay, people who depend on me, commitments to honor and so forth.

    Also, if you read some of the online forums, there seems to be a kind of nostalgia fascination. People are annoyed with impersonal, faceless service, and want to be able to visit a brick and mortar shop for that personal service. I feel the same way many times, perhaps because "modern" technology offers an impersonal approach to swindling as well.

    So, I can reduce the clutter in my own life (and mind), grow, learn, influence others as much as I can in my remaining years. Getting extreme with it is impossible for many of us.
  • Wonderful post Everett, always with the spirit and enthusiasm to help others consider the change.

    I have been very happy since I got rid of the excess stuff I had, now I just have what I need and a couple of books that come and go as I meet people who wants to read about a simple life. It also came in time with my change to Buddhism philosophy, particularly in the Zen venue.

    So far I have enjoyed a lot of free time even with my 9-to-5 job. And I'm on the good way to actually leave my job down the road.

    Thanks for sharing and I'm looking forward for the next post, your passion is a great part of your voice!
  • Darko
    I've gotten myself into quite a mess... Ever since I implemented a rule to first get rid of the old thing before getting a newer, updated version, I live in hell. Do you have any idea how hard it was to sell my wrist watches, old photo cameras, old cellphone and so on? Had to use the local craigslist equivalent in my country and that meant being on call all day long, meeting buyers at random hours, being a salesman. I look at it as practice if I'll ever have to become sales clerk.

    This rule really got me thinking about stuff and I've become very selective about buying things. Do I really need it? Am I prepared to drag this thing with me for the rest of my life? No? How about getting through the hassle of selling it? Because throwing it away isn't an option - because getting rid of something means finding someone else who might have it. No filling the dumps for me anymore.

    You are spot on with the world changing! I have a job and am location tied, but even so it's such a relief that there is another way to the standard 'pile as much stuff together and let's see who wins when we die'. I love the clarity that comes from knowing exactly what I need, want and chose to spend time on.
  • well written everett.

    I wouldn't have been able to quit my job and focus on my blogging and photography if I hadn't decided to become a minimalist.

    I'm so so glad I did. It's only been 2 weeks and I've never enjoyed life more.

    hope this inspired others to make the leap
  • "Super Post Everett. And the key here is not only getting rid of the junk we possess but also changing your mindset. We no longer need to be in one specific place to do our job

    This also goes for bigger businesses.
    My company (although it’s not big at all, there's only 2 of us) operates from 2 offices, in Ireland and UK. I pop in there every now and then but most of the time I just work from home. I will be heading to Poland next month for few weeks next month and will be working from there then.

    My business partner lives in a different country than me and we rarely see each other in person. But who cares though, the business is growing and everyone’s happy.

    Anyway, super post man!"
  • Fantastic, man- can't wait to see more of this series! I am undergoing a ruthless process of dejunking myself right now. More mobility . . . definitely the key! Kudos to you, Everett-
  • A great article Everett. I stopped buying useless junk I didn't need about a year ago. I'm now very selective with anything I buy and try and keep new items to bare minimum. And I think im a lot happier for it!
  • Aunt Jill
    Nice article. I will be following your sequence on minimalism. I had some tupperware in the basement to give you but realize it won't fit in your backpack!

    Don't forget, you can always keep your roots by finding a housesitter to watch your stuff while you travel the world. That way you keep your plastic and someone has a place to live while you are gone.

    And you can swap homes for a while. As long as both people are respectful, the swap could also allow you to travel.
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