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The Minimalists Podcast

The Minimalists are Emmy-nominated Netflix stars and New York Times–bestselling authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Alongside cohost T.K. Coleman, they help millions of people live meaningful lives with less.
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The Minimalists Podcast
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Now displaying: Page 7
May 4, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss identifying how much is enough so we can subtract the excess to get there, and they answer the following questions:

What is “enoughism”? (00:00)

How is enoughism different from minimalism? (03:04)

Given that the key to transformation is understanding our ‘whys,’ why does anyone truly want more, and, conversely, why does anyone truly want less? (12:20)

When it comes to a small business, how much record-keeping is enough and what is the ideal way to store it? (24:57)

How does renouncing something create an attachment to it? (30:09)

How do we learn to recognize the difference between enough and a false sense of security and comfort from unnecessary consumerism? (39:35)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Apr 27, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about our constant search for meaning, purpose, and significance; they discuss ways we can rethink spirituality, sex, and death with author Jamie Wheal; and they answer the following questions:

What is “meaning”? (01:04)

Why do we always seem to look for shortcuts? (03:57)

What are heuristics? (05:30)

What constitutes a true nihilist? (13:39)

Is awareness a curse? (16:55)

Once we find meaning in life, do we have a duty to help others find meaning as well? (18:25)

What is the difference between being selfish and being self-centered? (20:01)

What is the Hedonic treadmill? (25:19)

What is the difference between narcissism and nihilism? (27:29)

What is rapture ideology? (35:35)

How does one find meaning after a close loved one has passed and they are struggling to deal with the passing? (40:43)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Apr 20, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss how we’re too often led astray by the status quo and how we can benefit from doing the opposite, and they answer the following questions:

What does it mean to be authentic? (00:00)

What is so problematic about trends? (04:58)

Can we find meaning in suffering? (10:56)

Why are opinions so inconsequential? (20:48)

When have you benefited from thinking the opposite? (22:21)

I’m being advised by my ethics class in college that retirement is detrimental to our growth and development as human beings—do you think that is true? (29:20)

What is the best kind of growth? (34:31)

Some of the worst advice I’ve received is, “Fake it until you make it”—what is wrong with being a work in progress? (44:30)

How is all advice flawed advice? (44:59)

Do we improve our lives more by addition or subtraction? (52:00)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Apr 13, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss minimizing and letting go of sentimental stuff, and they answer the following questions:

How do we tactfully and appropriately address loved ones regarding stuff they’ve given us that we’re giving away—especially those things they consider of significant sentimental value? (08:37)

How do we avoid arguments with loved ones regarding possessions? (14:40) 

Why does our brain try so hard to hold us back from releasing sentimental possessions? (18:03)

What do we do with all of the things associated with a loved one when we’ve lost them in a particularly tragic, traumatic way? (21:01)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Apr 6, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss trauma, the ego, and setting boundaries with holistic psychologist Dr. Nicole LePera, and they answer the following questions:

Why did Dr. LePera write her latest book? (02:31)

How do you start on a path to healing and commit to it when your motivation is almost nil? (04:34)

Why is it so difficult to break our patterns? (05:04)

How do we reframe failure? (07:38)

How important is the caloric intake of the brain? (08:35)

How do we recognize if a goal is empowering or disempowering? (13:09)

How do I work with loved ones to adjust our lifestyle preferences so I can attain and maintain mental peace? (13:36)

How do you forgive others and yourself and move forward when a loved one passes suddenly and you feel you haven’t had a chance to tell them everything you needed to, and how do you forgive others that you feel treated that person terribly in life and let go of the anger toward them? (18:30)

How are forgiveness and acceptance associated? (19:31)

How do we let go of anger? (25:37)

Are there types of bodywork that address the mind-body connection together, or are there types of psychotherapy that address the mind-body connection in tandem? (30:28)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Mar 30, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss emergency items, preparing for emergencies, and when it’s appropriate to hold on to certain just-in-case items, and they answer the following questions:

