Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life

by Rachel Jonat

As seen on Today.com and in Parents Magazine

Stress less while living more!

An inviting living space. Time spent with loved ones. Peace of mind.

With Do Less , a happier, more serene life is just moments away. From your home to your finances, this straightforward guide teaches you how to scale back your possessions and commitments to just what you really need. With hundreds of ways to minimalize your life, you'll quickly uncover the joys and rewards of paring down.

A must-have for any shelf, Do Less helps you rediscover the simple moments that have been buried beneath the piles of to-dos, to-knows, and to-buys.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Productivity, Reference, Personal Growth, Mental Health

174 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2014

About the author

Rachel Jonat is the writer behind the highly successful Minimalist Mom blog (theminimalistmom.com). Before picking up the pen as a career, Rachel sharpened her simple living skills while training and racing internationally as a rower. After multiple cross country moves, and many trans-Atlantic flights with bags below the weight limit, she retired from the sport after winning a World Championship bronze medal.

Rachel's books include Do Less (Adams Media 2014), The Minimalist Mom: How to Simply Parent Your Baby (Adams Media 2016) and The Joy of Doing Nothing (Adams Media 2017). She is a sought after simplifying expert and has been featured on radio and television.

She is a mother of three and loves brunch and tiny houses. You can get more tips about simplifying as a family and read about Rachel's own downsizing and minimalist journey at theminimalistmom.com.

Reviews

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I already adhere to a lot of her advice, so this book didn't really do much for me. Some of the ideas I found to be unrealistic as well. Also, I was really annoyed by the back cover that basically said buy this book if you feel overwhelmed by everything you are "supposed to buy". I got my copy from the library, which wouldn't most minimalists do?

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably give this more of a 3.5. It's a strange book. I've recently gotten into the idea of minimalism (I could never actual implement the more extreme parts of it) just because I hate all the clutter. I'm moving in a month, so it's created an ideal situation for getting rid of a bunch of shit. I wanted to read this book to see if there were any ideas about some sticky situations I have when I need to let go of things (jewelry that I made but don't wear - I don't want to get rid of that but I'm not using it - solution I came up with is to keep it because it's jewelry and it's small and I made that shit and might want to reuse the pieces. Books that I have that I have not read but want to - this wasn't a huge category because I don't buy a ton of books, but it's easier to say, "I can get that from the library any time I want to actually read it" and get rid of my copy). So here are my thoughts:
1. WTF is up with this book explaining how to essentially lie to your boss? Is it just honest? I don't know. One tip: leave papers and shit on your desk in disarray to look like you're in the middle of something and just stepped away to go to the bathroom, but then actually ditch out for something. Or send e-mails from home so your boss thinks you're in the office. I don't know. It just seemed odd.
2. This book was not written for people with kids. I know, I know - there is a section specifically on how to declutter if you have kids. Yes, decluttering is one thing. But moving into smaller spaces, taking sabbaticals from work (what about health insurance??), going back to school, taking a job for less pay (daycare costs didn't come up). Now, before you think I'm just one of "those" parents, I will also this book is not made for the majority of people with real jobs in the real world. I know 2 people who are allowed to work from home on occasion. I don't know anyone who is allowed to just take a month off to go do a job overseas, except for doctors. I do believe I can categorically say that this book is not made for people who have more entry-level jobs. Straight up - admin assistant? Manager/employee at a fast food place? Where are they supposed to be saving money? How are they going to "work from home"? How can they take a one-month sabbatical?

It just seemed like this was a book made for upper middle class people with professional jobs who work in larger cities where telecommuting is more common. Aside from the decluttering aspect, there's nothing about kids. Do you know how hard it is to be a minimalist with a baby?? I know people do it, and more power to you, but I've got 3 cases of diapers on hand and I regret nothing because I saved an ass-load of money, and that's more important to me than the fear of just having too much "stuff." And this book can go to hell for saying that you shouldn't buy toilet paper in bulk even though everyone knows you save money that way. I mean wtf? Toilet paper doesn't expire, you'll always need it - you buy that in bulk and save that money! Who is living in such a small damn minimalist house that they can't buy an 18 pack of charmin instead of a 4 pack? Get over it.

So while I am getting rid of things, I don't think I'll be employing many of the tactics in this book because they just aren't practical for me right now. Some I might - having a bedtime routine and a morning routine would be nice because ours are very scattered right now - but for me, going to a more minimalist lifestyle at this point is just getting rid of things I don't use and giving them to someone who will. This means more thoughtful donating, which isn't easy, because it would be simple to give everything to Goodwill, but there are a lot of organizations who need specific things and finding out that a shelter in your area needs travel size toiletries is a good incentive to get rid of the bags of samples I have, which leads to more donating, which leads to fewer things.

