Things that matter Overcoming distraction to pursue a more meaningful life

In this underwhelming follow-up to The Minimalist Home, Becker advocates for adopting minimalism as a way to overcome the everyday distractions that drain people's lives of "meaning, purpose, and satisfaction." The "personal, societal, and cultural distractions" Becker decries consist of the usual suspects: money, possessions, technology, and fear. Transcending them, he argues, requires embracing the minimalist ethos: essentially, doing better by having less. Becker hits his stride when observing that one best serves others when one best serves oneself, because "we remove distractions so we can live our best lives of contribution to others." This service-oriented approach buoys a book otherwise bogged down by overreliance on cliché ("Having more money isn't the secret to having more happiness") and the author's frequently unfortunate choices, such as likening technology users to heroin addicts and calling rumination "the enslavement of the past." A few pearls of wisdom shine, but readers might not find the hunt worth the effort. (Apr.) Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly.

Using practical exercises and questions, insights from a nationwide survey, and motivating success stories, the founder of Becoming Minimalist helps you identify the obstacles keeping you from living with intention by providing useful ideas for letting go of those distractions today so you can focus on what matters most. Illustrations.

Discover practical steps you can take today to live a life focused on things that matter, from the bestselling author of The More of Less and The Minimalist Home.“Things That Matter points the way to free ourselves from the distractions of everyday life so that we can build the lives we seek to create.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness ProjectDo you want to live a meaningful life—with very few regrets—and make a positive difference in the world? But is culture distracting you from doing so? Perhaps moments, days, and years go by without you stopping to ask yourself, Am I living out my true purpose? Even if that question whispers to you, are you brushing it aside because you don’t know what to change in life’s busyness? In Things That Matter, Joshua Becker helps you identify the obstacles—such as fear, technology, money, possessions, and the opinions of others—that keep you from living with intention, and then he provides practical ideas for letting go of those distractions today so you can focus on what matters most. He uses practical exercises and questions, insights from a nationwide survey, and success stories to give you the motivation you need to   • identify the pursuits that matter most to you  • align your dreams with your daily priorities  • recognize how money and possessions keep you from happiness  • become aware of how others’ opinions of you influence your choices  • embrace what you’re truly passionate about instead of planning that next escape  • figure out what to do with all those emails, notifications, and pings  • let go of past mistakes and debilitating habits Things That Matter is a book about living well. It’s about overcoming the chatter of a world focused on all the wrong things. It’s about rethinking the common assumptions of today to find satisfaction and fulfillment tomorrow. How do we get to the end of our lives with minimal regrets? We set aside lesser pursuits to seek lasting meaning. And we discover the joy of doing it every day.