The answer to this is a resounding yes. The system we call "minimalism" has been helpful in many fields and for a long time. It did not always have the current name, but that doesn't change what it is or how well it works.
To use minimalism to your benefit, you must know what it is and how to use it. This is like using anything else to your benefit. Also, you must use it with the right goals and for the right reasons.
Minimalism has worked in many forms
Minimalism is the practice of minimizing useless things. It has been very helpful in many ways. Here are some examples:
Example 1
Aeronautical engineers on the job must think and act like minimalists. This is because they must make the aircraft design free of useless components. Useless components will become dead weight that will degrade the aircraft's performance. At best, useless components give nothing of value. Also, these things will add extra cost and complication. Now the engineers may not use the term "minimalism" to describe their practice. But it doesn't stop the practice from being the same thing as minimalism.
Example 2
An Olympic cyclist wouldn't want a competition bicycle loaded down with useless stuff. A bicycle like this would be a major handicap. A good competition bicycle wouldn't have a component unless it can help to win a race. This is minimalism, even if it doesn't have the same name.
Example 3
Communications engineers usually try to maximize the Signal to Noise Ratio of a system. They usually do this by reducing noise (useless information). Reducing noise is the communication engineer's version of minimalism. They may not call it minimalism, but it won't change the fact that it is.
Whenever high performance or efficiency is necessary, minimalism will help. Even our early ancestors weren't likely to waste time making useless stuff. This is because cutting out useless stuff is one of the best ways to boost efficiency. This is because useless stuff can only cause problems without helping anything.
This is the problem with useless stuff
All rooms have a finite amount of space. Some of that space is necessary for the furniture and other things to make the room function. Some of that is also needed for people to walk around and use the things in the room.
People who have the habit of getting useless stuff don't need a good reason to get it. After all, it's not like they need to use it or replace anything with it. This means they can continue to get more useless stuff without throwing anything out. When this happens clutter will build up.
Unchecked clutter buildup will eventually invade the needed spaces in the room. When this happens, clutter can pile up in pathways or on horizontal surfaces. Most likely, both will happen. From this point on, adding more things to the room will impede its function.
If the clutter continues to build up, it will reach a point where it overwhelms the space. From this point on, the room will no longer function as needed and will look terrible. Nothing that they add or rearrange will make it better. There is too much stuff. This sounds bad, but the situation is even worse. This is because the room is now a fire hazard.
This is how useless things transform a room into a dysfunctional mess. In fact, many people park their expensive cars on the street despite having large garages. This is because the useless things have stopped their garages from being garages. The best and only solution is to remove the useless things. As you can guess, a great system for doing this is minimalism.
You must know what minimalism is to make it work
It is a system that functions as a tool
If you want minimalism to work, you must know what it is. This is no different from anything else. With that in mind, minimalism is a system that functions as a tool. It is a system because it has more than one component and they work together. It is also a tool because you use it to do a task. For a minimalist, the task is to make life simpler and easier.
It is not a moral code.
Minimalism is a system that you use as a tool. This means that it is no closer to being a moral code than a table saw is. Some people have made harsh judgments against others for "not being minimalist enough". First of all, minimalism looks different from one person to the next. Also, not knowing how to use minimalism only makes the person less effective with it. But it does not make someone into a bad person.
It is not a task or a goal.
The reason to have a tool is to do a task or achieve a goal. But the tool is not the task or the goal itself. For example, it doesn't make sense to get a drill for the sake of having a drill. That would make the drill useless. The reason to get a drill is that you need to make a hole in something.
Minimalism is very similar. You shouldn't use minimalism for the sake of using minimalism. You should use it to achieve something else, such as a simpler and easier life.
Some people ask "How do I know when I have achieved minimalism?". This question means that they have gotten things backward. They believe that you should use something to achieve minimalism. But you should instead use minimalism to achieve something. In most cases, this "something" should be a simpler and easier life.
You must know how to use it
Like any other tool, minimalism only works if you know how to use it. Part of knowing how to use it is to understand it.
It has 2 main components.
Minimalism needs two main components to work. Here they are:
1. Refraining from getting useless things
2. Getting rid of useless things that you have
The term "useless thing" refers to anything that you won't use, even if it's in good working order. Also, a useless thing doesn't need to be a material object. It can be a commitment or activity that's a waste of time or energy.
Minimalism needs both components to work well. But refraining from getting useless things is the more important of the two. Failure to use it will make it harder to rid your life of useless things. Also, if you achieve any success, then it will be short-lived.
If you use minimalism in your home and life, it will work. When it does, you will notice that you have more space, and the space will be easier to keep tidy. You will also have more time and that your life will be simpler and easier.
Minimalism doesn't mean deprivation.
Minimalism is about minimizing useless things, not useful things. Getting rid of useful things is deprivation. Deprivation goes against the goal of minimalism. Minimalism makes your life simpler and easier. But deprivation makes your life more difficult and complicated. For example, lack of plumbing will make showering and dishwashing difficult and complicated.
Many people try to "achieve minimalism" by getting rid of things that they find useful. They have gotten it wrong on at least 2 counts when they do this. The first is that they are doing things that will make their lives more difficult. The second is that they are treating minimalism as a goal when it is a tool.
You must use it for the right reasons
You use minimalism to make your life simpler and easier.
As stated before, minimalism is useful for making things more efficient. Being more efficient usually means getting the same job done with fewer resources. But it can also mean getting more done with the same resources.
You can apply this to your life to make it more efficient. In that case, living your life is the task, and your time and effort are major resources. This means that you can live your life while expending less time and effort. This is living a simpler and easier life. You can also do more with your life with the same time and effort. Now some people think minimalism means cleaning 24 hours per day. But that is a clear case of confusion because minimalism makes your life easier.
You must have a good reason for your goal.
We know that you use a tool to do a task or achieve a goal. But there must be a good reason for that goal or task. Also, the use of the tool is not a good reason for the goal. That would be like driving nails into everything to justify owning a hammer. The reason must be greater than the goal. A good reason to make your life easier is so you can have more time for the things that add meaning to your life. It can include spending more time with people you love, or it can mean pursuing your life's purpose.
Many people have used minimalism to simplify their lives only to feel empty. The reason is that they are not using the extra time to add meaning to their lives. In these cases, minimalism did its job. But these people didn't have a good reason for it. It means that they should start pursuing the things that give meaning to their lives. When they do, fulfillment will replace the emptiness.
One example of someone using minimalism for the right reasons is Elon Musk. Around the time he became the richest man, Elon Musk declared his intent to sell most of his possessions. He is doing it so that he can help humanity to colonize other planets. This is a beautiful and inspiring use of minimalism to pursue his life's purpose. Whether Mr. Musk considers himself to be a minimalist or not doesn't change that.
In summary, we can again ask "Does minimalism work?" The answer is a resounding yes. Minimalism is a useful tool that many people use in many ways. But like any other tool, you must know what it is and how to use it. You must also know the task that you are trying to do, and the reason for doing it. As far as living your life, the task often is to make your life simpler and easier. Also, a good reason to do this is so you can pursue the things that give your life meaning. If you know all these things, then minimalism will be very useful.