A Case for Minimalism as a New Year's Resolution
How do you spend your time?
How do you spend your money?
How do you spend your space?
Judging by the stats on debt-to-service ratios, stress levels, and storage units I can safely predict that many of you reading this do not have a firm control over your expenses and perhaps more importantly you are not even sure why you spend your time, money , and space in the way that you do.
Let me quickly answer the why question... To make you happy. We invest our time, our money, our effort, and our space with the hopes of gaining fulfillment, engagement, peace, and purpose. We want love and respect and rest and connection. To sum it up, for lack of a better term, we want happiness. And despite running deficits, financially and emotionally; despite having full schedules and full credit cards and even fuller houses (couldn't resist), we end up feeling less satisfied than ever. We are terrible investors when it comes to our most valuable resources.
Enter the minimalist movement. First off, minimalism is not necessarily a rejection of everything material. It is not selling all of your possessions to join a monastery. Minimalism is about changing your focus towards that which brings you happiness and then... eliminating everything else.
Some of you will fill with anxiety when you think about throwing away possessions. Some dream of clearing the clutter but can't seem to find the time to do it. One thing's for sure I have yet to meet or read of anyone who embraced minimalism only to regret their decision and long for their stuff back.
If you are looking to make a resolution that will really make a difference in your quality of life I would suggest considering a more minimalist lifestyle. Minimalists report being healthier, having better relationships, having less or no debt, and being more creative. Perhaps this is the lifestyle change that you need to reach the New Year's resolution regular offenders.
Here are some ideas that have always had positive results for me:
1. clear the clutter - There is an incredibly refreshing freedom that comes from decluttering. Try it yourself or go as far to hire an organizer. (I know a gal) Starting the year off with an organized living space will be one of the most effective ways to make space for the rest of your 2017 goals.
2. Prioritize family time/me time - We often fill our schedules and then give our families and our selves the left overs. This is backwards. Schedule in time for yourself and for your family and if something else comes up say no. Trim the fat from your schedule. Sorry I can't make it to that meeting, it's my daughter's bed time and the story I tell her before bed is infinitely more important to me than whatever it is you want me to sit and listen to. If you are doing something that doesn't give you meaning or joy... then stop. This goes for leisure as well. Put meaning above pleasure. Netflix will always be there. (Unless of course you consider it an unnecessary expense when you look at the next tip).
3. Have someone look at your finances (I know a guy) - It sounds so basic but when's the last time you sorted your expenses and figured out how much you spend on wants vs. needs. What is your budget? You don't have one you say? Wrong. Just like the word diet, just because you are not 'on' one doesn't mean you don't have one. It might be an incredibly unhealthy one but you have one. Same goes for budgets. Find out what yours is and then make the necessary adjustments. You work hard for your money so let it treat you right. See which expenses give you what you need, which give you meaning and joy, and which give you a headache. Then make the cuts.
4. Start cooking more meals from scratch - #slowfood. Make it a family affair. Think of your favourite restaurant dish and research how to make it. Food is so much more rewarding when you have put your figurative sweat and tears into it. You save money, you spend meaningful time with family, and you may even enjoy your meal more.
5. Delay gratification - Fast for 24 hours. Turn technology off for.... an hour? Whatever is realistic for you. Baby steps. In a world where we can get pretty much anything instantly we are robbed of opportunities to practice patience. Instant gratification is a virus that feeds on joy and meaning. Sometimes it's good to go fast but make a goal to do some things slowly from time to time.
I'm already bored with this list so I'm going to practice what I preach and save time by adding a few more thoughts in a more concise format.
hike, meditate, build a fort with your kids, build a fort by yourself, walk to run your errands, no-tech Tuesdays, read, write, create. Go the library and work in a cubicle on a project you're excited about. You get the idea.
Use your space for living rather than storing. Use your money for living rather than impressing others. Use your time for living rather than wishing for circumstances to change.
Apparently there is a new series on Netflix about Minimalism which I will not endorse just yet for I have not seen it but I will endorse @becomingminimalist and theminimalists.com
Happy New Year
How do you spend your money?