How do we prepare for chaos? (04:33)

What are the three types of emergencies? (05:49)

What do you keep in your car? (08:02)

How do we reconcile what we actually need with what we want? (12:12)

What is the most important thing in an emergency? (14:36)

What essentials should we keep in a first aid kit for both home and travel? (19:18)

What is the difference between an emergency item and a just-in-case item? (25:50)

How do you differentiate between just-in-case items and just-for-when items? (31:42)

What are “b.s. emergency items”? (36:36)

What books, websites, podcasts would you recommend as resources for information regarding emergency preparedness? (43:27)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Mar 23, 2021

Joshua and Ryan discuss the relationship between minimalism and environmentalism with author and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and they answer the following questions:

What is our biggest environmental problem, and is it too late to fix it? (01:38)

Since environmentalism is an idea that I cannot back down from, compromise on, or see from both sides, at what point is it dangerous to keep saying there are no ‘shoulds’? (04:33)

Why are landfills more prominent in the United States compared to Europe? (09:28)

How can we make individuals and companies more environmentally conscious? (11:47)

What is your opinion regarding the policy of the United States to ‘leap-first, look-later’ regarding environmental chemicals? (23:29)

What is the Toxic Substance Control Act? (27:36)

What are PFAs? (29:46)

Why have we seen such an increase in chronic diseases among children? (30:53)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Mar 16, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about the problem of busyness and how we can better manage our time, and they answer the following questions:

Why can’t we ever seem to get ahead of our to-do lists? (01:43)

What lists do you find helpful? (02:13)

What is “busyness”? (06:42)

How do we gain more discretionary time despite the onslaught of modern obligations and responsibilities? (11:25)

Is striving for work-life balance a fruitless endeavor? (13:58)

Are there any tools that can help with our overwhelm? (16:06)

What is the fear related to busyness? (17:24)

What can someone do if they feel they’re too busy to figure out how to become less busy? (25:30)

Would you be doing what you’re doing today if you only had six months left to live? (28:28)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Mar 9, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about hoarding—the clinical definition, the statistics, the causes, the symptoms, the common types, the risks, the recovery—and they answer the following questions:

What is the clinical definition of “hoarding”? (03:00)

What is “spartanism”? (03:35)

What are the common types of hoarding? (05:43)

What is the difference between hoarding and collecting? (09:30)

What is the “sunk-cost fallacy”? (11:02)

What are the symptoms of hoarding? (21:56)

What are the causes of hoarding? (23:30)

How is hoarding diagnosed? (27:51)

Do children hoard? (29:41)

When do obsessions become unhealthy? (31:38)

What are the five levels of hoarding? (32:04)

Are there affluent hoarders? (43:17)

How does one become a hoarder? (45:16)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Mar 2, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about alternative living options—communal living, throuples, combined families, long-term singlehood, nomadic living—with the CEO and cofounder of Nourish Balance Thrive, Christopher Kelly, and they answer the following questions:

What is ancestral health? (03:20)

What has likely caused our overall decline in health? (05:08) 

Is our current status quo of living arrangements in detrimental conflict with the natural order? (07:28)

How do people continue to help the paradigm of the nuclear family work? (10:40)

How do we set appropriate boundaries with roommates and ensure those boundaries are not crossed to prevent theft, property damage, and tense co-living environments? (11:59)

What is Christopher’s communal living arrangement? (12:38)

Why did Christopher adopt his communal living arrangement? (13:53)

How does Christopher manage living with several different families? (15:34)

What is ‘helicopter parenting’? (20:53)

What is your definition of “commune”? (22:59)

What are the pros and cons of unusual living arrangements in cultures that wholly embrace them? (28:36)

What does the “WEIRD” acronym represent? (30:56)

How do you define “solitude”? (32:40)

What is Joshua’s living arrangement? (33:51)

What is the ‘sweet spot’ regarding how many people you can live with? (35:25)

Who created the monogamous nuclear family? (38:40)

