Beyond minimalism: From intention to simplicity

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: An old man, let’s call him Lenny, brings his clay pot and a rope to a well for water each day. He slowly lowers the pot into the well with the rope, hand over hand, careful not to let it bump against the edge and crack; when it’s full, he slowly pulls the heavy pot back up. It’s hard work but simple. Chuck, a young man, tells Lenny, “You should use the pulley set up over the well instead, man. It’s more complicated but easier.”

Lenny agrees but tells Chuck, “No thanks. The water wouldn’t taste as good.”

In this cultural moment of simplification obsession, everything we believe about simplifying our lives is a paradox. First, the simple thing is most often the harder thing. Second, externally simplifying our lives without internally identifying our values and choosing to spend our time and energy to those ends makes us more anxious, less content.

So let’s talk about why this is — why simple is rarely easy, and why internal simplification is really the first and only step needed for all-around decluttering.

Why simple is rarely easy

If something is simple, it is uncomplicated in structure or design and has few parts or steps. If something is easy, it requires little effort or expertise to accomplish. The simple things are rarely the easy(ier) things.

Take meditation. We just need to stop and observe our thoughts for a short time. Not easy-peasy. Why? Because it requires our sustained attention and facing uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Also, it can’t be “hacked.” You just have to power through (so we often don’t).

Or how about cleaning clothes? We could wash them in the bathtub with a bar of soap. That’s simple but not easy. Instead, we use a washing machine. That’s easy but complicated. Do you know what a water inlet valve is? I don’t. Could you build agitator paddles, a circuit board or a control panel? Me neither. But I need them all to wash my clothes.

Even Henry David Thoreau’s mother famously washed and mended her son’s clothes when he roughed it at Walden Pond.

Popular ways to live “simply”

Today's attempts at simplification often chase trends instead of shape a different way of living. Perhaps one extreme, minimalism, promises peace through fewer possessions. And perhaps the other extreme, homesteading and self-sufficiency, promote freedom by disconnecting from modern systems and reconnecting to our food sources.

But external solutions don’t address our internal complexity. We end up with few clothes in our closets but cluttered minds, few dependencies but constant work. And each still results in the same anxiety—about losing access to modern conveniences or failing to master the skills (and accumulate the resources) needed for true self-reliance.

What's missing is the internal work of knowing what we truly value. Without this foundation, our attempts at simplification become another form of consumption. We buy organizing systems, follow influencers' advice on chicken coops, and chase the next trend in simple living.

The Artful Living approach to simplification

“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at,” said Thoreau. What are you aiming at?

Artful Living offers a different path to simplicity. Instead of starting with external changes, we begin by identifying our core values. These values serve two functions: they act as a compass, pointing us toward what matters most, and as a filter, helping us recognize what to release.

This internal clarity naturally guides our external choices. Knowing our values helps us distinguish between what supports our aims and what distracts from them. The result isn't just a simpler life, but a more meaningful one.

Meaning arises naturally

When our attention aligns with our values, meaning emerges naturally. We don't need to manufacture significance or chase purpose. They arise all by themselves from being fully present to what matters most. This is the true gift of simplification: not the absence of complexity, but the presence of clarity.

And the paradox resolves itself: by starting with internal simplicity, we create the possibility for what Artful Living calls success. The simple things might not be easy, but they become deeply satisfying when aligned with our values.