Joshua Becker (born 1974
) is an American author, writer, and philanthropist.
Becker has written four books on
minimalism and
intentional living
Intentional living is any lifestyle based on an individual or group's conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs. These can include lifestyles based on religious, political or ethical values, as well as for self-improvemen ...
, which have collectively sold hundreds of thousands of copies and have been translated from English into several languages including
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, and
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
. In particular, his books ''The More of Less'' and ''The Minimalist Home'' have been named best sellers by the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Audible, and Amazon.
He has appeared live on
Huffington Post Live, the
CBS Evening News
The ''CBS Evening News'' is the flagship evening television news program of CBS News, the news division of the CBS television network in the United States. The ''CBS Evening News'' is a daily evening broadcast featuring news reports, feature st ...
and the
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
. Becker has spoken publicly on his writing and on minimalism throughout America and internationally.
He maintains the website Becoming Minimalist which was named one of the top ten personal development websites by SUCCESS Magazine in 2015.
He is currently a contributing writer at
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
.
Early life and education
Becker was born December 11, 1974 in Aberdeen, South Dakota as one of twins. With a sister born about a year later, the three were close in age and had a great influence on each other. His grandfather Harold Salem, a well-known pastor in Aberdeen, instilled a strong work ethic into the children. The family moved frequently.
Becker attended junior high and high school in Wahpeton, North Dakota between 1987 and 1992.
He finished high school at
Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska,
and stayed there to attend the
University of Nebraska Omaha
The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kno ...
, where he would meet his future wife.
Becker attended graduate school at
Bethel College and Seminary and completed a master's degree in theology.
Career
Becker began his career as a pastor in Vermont.
In 2008, after a frustrating weekend of cleaning out the garage, Becker realized he was spending more time caring for his possessions than with his family. After this breakthrough, Becker became a writer and pioneer of the minimalism movement with his website Becoming Minimalist, which has garnered a following over a million readers a month and over a million fans on Facebook.
He cited that “the practical benefits of owning less are more money, more time, more calm, more freedom.”
Becker has since downsized 75% of his possessions and written 5 books and a course detailing his experiences and methods of living a
minimalist
In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...
lifestyle.
Becker moved from Vermont with his wife and two children to Arizona, where they have remained since.
He shared his family's experience as minimalists in the 2013 film ''Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things'', by American filmmakers Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known professionally as
The Minimalists.
He also played the role of his pastor grandfather Harold Salem in the film ''Heart of a Shepherd''.
Inspired by his wife Kim Becker's own experience being adopted, in 2015 Becker and his wife founded The Hope Effect, a non-profit organization for orphan care.
Publications
*''Clutterfree with Kids: Change your thinking. Discover new habits. Free your home'' (2014, Becoming Minimalist)
*''Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home & Life'' (2014, Digital)
*''The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own'' (2016, WaterBrook)
** Polish Translation: ''Im mniej, tym więcej.'' (2017, Znak)
** Chinese Translation: ''极简:在你拥有的一切之下,发现你想要的生活.'' (2016, 天津人民出版社 Tianjin People's)
** Spanish Translation: ''Más con menos.'' (2017, Unilit)
** German Translation: ''Weniger macht reich: Entdecken Sie die einfachste Art, glücklich zu leben.'' (2017, Gerth Medien)
*''The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life'' (2018, WaterBrook)
*''Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life'' (2022, WaterBrook)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Joshua
1974 births
Living people
People from Aberdeen, South Dakota
People from Peoria, Arizona
University of Nebraska Omaha alumni
Writers from Omaha, Nebraska
Bethel University (Minnesota) alumni
Simple living advocates
American Christian clergy
American philanthropists