If someone told me that cleaning your closet can change your life, I would have laughed incredulously or asked in a mocking tone, “What is wrong with you?” Then this book by Marie Kondo came my way. This is the first book that gave me a glimpse of minimalism. It showed me how, having less and only the useful, can lift a weight off your shoulders. After learning the art of decluttering from Marie Kondo’s book and applying it in my home, I literally walked taller, lost weight, grew in my career, and started to evolve as a more integrated person. I heard myself think for the first time after being released from the clutter that surrounded me.
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” – Marie Kondo
2. Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
This book will break the ‘Busy is Good’ paradigm once and for all. If you subscribed to the adage that being super busy at work is a sign that you are an A+ employee, positive, optimistic, and full of energy, drum rolls, please…..
This book will clear that up for you right away. I understood, as a result of applying some of the principles in this book, that if I needed more than 8 hours to do my job, I wasn’t doing it right. I was working hard and not smart. I started to observe in my life, that my best ideas come from being at rest and not from running like a hamster in a wheel.
“If you want rest, you have to take it. You have to resist the lure of busyness, make time for rest, take it seriously, and protect it from a world that is intent on stealing it.” – Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
3. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Building on the books I read before, I realized that doing less was not only good for my state of mind but also for my growth.
“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.” – Greg McKeown
You have most all you need and anything you don’t have can be made available to you by asking. This is a groundbreaking theory, a lifestyle of retail free living. It further enhanced my sense of security and released me from that having more is being safe.
5. Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More
Courtney Carver is the pioneer of the 333 project but that is only one of her contributions to the cause of minimalism. This book is packed with lights that will illuminate your path to simplicity and peace.
Buy the book on Amazon
6. Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life
This book about two extreme minimalists has been on my to-read list for some time. Their documentary was deeply inspirational and I can’t wait to get my hands on the book. They also have an awesome blog packed with inspiration.
Buy the book on Amazon
7. Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
Fumio Sasaki is an everyday guy who shares his journey of minimalism in this book.
8. The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life
Leo Babuata focusses on the principles of essentialism and presents them in actionable steps in this insightful and easy read.
I hope these books empower you and start you off on your journey towards minimalism. Minimalism means many things to many people. Check out my blog posts on minimalism:
Minimalism: A Gateway to Timelessness
Airak 
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