Can a Minimalist Lifestyle Also Be Practical?

When I picture the tradition minimalist, I see someone sitting in a sparsely furnished room watching their 19-inch black-and-white television (without cable of course!). They're eating their dinner from the single plate they own and are wearing the same outfit for the third day in a row. Of course, this is an extreme, and likely, ignorant view of minimalism and minimalist. There are many people that are practical minimalists. They live "normal" and practical lives, albeit with much less "stuff". It is this approach and these people I wish to explore, study, and eventually emulate.

The main idea behind minimalism is living with less. As you can tell by my exaggerated and ignorant view of a traditional minimalist, I assume that only means living with less materialistic items like clothes, electronics, "toys", dishes, etc. As I've found out through reading and research, minimalism is much more than that. A minimalist lifestyle also includes eliminating or reducing intangible things like stress, debt, bad habits, addictions, and the list goes on and on. So from a personal standpoint, in addition to removing the material clutter in my life, my goal is to minimize the intangible clutter in my life. It is my belief and understanding that this will help me to obtain my ultimate goal; a stress-free and fulfilling lifestyle.

I certainly do not claim to be an expert in minimalism. I have simply created this platform as a motivational tool for myself and others as a way to share experiences and ideas. I look forward to your comments whether you agree, disagree or are indifferent. Thank you for reading my blog!