Becoming Minimalist’s Top Posts of 2011

by JOSHUA BECKER

A special thanks to each of you for making 2011 another incredibly phenomenal year at Becoming Minimalist. It continues to grow well beyond my craziest expectations. During 2011…

• Subscriber count grew from 7,500 to 12,000 readers (after less than 500 readers in 2010).
• Twitter followers increased from less than 2,000 to 4,400 (after 0 followers in 2010).
• Facebook fans grew from 1,000 to 4,000 (after 0 fans in 2010).
• Our book Simplify became the #1 Self-Help book on Amazon for 12 days selling 12,000 copies in the past 6 weeks.

2011 has also been a year of major life-change for us personally as we moved our family from Vermont to Arizona. It is our hope that this move will further accommodate an increased writing/speaking schedule in the future as I continue to dream about more opportunities to inspire others to live more by owning less. We have found such freedom and joy in the pursuit of less… and hope that the minimalist movement continues to grow in 2012.

Taking a look back, here were the Most Popular Posts of 2011 on Becoming Minimalist as determined by readers:

The Danger of Neglecting Time Alone. For the first time in human history, the possibility for relationship with others exists around us at every moment of every day. Left unchecked, this constant stream of relationships can have some damaging effects on our lives

Reasons to Escape Excessive Consumerism. It is time to take a step back and realize that excessive consumption is not delivering on its promise to provide happiness and fulfillment. Consumption is necessary, but excessive consumption is not.

18 Good Reasons to Get the Television Out of the Bedroom. One of the best decisions that we made during our journey towards living with less.

New Ways to Judge Others. For too long our world has made judgments about others on faulty criteria. Let’s start looking for the right things.

40 Ways to Give More Life. Every interaction that we have with another human being offers us the opportunity to give life or drain it… let’s be sure to give the gift that holds the most potential for improving the lives and world around us.

Life Habits to Improve Your Writing. A look back at some of the intentional habits I have become more thoughtful about developing in my life that I believe have most benefited my writing.

Here were a few of my personal favorite posts over the past year:

Stop Comparing Your Life. Start Living It. There is such amazing freedom in the realization that we don’t need to compare our lives to others.

Tying Our Hearts to the Right Things. The realization that my heart appears naturally drawn to the places where I have invested most changes everything.

Minimalism Quotes… Through the Centuries. I love the fact that minimalism is not a new way to live life. In fact, some of the greatest minds over the past 3,000 years have encouraged it.

Addressing Minimalism’s Misconceptions. Anyone who has ever encouraged others to intentionally live with less has heard one/some of these misconceptions. It’s important to know how to address them.

Lucilla’s Story (And Our Own). One of those life-changing moments that you never forget.

And here were the most-read guest posts of the past year:

7 Ways to Prepare for a New Baby Without Shopping. Because the best way to prepare for a new baby is not with an afternoon of shopping or obsessing over paint samples for the nursery.

The Domino Effect of Simple Living. As you begin to ask yourself why something is important to you, you’ll become more aware of why you make certain choices.

You are More Than Enough. It is easier to love more deeply when you realize you have enough… and that you are enough.

Whether you have been reading Becoming Minimalist for one week, one month, or one year, welcome and thank you. As this blog goes forward into 2012, it will certainly 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 – because we are just as excited about that truth as when we first started!