TL;DR: this book isn't a viable option for a lot of regular folks out there, but I think it's worth a read if you're curious about minimalism and want to know how to get one over on your boss.

[Aicha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very useful. Has some very interesting ideas. The thing I appreciated the most was that the chapters were very simple, illustrated with examples, and not that long.
I just would like to comment on one thing. There are some things mentioned in the book, such as Pinterest, as somewhat bad, or as things that would lead to a non-minimalist life; where in fact these things could be used in more than one way. They could lead to a more simple life.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is full of ways to apply minimalism in the areas of home, work, money, and life. So many are simple things to do. It’s really helped me to prioritize what is worth keeping, and how to evaluate whether something is worth bringing into my home. The work section wasn’t really applicable to me, as there is no flexibility in a teacher’s work schedule. The other sections I have found to be useful.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should probably stop reading books in this genre. This book was a fine summary of minimalist living, but not especially inspiring or insightful to me. I was also bothered by some of the behaviors she advocates for in the work section because they struck me as dishonest.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super solid little book! Really interesting and unconventional ideas in the work section. I'm really just out here trying to keep my adult life simple in any way that I can.

[Christine Hirtrescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to follow up after reading The Life Changing Magic of Decluttering by Marie Kondo if you’re looking for extra guidance on how to declutter other aspects in your life. Jonat takes a more rounded look at how we choose to live our lives and where we mindlessly give our time out of habit. She challenges us to prioritize the things that are most important to us while letting other things go, and paints an image of life lived in abundance rather than fear and obligation. Some of her suggestions might seem daunting to the uninitiated but she makes a lot of common sense arguments that will make most readers think twice about their habits. Accessible and quick read. Enjoyable.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read with lots of good, practical advice for paring down your life to free up time, energy, space and money for what is really important to you. I like how Jonat also explored non-materialistic aspects of life that can be de-cluttered. A lot of the ideas are common sense, but reading this book (and her blog, The Minimalist Mom) makes you think and re-evaluate what you really "need" to be happy.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a bunch of books on simplicity and minimalism from the library and this one was by far my favorite. This is a book that practices what it preaches, unlike many books on simplicity that I often find disorganized, full of irrelevant information and anecdotes, and pedantic or touchy-feely in their writing style. This book's information and presentation are simple, down-to-earth and practical. This is a book worth buying and keeping on your shelf so you can work your way through it in real time, putting its suggestions into practice in your life as you see fit. But even as a quick library read it's worth reading.

[Kevin O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice book with some basic and some not so basic ideas on how to free up your life. I’d recommend if you feel like you have too much stuff, not enough time or are feeling overwhelmed at work

[Sevil · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.”Oscar Wilde
Removing what is unnecessary in your life gives you the space and time to revisit old dreams and create new ones.
With many choices and opportunities comes great responsibility.

We have more demands on our attention and time than anyone a hundred years ago could have imagined.

A nice conversation over tea, a healthy meal, sleep, exercise—none of them requires deep closets full of stuff to enjoy.

Beautiful things should be used and seen. If something is far too precious to be used for its intended purpose, what is the point of owning it?

Embrace everyday luxury, and if an item breaks or is ruined, celebrate that you got more out of it than you would have if you kept it in a closet for years.

Instead of embracing and celebrating what you truly like, you get distracted by what you think you should like.
It’s so easy to forget who you truly are when you are constantly watching and reading the highlights and glories of everyone else.

You forget who you are. You forget what’s important to you, what makes you smile, what your talents and gifts are. If you want to Do Less, you need to remove the ideas and dreams you took on because you thought they were the right things to do, instead of the right things for you. There really is enough time and space and energy in your day to do what you want to do. The trick is not to fill your time with things you think you should be doing.

If something doesn’t feed your soul or your family, it shouldn’t get your money and it definitely shouldn’t get your time.
As you change how you think about what you own and how much you really need, you can let go of unused things and let someone else use them.

Someday is not today -One of the main reasons we keep things we don’t use or need is we think someday we’ll need them.

Live Unlived Life -the two lives we live—the one we dream about, called the unlived life, and our actual lives. He says that living your unlived life comes from beating resistance.

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
—William Morris

The blueprint for going minimalist in the kitchen will be your six favorite meals that you cook regularly.

