Experiments in Living With Less

Many of us long for a simpler life free from the burden of our stuff, but we don't know how to achieve it.  We are overwhelmed, and we feel trapped in our current way of life.  But deep down, we believe that change could bring a huge payoff:  more time and energy, more money, more freedom, more generosity, less stress, less debt, and less distraction.  But how do we go about making that change?

Why not creatively experiment with a more minimalist approach to life to see whether the benefits are worth the effort?

I'm Dreaming of a Simpler Christmas

I know it's early, and I dislike rushing Christmas, but... if you want to simplify your holidays this year, now is the time to be thinking and planning for that!  And just in time, I've created a fantastic resource for you.  My newest book, Minimalism for the Holidays is available now on Amazon Kindle (which can be read on any device, even your computer, with their free app) and in a beautiful paperback edition!  Look for the link in the sidebar.

Meanwhile, here's a sneak peak:

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I don't want to do it this year.  Just thinking about it is depressing.

I'm talking about the Christmas that starts now, before Halloween.  I'm talking about the canned music, the packed parking lots, the over-heated stores, the ads, and the wish lists.  The jam-packed schedules, plastic reindeer, and way too much food.

Some people thrive on the noise and the hype and the busyness.  I too used to believe I loved all of that.  But when I think about what really makes me happy, it doesn't look anything like the Modern American Christmas.  In fact, almost everything about the MAC makes me think I'm missing something that should be wonderful.

Would you like to join me?

You Can Make A Difference

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

There are billions of people in the world who wish their biggest problems were a cluttered house, an over-busy schedule, picky kids, and that extra 20 pounds.

Billions of people don't worry if they have the latest phone, the trendiest clothes, nail art, or a luxury car.  They worry about food, water, and shelter.  They worry that a mosquito bite will make them sick, or that their child will have to leave school to work in a factory for pennies like they do.

We didn't choose to be born with all the blessings we have.  We didn't steal anything.  But if we keep it all for ourselves, and indulge in cheap products made by the poor and exploited, then we're doing wrong.

Rich Minimalists in a Needy World

Minimalism isn't a numbers game.  It's not about

• owning only 100 things
• living in a tiny 300-square-foot house
• keeping only 10 books
• wearing only black, white, and gray clothing
• eating only beans, rice, fruit, and vegetables and drinking only water and green tea

Sure, you might experiment by doing any or all of these things in order to learn more about yourself or to help you change your consumer habits, but you can be a minimalist without setting these limits.

An Exciting Announcement

Photo by Michael Wagner/Unsplash

Dear Reader,

Minimalism is about living consciously and with only the things that add value to your life.  It focuses less on material possessions and more on relationships and experiences.  As Joshua Becker, creator of becomingminimalist.com, has wisely said, "Excess possessions do not increase happiness -- they distract us from the things that do!"

Zero Waste Challenge

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Don't you hate walking through a park and seeing garbage on the ground?  Or garbage tossed along the highway?  Is there anything uglier?

Well actually, yes there is.  The plastic soup that infiltrates gigantic areas of our oceans, chokes marine life, and allows toxins to enter the food chain is a problem on par with global warming.

You Are Enough

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

One of the ways that advertisers keep us buying is by creating the feeling that we could be the people we want to be if only we had a new car, a better phone, more stylish clothing, a sexier perfume, or an exotic vacation.  We are constantly encouraged to look for change and improvement outside ourselves.

We want to believe that our next purchase will solve our problems.  And it's so much easier to swipe a card or click-to-ship than it is to do the hard work of changing ourselves.  I know this first hand, because I keep losing the same 30 pounds over and over again.

But you can't buy change.

X-Ray Vision Helps Clear Hidden Clutter

Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash

We're finite creatures.  We have only so much time, money, space, and energy.

But our modern consumer society offers a dizzying array of merchandise.  This can have several possible effects:

• The constant influx of new products catches our attention and makes us greedy, and so we buy more than we need.
• Endless sales and clearances make everything look like a "bargain," and so we buy more than we need.
• The difficulty of making the "perfect" choice can be overwhelming, even paralyzing.  We're unsure, and so we buy more than we need.
• We can't locate something essential among the clutter of past purchases, so even though we own three such items, we buy more than we need.

Wear a Capsule Wardrobe

Photo by James Hollingsworth on Unsplash

I'm sure you've seen Pinterest photos of beautifully curated closets and capsule wardrobes.  Maybe you long for one yourself, but think it's impossible or too restrictive.

It's a modern consumer belief that we need a huge wardrobe to be "interesting."  Of course you want to be appropriately dressed, and why not wear attractive clothes that flatter your body type and coloring?  But none of that demands a huge quantity of clothing.  Limits encourage creativity, and a smaller closet isn't necessarily boring.

Voluntary Simplicity

Photo by Brian Mann on Unsplash

This is my 100th post!