At what point does a group become a cult? (48:50)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Feb 23, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about unsubscribing and unfollowing anything that doesn’t bring tranquility or increase well-being, and they answer the following questions:

How has unsubscribing and unfollowing helped your tranquility? (08:36)

Should we attempt to explain ourselves to others when they question our minimalist lifestyle, or simply invite them to ‘unfollow’ us? (12:37)

Can minimalism help us bring order back to our chaotic lives? (14:44)

How do we determine the appropriate ‘path’? (18:50)

We can’t impose tranquility on the world around us, so how do we adjust our internal settings to maintain inner tranquility? (23:10)

Why do insults irritate us so intensely? (29:09)

How do we adjust relationships that are predicated on conflict? (31:20)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Feb 16, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about letting go—letting go of sentimental items, letting go of junk, letting go of anxiety and stress—letting go of anything that harms our well-being or interrupts our peace, and they answer the following questions:

How do our things own us? (02:53)

Given that I’m under a deadline to move, how can I increase my decluttering pace without becoming overwhelmed and stressed? (08:44)

Are there circumstances where a storage unit makes sense? (11:04)

When the amount of your belongings is completely overwhelming, how—and where—do you even start? (18:06)

Why are we so obsessed with prescriptiveness? (18:54)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Feb 9, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about raising organized children with behavioral and developmental pediatrician Dr. Damon Korb, and they answer the following questions:

What are executive functions? (01:34)

What is behavioral pediatrics? (02:18)

What do you mean by “organized children”? (02:47)

How has the pandemic affected children’s health? (03:24)

How do we set appropriate boundaries with our children? (04:58)

How do we help our children adopt minimalist practices that stick at an early age so they don’t lose them and suffer the consequences in adulthood? (05:38)

How can we be minimalist parents? (06:50)

How can we teach our children to be problem-solvers? (09:51)

How can we help our children deal with boredom? (10:35)

What advice do you have for first-time parents? (14:43)

How do you balance setting boundaries with a child while still allowing them room to explore and learn about who they are? (19:16)

How do we appropriately handle our expectations regarding our children? (21:54)

What are the “5 H’s” regarding kids? (27:30)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Feb 2, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about success, failure, fulfillment, and satisfaction—and how incessantly chasing those things can lead to foolness rather than fullness—and they answer the following questions:

What does success mean to you? (03:06)

What are your beliefs regarding spirituality? (07:38)

How do value judgments affect success? (13:08)

What is nihilism? (14:39)

How do I overcome my addiction to procrastination so I can focus on doing meaningful work? (17:00)

What are the two kinds of ‘haves’? (19:53)

What is the “thing you can’t not do”? (20:21) 

What is the best way to address distractions? (29:25)

What do you mean by “the costs we must pay”? (32:08)

How do you rebuild yourself and restructure your idea of success after a failure? (36:09) 

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Jan 26, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about the mental, emotional, digital, and other clutter that reveals itself after we minimize our stuff, and they answer the following questions:

When are how-to’s helpful? (02:23)

How do we appropriately curate scanned photos so we’re not trading physical clutter for digital clutter? (13:57)

What advice do you have for young people who are embarking on their minimalist journeys so they have solid practices in place to prevent clutter? (25:43)

What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? (26:28)

How do we appropriately curate our many digital subscriptions and still satisfy ourselves since each service has programs exclusive to its platform? (31:56)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Jan 19, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about love, relationships, sex, and parenting with blogger, podcaster, and Registered Dietitian Becca Shern, and they answer the following questions:

What is our language problem? (02:11)

What is the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone? (03:45)

What does commitment mean to you? (05:30)

What is your definition of “love”? (09:55)

How do you view unconditional love? (13:25)

How do you recognize when it’s time to end a relationship? (16:11)

What are the three components of a relationship? (24:16)

Why is compatibility the most difficult component of most relationships? (26:38)