How do you spend your space?
Judging by the stats on debt-to-service ratios, stress levels, and storage units I can safely predict that many of you reading this do not have a firm control over your expenses and perhaps more importantly you are not even sure why you spend your time, money , and space in the way that you do.
Let me quickly answer the why question... To make you happy. We invest our time, our money, our effort, and our space with the hopes of gaining fulfillment, engagement, peace, and purpose. We want love and respect and rest and connection. To sum it up, for lack of a better term, we want happiness. And despite running deficits, financially and emotionally; despite having full schedules and full credit cards and even fuller houses (couldn't resist), we end up feeling less satisfied than ever. We are terrible investors when it comes to our most valuable resources.
Enter the minimalist movement. First off, minimalism is not necessarily a rejection of everything material. It is not selling all of your possessions to join a monastery. Minimalism is about changing your focus towards that which brings you happiness and then... eliminating everything else.
Some of you will fill with anxiety when you think about throwing away possessions. Some dream of clearing the clutter but can't seem to find the time to do it. One thing's for sure I have yet to meet or read of anyone who embraced minimalism only to regret their decision and long for their stuff back.
If you are looking to make a resolution that will really make a difference in your quality of life I would suggest considering a more minimalist lifestyle. Minimalists report being healthier, having better relationships, having less or no debt, and being more creative. Perhaps this is the lifestyle change that you need to reach the New Year's resolution regular offenders.
Here are some ideas that have always had positive results for me:
1. clear the clutter - There is an incredibly refreshing freedom that comes from decluttering. Try it yourself or go as far to hire an organizer. (I know a gal) Starting the year off with an organized living space will be one of the most effective ways to make space for the rest of your 2017 goals.
2. Prioritize family time/me time - We often fill our schedules and then give our families and our selves the left overs. This is backwards. Schedule in time for yourself and for your family and if something else comes up say no. Trim the fat from your schedule. Sorry I can't make it to that meeting, it's my daughter's bed time and the story I tell her before bed is infinitely more important to me than whatever it is you want me to sit and listen to. If you are doing something that doesn't give you meaning or joy... then stop. This goes for leisure as well. Put meaning above pleasure. Netflix will always be there. (Unless of course you consider it an unnecessary expense when you look at the next tip).
3. Have someone look at your finances (I know a guy) - It sounds so basic but when's the last time you sorted your expenses and figured out how much you spend on wants vs. needs. What is your budget? You don't have one you say? Wrong. Just like the word diet, just because you are not 'on' one doesn't mean you don't have one. It might be an incredibly unhealthy one but you have one. Same goes for budgets. Find out what yours is and then make the necessary adjustments. You work hard for your money so let it treat you right. See which expenses give you what you need, which give you meaning and joy, and which give you a headache. Then make the cuts.
4. Start cooking more meals from scratch - #slowfood. Make it a family affair. Think of your favourite restaurant dish and research how to make it. Food is so much more rewarding when you have put your figurative sweat and tears into it. You save money, you spend meaningful time with family, and you may even enjoy your meal more.
5. Delay gratification - Fast for 24 hours. Turn technology off for.... an hour? Whatever is realistic for you. Baby steps. In a world where we can get pretty much anything instantly we are robbed of opportunities to practice patience. Instant gratification is a virus that feeds on joy and meaning. Sometimes it's good to go fast but make a goal to do some things slowly from time to time.
I'm already bored with this list so I'm going to practice what I preach and save time by adding a few more thoughts in a more concise format.
hike, meditate, build a fort with your kids, build a fort by yourself, walk to run your errands, no-tech Tuesdays, read, write, create. Go the library and work in a cubicle on a project you're excited about. You get the idea.
Use your space for living rather than storing. Use your money for living rather than impressing others. Use your time for living rather than wishing for circumstances to change.
Apparently there is a new series on Netflix about Minimalism which I will not endorse just yet for I have not seen it but I will endorse @becomingminimalist and theminimalists.com
Happy New Year
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