??Calling out the limiting beliefs we hear all the time

?? Have you heard this? "I just couldn't do that." We hear it all the time as tiny home people. Curiosity abounds and so do limiting beliefs about tiny home living. Eric Fendrick and I share some re-framing of these statements.

1?"I have too much stuff" It will be painful or too much work to get rid of the things I don't need and be more intentional with my spending. Therefore, it is easier to choose the status quo over the experiences, lifestyle or financial freedom that I might be able to achieve.

Change requires us to feel the pain of our current circumstances more than the pain of the unknown. Only by accounting for how our physical possessions keep us stuck can we notice whether we own the stuff or the stuff owns us.

Look around. How many of your possessions do you touch on a weekly basis (in all seasons). Could you more fully appreciate these items if you had less? Could you exchange some of the time spent cleaning, maintaining, organizing your stuff for time spent creating something meaningful: a memory, a creative project, a nap!

2?"I don't think I could live in such a small space." I need my personal space AND having a large home tells others that I am successful.

A smaller home can provide breathing room - especially when incorporating outdoor living spaces. It has become more clear recently that being outside is a component of mental health for many. Therefore, the four walls of a home may only be needed for a fraction of activities: sleeping, cooking, eating, shelter in bad weather. Outdoor decks, patios, sun rooms, shade rooms and mother nature at large can expand the feel and experience of what is home.

We think the larger portion of this limiting belief is about expectations and perception, as a large home has been both the assumed path and a status symbol since the era of Downton Abbey. Ironically even the Crawley family had struggles with status and the costs of ownership. Large homes don't have to be the norm or the yardstick by which we measure our success.

3?"I cannot build my own home." I have never been exposed to the skills of the trades; therefore I have no self-confidence in this domain. And aren't there a bunch of rules and regulations I would need to know?

Unlike years past the sharing of information about home building is readily available at our googling finger tips. There are many resources that show step by step instructions, provide consultation on the technical parts, and even help you comply with building regulations. DM me if you need help here.

Eric Fendrick states that the actual barrier is more likely to be fear of failure. However, those who are brave enough to get started quickly gain confidence. Like most things worth doing getting started is the hardest part. Further, many steps of building a tiny home have room for error and don't require the precision of building a space shuttle ??.

For more on this check out my conversation with leaders in the tiny home movement, Tiny House Expedition, on my podcast page.