Crazy Hungry Cat

Focus on What’s Important by Joshua Millburn

Minimalism allows me to focus on what’s important in my life, to focus on developing
my personal relationships, improving my physical health, pursuing my passions,
growing as an individual, and contributing to people in meaningful ways.

Sometimes my friends give me a hard time because I don’t “get” Facebook.
Sometimes “bloggers” laugh at me because I honestly only read a handful of websites
and I don’t know what CSS is and I can hardly spell HTML. Sometimes designers elbow
me in the ribs because I don’t know how to use InDesign or Photoshop or even MS Paint
for that matter. The truth is that those things just aren’t that important to me. Maybe I’ll
“get” Facebook one day (but I prefer Twitter at the moment); maybe I’ll learn how to
design and code a website (but I’m content with the way our site looks now—we’ve
actually won awards and countless mentions for its design); and maybe I’ll become more
proficient with the aforementioned design programs (if/when I need to learn them, I
will). But none of those things will make me happy.
What makes me happy is what’s important in my life. So I focus my time on as
few things as possible, always on one thing at a time, taking my time, slowing down,
enjoying the journey, focusing on what’s important.
I exercise daily, and when I do, I focus on the actual act, the exercise itself, and I
enjoy every moment of it, even when it’s difficult, I’m thankful for my health.
I dedicate much of my life to my close relationships, and when I’m with people, I
focus my full attention on them. I don’t check my email or constantly look at my phone
or drift away from the conversation. I listen. I care. I offer advice when solicited. And,
above all, I’m present.
I write and read daily—this is my passion—and when I do, I focus on the process.
I’m excited to get up early, to write every morning, to create, to improve my skills, to
hone my craft without distractions.
I grow as person. I do things that take me outside of my comfort zone—not things
I dislike, but I embark on new experiences in which I’m interested. I go to new places,
enjoy new relationships with new people, I find the beauty in the banal.
I contribute to other people in meaningful ways, most notably to the tens of
thousands of readers on our website, for whom I’m incredibly thankful and grateful. I
focus on helping our readers live more meaningful lives with less stuff. I also contribute
in other ways, through charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity and local
soup kitchens and various other ways. And I contribute to my close friends, helping
them if they need help, going out of my way to be there for them in times of need. It is
important for me to contribute beyond myself, for this is the only way to live a
meaningful life.