The extreme minimalist might only keep one bowl, plate, cup, and utensils per person in a household, requiring everyone to wash up after each meal.

Anything “too good” to use has no purpose in a home.

Parkinson Law -Work Smarter Parkinson’s law of triviality states that we put time into making a decision in inverse proportion to the importance of the decision.

Live Like You’re Retired Now! The long hours, stress, and sitting at our desks

Work less now but work longer. Push retirement back indefinitely and work less now so that you can enjoy life both now and down the line. Working part-time into your golden age will keep your mind sharp and can actually improve the quality of your retirement life. If

Delayed gratification makes you value what you have more.

You value and enjoy what you work hard for, more than what you carelessly buy and consume.

Challenge yourself to pack your lunch all week and put the money you save into an account marked for something special.

One trick to changing your mindset about money is to practice abundance.

Don’t worry about future needs.

Do your best with the information at hand and the things that have actually happened or are on this week’s calendar.
If you want good things to happen in your life, start by doing good things for others.

Start by making a quick list of discretionary and nondiscretionary bills. Nondiscretionary bills are things like mortgage or rent, and home, life, and health insurance. As you tally your discretionary bills, make a note of which bills could be renegotiated or possibly reduced.
Look at your nondiscretionary bills with an open mind. What are you really and truly using on a daily basis? Everything should be on the table for elimination or reduction.

Reverse Budgeting -When income comes in, set aside an amount for savings, perhaps having an automatic transfer of 10 percent of your income into another account, and the rest is yours to live off of until the next paycheck.

Cash is the King - Paying with cash is the other cornerstone of a minimalist and easy budget system.
In a minimalist life, you use just what you have. Cash is what you have.

Have a No-Spend Day

If you have your health, great friends, and burning creative aspirations, use them as your barometer of wealth instead of money.
You can feel wealthy no matter what your income bracket is.

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
—Socrates

We’re so busy running from one thing to the next, saying yes to every invitation, every request for our precious time, reading every update from every acquaintance, that we don’t have the focus or wherewithal to use our time wisely and with intention.

-Declutter your home so it’s easier to clean and to find things.
-Shop less,
-Limit social media and your phone interruptions
-Think about bigger changes, like moving closer to work to reduce a commute or moving into a smaller home so that you can work part-time.
-Try out a few minimalist lifestyle changes, like cutting cable television or only using the Internet once in the morning.

Time is finite.

Single-tasking - Focusing on one thing at a time allows you to engage deeply in your interactions.
You don’t need to get more things done faster; you need to do fewer things better.

The benefits of routine-Routines are an integral part of an exciting and fruitful life. Routines declutter your daily schedule and give you more time.

Quit Something
Try Something New
Put Away Your Cell Phone
Letting Go of Old Friendships-As you remove the unneeded from your life, as you declutter to get to the heart of what you want more of, as you remember the simple things that bring a lot of happiness into your life, sometimes you see that you have to declutter your friends, too. You might have to let go of a few people so you can make more room for deeper friendships and be a better friend to those closest to you.

Relationships-Dunbar’s number is a theory that we have a limit to the number of relationships we can have.For the average human it means our brain size allows us to relate to and remember the relationships of about 150 people. After that we don’t have the cognitive ability to remember each person and his relationship to us and to the other 149 people.

Removing Negative Relationships from Your Life

Do Less and do things well, you don’t have room for people who speak negatively about you or to you.

Keep Your Inner Circle Small and Exclusive It’s said that we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with. This is a sobering thought if you have relationships that are on the edge of toxic, or if you have friends that you’ve outgrown or moved on from.

Be Unavailable-Turn them off. Disconnect. Make yourself unavailable. Being available and online in seven different places at all hours of the day is the hallmark of the new millennium, and it has made us neither more productive nor happier.

Let Go of “What If” It’s tempting to use “what if” reasoning to leave your cell phone on and close at hand and to check your e-mail and other online accounts multiple times a day, or even multiple times an hour.

Fear of Missing Out All these avenues for interaction and being online anywhere at any time have led to a very real disorder called Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Minimalist Shopping

Quality over Quantity Much of what we buy today isn’t made to last a lifetime. In fact, much of what we buy today is meant to break or wear out long before we’re done using it. This is called planned obsolescence.

Get Over the Desire for More Stuff-One way to live a simpler and easier life: stop wanting so much stuff.
Enjoying Your Life with Less

[Mycala · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just what we need! Another book about minimalism that reads like a rigid "one-size-fits-all do-it-my-way-or-you're-doing-it-wrong". I hated the book early on because it was then that she talks about the kitchen. Fill your cupboards with "fresh, regularly-used staples" such as peanut butter and canned tomatoes! Don't buy capers and artichoke hearts, you'll never use them!