Do you ever passionately disagree about important decisions that affect the entire family, and, if so, how do you handle compromise and conflict resolution? (31:44)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Jan 12, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about reducing—or maybe even eliminating—obligations, and they answer the following questions:

What is your ‘context’? (02:23)

When is an obligation an actual obligation and not a perceived obligation? (04:31)

Is there a difference between commitment and obligation? (05:28)

What is the difference between want and desire? (07:04)

Do we truly want to be happy? (12:27)

What do you mean by ‘commitment’? (13:46)

How do I appropriately address societal obligations, such as charitable giving, when I don’t have the means to meet those obligations? (17:36)

What does ‘virtue’ mean? (25:47)

What is the difference between a community and a tribe? (26:38)

How do I prioritize financial obligations, such as debt? (29:24)

How do I step back from obligations I’ve accepted in the past? (41:47)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Jan 5, 2021

Joshua and Ryan talk about starting over and kicking off the New Year with some friendly decluttering, and they answer the following questions:

How do I start decluttering? (04:02)

What is the difference between decluttering and organizing? (07:05)

How do I conduct an effective Packing Party? (07:38)

How do I get my kids involved in decluttering? (13:01)

How do I determine whether or not to keep a car that’s functional, but not ideal? (14:49)

Once you declutter, how do you keep the clutter from coming back? (21:52)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 29, 2020

Joshua and Ryan talk about habit change, letting go of stuff, and the creative process that went into making their new film, Less Is Now, with filmmaker Matt D’Avella, and they answer the following questions:

How long have you been working on Less Is Now? (01:50)

How did the Less Is Now project start? (05:51)

How did the Less Is Now project evolve? (07:49)

How did you settle on a budget for Less Is Now? (10:16)

How do you curate the absolute essential tools for your work when it seems to require an overwhelming amount of items? (12:29)

How can constraints help creativity? (22:09)

Will a college degree provide a significant advantage for me in the entertainment industry? (23:36)

Is it dangerous to try too many things? (33:27)

How is there creation in destruction? (35:30)

What advice do you have for someone that’s just starting out that wants to have a successful film career like you? (38:05)

What is the Slow Growth Academy? (53:36)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 22, 2020

Joshua and Ryan discuss finding peace within and without with writer Leo Babauta, and they answer the following questions:

How can you be a minimalist with a large family? (03:34)

How did you start on your minimalist journey? (05:39)

Who inspired you to adopt minimalism? (09:06)

How do you convert other family members to minimalism to ensure peace when you’re living in close quarters? (11:32)

How important is it to recognize what you’ve accomplished? (12:46)

Is leading by example the best approach to helping others adopt minimalist practices? (15:50)

How do you recognize when you’re taking decluttering too far? (20:00)

Is there a danger in living to minimize? (22:05)

What does it mean to “question the ‘must’”? (28:52)

What is spartanism? (29:40)

What is Metta meditation? (32:00)

How do we shift between decluttering and simplifying to live a life of purpose? (35:04)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 15, 2020

Joshua treats The Minimalists’ audience to three exclusive conversations with Glennon Doyle (04:48), Dave Ramsey (18:13), and Derek Sivers (33:09) in celebration of the ten-year anniversary of The Minimalists, and they answer the following questions:

Has quarantining been a blessing in disguise for some people? (04:48)

Why do we have so much difficulty addressing our discontent? (07:46)

What is our ‘braver, bolder self’? (09:27)

How crucial is the ‘why’? (12:22)

Do we compound our problems by focusing on solutions? (14:19)

Has your financial advice changed in light of the pandemic? (19:03)

How crucial is a budget during a pandemic? (20:06)

Why do we have problems determining what is essential and what is nonessential? (22:14)

How is the pandemic likely to affect the housing market? (24:16)

How much more dangerous a practice is debt during a pandemic? (25:22)

What message of hope do you have regarding the pandemic? (27:28)

Is much of our brokenness attributable to the misalignment between our values and our actions? (30:28)

How did you develop your beliefs independent of the influence of others’ beliefs? (33:51)

