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Lewis HowesA Day In The Life Of A MINIMALIST (Rich Life With Less Stuff)| Joshua Fields Millburn & Lewis howes
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Chapter summaries
Welcome and Why Josh Turned to Minimalism
Lewis welcomes Joshua Fields Millburn, they bond over their Ohio roots, and Lewis asks why he got into minimalism. Josh begins describing the achievements he had by 28 and the happiness he felt was always one purchase or promotion away.
- •Both men are from Ohio and both are huggers
- •The Minimalists blog draws almost five million unique visitors a year
- •Josh had a six-figure salary, a big house and luxury cars at 28 but felt unfulfilled
- •He believed happiness was always one promotion or purchase away
From Poverty to Debt and Corporate Success
Josh describes growing up poor in Dayton, skipping college for sales, and spending more than he earned at every income level. He explains how stuff and work crowded out health and close relationships while he rose to a director role.
- •Grew up on welfare and food stamps in a dysfunctional household
- •Earned $50,000 at 19 while spending $65,000, and held 14 credit cards
- •Reached about half a million dollars in debt including his mortgage
- •Neglected his health and closest relationships while climbing the ladder
- •Saw that the executives he admired were miserable
A Mother's Death, a Divorce, and Questioning Identity
In 2009 Josh's mother died and his marriage ended in the same month, which forced him to question his focus. He argues the problem is compulsory consumption rather than stuff itself, and describes how "What do you do?" ties us to our job identity.
- •His mother died and his marriage ended in one month in 2009
- •The problem is compulsory consumption, not stuff itself
- •He chased happiness and was only narrowly successful
- •He replaced "What do you do?" with talk of what he was passionate about
Discovering Minimalism and Letting Go of 90%
Josh found minimalism through Colin Wright and Leo Babauta and learned it can fit regular life. He started by removing one item a day for 30 days and over eight months got rid of about 90% of his possessions.
- •Colin Wright and Leo Babauta showed him different versions of minimalism
- •The average American household has 300,000 items
- •He started by letting go of one item a day for 30 days
- •He was an organized hoarder who hid stuff in bins
- •Letting go let him get more value from what he kept
Ryan's Packing Party and Starting The Minimalists
Josh's best friend Ryan Nicodemus noticed how happy he was and invented the packing party, boxing up everything he owned. Most of it was never unpacked, and he gave it all away, which led the two to start theminimalists.com.
- •Professional organizers know the easiest way to organize is to get rid of most things
- •Josh did not proselytize, only shared what worked for him
- •Ryan boxed up his whole condo and unpacked only what he needed over three weeks
- •About 80% of his things stayed in boxes, and he donated or sold them
- •They started theminimalists.com about six years ago
Why We Hoard and Keep Buying: Advertising and Attention
Lewis asks why humans are wired to be dissatisfied. Josh talks about scarcity and hoarding, aligning work with values, the 5,000 ads a day people see, and how social media works like a slot machine.
- •A chimpanzee banana example illustrates hoarding and scarcity
- •Anything he does for money has to align with his values
- •The average person sees about 5,000 ads a day
- •Attention and time matter even more than money
- •Social media is engineered like a slot machine, though Josh still finds value in it
Experiments Without TV, Internet, and Phone
Josh recounts paying down debt in a $500 apartment and trying 30 days without home internet, which turned into five years. He also went without TV and a cell phone for two months, then brought the phone back for deliberate use.
- •Moved to a tiny $500-a-month apartment to pay off debt
- •Hasn't had home internet in five years and calls it deep work
- •Removing the TV and phone exposed a special kind of loneliness
- •He brought the phone back without Facebook or email on it
- •The phone isn't the problem; how he uses it is
Book Tour, Missoula, and the Five Values
Josh recounts publishing their first book and a 33-city tour in Ryan's Corolla, where they learned which stories resonated. He explains how that led to the second book written in a Montana cabin and the five values he uses to find his weak link.
- •Left the corporate world in 2011 and published Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life
- •Five higher-order values: health, relationships, passion, growth, contribution
- •Decluttering alone is not the point and can leave you miserable
- •The tour was a listening tour that shaped their second book
- •He checks the five values to find the weak link
How Might Your Life Be Better With Less?
Lewis asks for a minimalist assessment, and Josh offers one question about how life might be better with less. He gives examples of benefits for different people, and Lewis describes his own intentional lifestyle, which Josh says shows minimalism is practical rather than radical.
- •The benefits of less differ for everyone
- •The real cost of stuff includes space, cleaning, and upkeep
- •A 93-year-old and a 13-year-old both came to his events
- •Everything he owns serves a purpose or brings him joy
- •Temporary deprivation can reveal what adds value
Getting Started: The 30-Day Game and Avoiding Re-accumulation
Josh offers the 30-day minimalism game, a friendly competition where you get rid of one more item each day. He also describes his no-buying year and his 30-day wait on purchases over $250 to keep from re-accumulating.
- •Partner up and get rid of N items on day N of the month
- •Both people who finish the month get rid of 500 items
- •His year of buying nothing but food and hygiene products took about four months to retrain his urge
- •He spends on experiences rather than possessions
- •A purchase over $250 waits at least a month
The Minimalism Documentary
Josh describes the new documentary, which features minimalists from many backgrounds, including tiny-house dwellers and an architect who builds around how people live. It also includes experts who quantify the benefits of living with less.
- •It came out in theaters at the end of May
- •55% of US adults read less than one book a year, so they use other media
- •Features Graham Hill's 420-square-foot modular apartment and Tammy Strobel's tiny house
- •An architect says everything should be appropriate for your life
- •Neuroscientists and economists add data to the stories
Pride, Gratitude, and the Three Truths
In final questions, Josh says he's proud that his short-term actions now align with his long-term values. He names his partner Becca as what he's most grateful for and shares his three truths.
- •He turned "someday" into today
- •His forehead tattoo would be a minus sign
- •He is grateful for his partner Becca and for becoming a parent
- •Three truths: let it go, you can't change the people around you but you can change the people around you, and love people and use things
Connecting, Acknowledgment, and Defining Greatness
Josh shares where to find The Minimalists on social media and by snail mail. Lewis acknowledges his transformation, and Josh closes by defining greatness through Rob Bell's idea that it isn't self-conscious.
- •Find them at @theminimalists on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
- •They get more meaningful letters and packages by mail than by email
- •Lewis acknowledges Josh's transformation and impact
- •Greatness isn't self-conscious, as Rob Bell said and Josh feels in a flow state
