Goodbye, Things

by Fumio Sasaki

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: What I like about Goodbye, Things is the focus on mindset on top of the physical reduction of possessions. Sasaki talks a lot about the impact minimalism has had on his life and how things have changed for him over time, presenting a sort of before and after to the reader. Some parts are quite repetitive, though. Three times he explains that after becoming a minimalist, it only took him half-an-hour to pack up and move to a new home:

"This spring, I moved into a new apartment. I didn’t do any packing beforehand and yet it only took thirty minutes to take everything out of my home, including the time it took to remove the light fixtures and unplug the washing machine." (p.162)

"After going minimalist, I moved for the first time in a decade. It was from Nakameguro to an area called Fudomae, not too far away, and the packing (without a single cardboard box, mind you), the move itself, and unpacking all took but an hour and a half. I kid you not." (p.176)

"Finally moved for the first time in a decade (it took thirty minutes but it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes next time)" (p.194)

On several other occasions, he repeats how he downsized to a smaller apartment, and how simple it was. He also dwells a lot on the simplicity of Apple products. So yeah, Goodbye, Things could've been two-thirds as long.

Nonetheless, the inclusion of practical steps towards minimalism, makes Goodbye, Things a more than worthwhile read. I also enjoyed the discussions on how we we attach our self-worth to possessions and look to objects to shape our identities. Plus, I liked how Sasaki made it clear that he values experiences, and why, which is sure to lead any reader to healthy introspection.