How do you recognize when it’s time to let go? (37:23)

How has your relationship with material possessions changed over the years? (39:01)

Is it true that you even minimized your middle name? (41:59)

How do you decide when it’s time to move to a new place? (44:52)

How have your views on social media changed over the years? (53:27)

How much is enough? (57:43)

What are your views on ads? (60:15)

What is meta-inconsiderate? (1:07:10)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 13, 2020

Joshua and Ryan discuss their evolution as The Minimalists over the last decade, and they answer the following questions:

Does it feel like ten years since you started The Minimalists? (03:44)

What did you believe about minimalism that you no longer do? (04:52)

How have we been lied to as a society? (07:41)

How is the word ‘hope’ problematic? (09:03)

Is there an issue with forming habits? (10:21)

What is the difference between the ‘how’ and the ‘why’? (12:33)

How might ‘help’ be a bad thing? (15:41)

How could balance be equated with mediocrity? (16:20)

How are solutions an issue? (18:21)

How have you adjusted your lifestyle as your popularity grows? (27:36)

How has your perspective of popularity changed? (27:36)

What’s one thing that is still challenging? (27:36)

Of what projects are you most proud? (30:18)

How can advice and truth be in conflict? (34:49)

What’s the biggest difference between you both now and ten years ago? (38:02)

What’s the problem with comparison? (39:13)

How are attachment and love incompatible? (40:39)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 8, 2020

Joshua and Rebecca Shern talk about what it really means to eat in a balanced way, how to improve our immune systems, and why our overall health is related to our gut health with author and VEEP Nutrition CEO Joel Greene, and they answer the following questions:

Why are the most common-sense health practices not obvious? (01:35)

What is the immune system, and why is it so important? (02:57) (03:25)

What is making us more susceptible to COVID-19? (05:10)

How crucial is it to control inflammation? (08:43)

How important is gut biome diversity? (10:30)

What is the apple-peel protocol? (13:01)

What is HMO? (13:52)

How does immunity begin in the gut? (14:58)

What is the order of operation to rebuild a healthy gut? (16:54)

Can meat heal a compromised gut? (23:23)

Can fasting help improve gut health? (26:23)

How important is a balanced diet? (28:13)

What are the best foods for ideal gut health? (28:44)

What is Joel Greene’s Chipotle hack? (30:10)

What is ‘eating in threes’? (31:55)

What is a pre-load meal? (33:49)

Do vitamins and supplements actually improve our immune system? (34:36)

Are probiotics supplements helpful? (35:08)

What is SIBO? (35:40)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Dec 1, 2020

Joshua and Ryan talk about celebrating the holiday season with purpose and intention with author Meg Nordmann, and they answer the following questions:

Why is gift-giving problematic? (01:59)

What do you think of when you think of the holiday season? (03:35)

What is the most common question you get about the holiday season? (04:27)

How do you handle someone who insists on giving gifts? (04:45)

How do I mentally manage the holiday season when I work in an industry dependent on consumerism? (10:25)

How do I make the holiday season wholly enjoyable and thrilling for my children without succumbing to the typical holiday trappings? (18:48)

What is the ‘Four Gift Rule’? (21:45)

How do we tactfully ask loved ones not to give us gifts, especially those who grew up with gift-giving as a practice to show appreciation for others? (28:22)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Nov 24, 2020

Joshua and Ryan talk about the high price of materialism, and they answer the following questions:

What is a ‘curative’? (02:43)

Why is it important to recognize our discontent? (06:52)

Is money entirely problematic? (07:38)

Why does it seem most of us continue to make terrible financial decisions when we’re poor? (16:18)

Do celebrities influence society with their bad habits? (17:22)

How do I strengthen my focus on minimalism to avoid materialism? (19:18)

How do I get my family’s buy-in regarding minimalism? (22:55)

Is it reasonable to be expected to pay to avoid materialistic ads? (26:03)

What should I do with stuff I love when I don’t have space available for it? (29:57)

What is our language problem? (30:12)

Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

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