Girl.

Newsflash: peanut butter and canned tomatoes aren't "fresh". Also, I blow through capers and artichoke hearts much more often than peanut butter. Maybe butt out with trying to tell people exactly what to eat, okay? A framework is one thing, but this just pissed me off.

She goes on to point out that white plates are the way to go and "do you really NEED six settings of plates?" Again. I am all about keeping it simple, but I also have a brain in my head. I entertain enough and I have enough room in my house that having settings for the people I plan to invite over is not a big deal. What the hell does this chick do when she has a party? Bring your own plate? Wait, no. She doesn't sound like she's a whole lot of fun, she probably doesn't have parties. Who would want to go anyway, she probably serves fresh canned tomato and peanut butter crudités.

Then the wardrobe suggestions. I have seen variations on this list since the mid-70s. She's going to tell you what you need in your closet. One pair of jeans, and they have to be straight-leg style. A white button down shirt. Seriously? I haven't worn a white button down shirt since I was forced to for chorus in middle school. One pencil skirt. One black cocktail dress for weddings and special occasions. Honey, if it's a special occasion I am NOT wearing black. I refuse to wear black. I got that out of my system in high school. One sundress. One trench coat. Black and white. Wear accessories for color. How about no? According to her recipe for a capsule wardrobe we're going to either pair our black trousers/ black pencil skirt/ straight leg jeans with t-shirts, or a single cashmere sweater, or the white button down shirt. Can we stop already? It's like she's read all these books from way back when and then is just regurgitating advice without even thinking about how it makes sense. Or not.

Here's one I really love: you already earn enough. Now that is a clear sign that girl has lived a privileged life. Let's see. About the author.... Ah, yes. World Championship Rower. Yeah, she wouldn't know anything about making ends meet on minimum wage or slightly above salary. But hey, pull yourself up by your bootstraps! If she can do it, so can you!

This book is 174 pages long, which is about 174 pages too long. I love how she sounds judgy the whole way through the book, but then at the very end you get the money shot. She pretty much completely negates everything she has written by stating in her last paragraph that "No one path will be the same as another." You don't say.

[Moi · Rating 3 out of 5]

a slim volume with all sorts of reasons for why and suggestions for how to uncomplicate your life and live minimally—covering home (cooking, home functionality and organization, wardrobe), work (schedule, career choice), money (consumerism, budgeting, debt), and life (routine, hobbies, social media, friendships).

i mostly enjoyed the book i think because i already find so many tenets of minimalism appealing, but i think also the neutral reader may be convinced by much of what the author says. the maximalist, however, will be appalled. "more is more" believers won't find any understanding of how layers and patina and history can create ambiance and comfort and an opportunity to cherish tradition.

that said, i still think many of the author's principles of organization and intentionality can help any person. but i would not go so far as to agree with the author when she says that anyone can be happier with less than they have now. this discounts—and, frankly, insults—the huge number of working poor who are choosing between paying rent and paying school fees, forget about shop therapy. the author writes from a comfortably middle-class viewpoint; much of what she says will be unapplicable to the wealthy (who can afford to have their life cleaned and organized and beautified by staff) and the poor who are spiraling downward. this is a huge oversight. the author is not required to write to every reader; her experiences are her own, and they are still valid. but my problem is that she insists her message is for everyone. it's simply not true that everyone can get by comfortably with less than they have now.

[Alanna-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous book with so many amazing and realistic ways we can change our lives for the better. This book is NOT about how to live like a monk, but rather, how to enjoy what we already have so much of in our modern lives (but fail to see it under all the clutter). Down-to-earth recommendations are given on how to get started in several areas of life.

I found the book/author to basically advocate (1) giving up knee-jerk spending, (2) reducing clutter and junk in the home, (3) stop saying yes to all the things you really want to say no to, (4) reducing living costs and debts to reduce stress, allow more time for people, hobbies, things that you absolutely love, (5) doing work that you love (and reducing hours worked per week if that is something you want to do) and (6) create your own personal benchmarks for success rather than letting advertising and culture do it for you.

And while I already do several of the recommendations, I am so very much looking forward to streamlining my schedule, daily practices, home life and spending so that I can enjoy my life to its absolute fullest.

Best part: I found this book in a free take-one, leave-one library!!! Huge gratitude to whomever left it there.

[Court · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I was thinking about purchasing it for a friend who would like to become a minimalist. (true story)

Overall, I think that this book does not say anything particular innovative, but I do think reading this book has been a gentle, sometimes not gentle, reminder of how important it is to live intentionally. The things we buy, how we spend our time, and what we keep all has a big effect on our health and happiness.

I would recommend Do Less to anyone with a New Year's resolution about decluttering and to anyone who would like a reminder of why they have already chosen to live with less stuff and more intention.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some tips weren't particularly helpful like "get a roommate" or "move back in with your parents for a year." There was also tips on working less suggesting things like coming in later or leaving your desk messy so people think you just stepped away from your desk when you're really at lunch. Perhaps those are useful for some people, but those don't work for most jobs. I liked the suggested of doing less to have more time/space/money for the things you really want to do, but a lot of the advice was not practical for my life. Perhaps this book is more geared toward younger, wealthier people and not mothers in their mid-30s who earn less than $50,000/yr for a 4-person household.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Sure, there were a few sections that didn't really apply to me, but there was a lot in there that is useful. I may not follow her directions 100%, but I think the general guidelines will be helpful to pare down a lot of clutter and unnecessary distractions in my life and get more focused on spending time on the things that matter to me. I'll probably come back to this book again in the future.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Do Less, I immediately acted on three pieces of Rachel Jonat's advice. I got rid of all my clothes that I haven't worn in more than a year. I bought two bras, one black and one nude, and I hand-wash them so they last longer. And finally, I thought about who the five people are that I spend the most time with and how that reflects on me. I realized who those people are and have resolved to kill myself in the near future.

Thanks, Rachel!

[Holly McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview

This is an excellent introduction to and overview of the process of making one's life less chaotic. It does a better job than most of its kind in dealing with simplifying interpersonal relationships. I did not realize until the end that it was written by the author of the blog "Minimalist Mom" whose work I have enjoyed previously.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

My practical take-away: itemize every moment and thing (and then categorize them)

Wished scope included how to decide what you want, what you want to do, and so on. Sure, if it's a thing you dread or a person you feel guilty about not seeing, yet never make the effort to connect, then it's a thing to do without. But... what hobby do I want? how am I to decide how to put myself to good use?

[Jean-marie Prevost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither bad nor great, I think the biggest flaw of this book is that it urges us to do things we somehow know we should be doing. That of course doesn't mean it's not useful to be reminded about them.

A very general book about applying minimalism to various aspects of your life and how it can make things easier and better for you.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super quick read and a solid intro into minimalism. I learned some new things and it really helped me with my start to a minimalist life. I did find that there was a lot of “this is what you need to do” without a lot of “and this is how you do it.” And she kept repeating that it should take just a few days to purge your house, which I feel is unrealistic for most.

[Abdo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the book covers every aspect of your life. I was thinking that minimalism is just about decluttering physical things. Although I found some of the ideas might be a little bit too hard to achieve but in general it is a good book and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who wants to live a minimalist life approach.

[Lynn Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the author's concise presentation of an approach to a minimalist lifestyle. She gives a broad survey of strategies for life's most important areas: money, career, hobbies, home, relationships, etc. This book serves both as an excellent introduction to pursuing a minimalist lifestyle as well as offers some new ideas for those of us already on this path.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read on how to simplify and minimize your life. The book is divided into four sections: Home, Work, Money, and Life. We've been practicing essentialist for decades so these aren't new info, but great for beginners. I enjoyed the easy going tone the author portrays the info though. It was a quick and easy read that reminded me of our values and mindset when it comes to minimalism.

[Cadeegirl Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is actually my second time reading it. I liked how the author covered every aspect of your life to simplify and organize, including the people in your life. I had never really thought of it that way. However, the author had some great points!

I recommend this book to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the things in their life. It offers excellent suggestions.

[Kelly Rodeheaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas

Great ideas across the board! I don't know that I could adapt all of the strategies described, but I'm excited to try some things and to start living with a more minimalistic mindset.

[Reba · Rating 2 out of 5]

There really is not anything profound about this book. Every word is regurgitated info from every minimalist or simplicity blog online only less specific and more airy. I felt that the book was telling me to do things while giving me little explation on how to make the change.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book. This summarized all of the productivity/minimalist ideas out there in a really easy to read way. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about & be convinced on being a minimalist.

[Elisabeth Britton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really feel like this book had much information in it. Granted I have read a lot on the minimalist movement already so it may have just been repeat to me and might be very useful to someone else. Also I am sure that maybe a minimalist book should be minimal.