The Struggles of an aspiring Minimalist

I often get inspired by lifestyle design philosophies of various different flavors. Lately, minimalism has been something that has captured my attention. The most extreme examples are usually what gets the most visibility. The minimalists and project 333 are two inspiring, but extreme versions of minimalism. I am not really interested in taking it to that level at this stage of my life, nor do I think it would land well with the practical reality of family life. But I would like to have less things I don’t need and focus on what matters.

Getting rid of the things you already have can be psychologically challenging, even if they are things you know you don’t need. First of all, you have to take action. That, in and of itself can be a blocker. We have a strong bias against loss and it is easy to think of a possible scenario when you might need something again in the future. I have gotten rid of a number of things and don’t remember any of them. But I do remember one thing that I would have liked to still have. This was a Wu-Tang Clan holiday sweater and as amazing as it was, my life has not been materially impacted by its absence.

It is easier to have less things by not adding new things. That doesn’t require any additional action down the road. Acquiring new stuff can be habitual and automatic. I have found trying to put hurdles in place helps slow down purchasing enough to give me some time to make a conscious choice. Another option is to commit to getting rid of the same amount or more of old stuff if you are getting something new. It is probably best to do this in advance as both a hurdle and to make sure you keep your commitment.

Most of us have quite a bit of things we have accumulated over the years and even if we are judicious about adding things going forward, it doesn’t solve clearing out the relics of our past. The recommendation I have seen here that works well is a bias towards action. Just start getting rid of things. If you see a pile of stuff that annoys you every day, just stop and prioritize cleaning it out. Make getting rid of things as effortless as possible. Yes, in an ideal world you can optimize to sell and donate your old stuff. But that often slows things down to the point of stalling. I have found that setting a small goal really useful here. Something like “get rid of five things today”. Once I start with those five, I generally add more.

The way we accumulate things at home is very similar to how we pick up projects and activities at work. We want to prioritize and focus on a few meaningful and essential tasks. But there are all these other activities that have built up over time and steal our focus away. We face the same types of phycological challenges in minimizing extraneous work as we do with accumulating the physical things we own. What will people think if I stop doing this piece of work? Could I be missing out on some potential value down the road? While the challenges are similar, I think so too are the solutions. Stop taking on work you don’t need early (the quick no, and slow yes ). Have a bias towards action and get rid of work that doesn’t serve your essential purpose.

I am certainly not perfect in either home or work, but I am working towards a lifestyle and workstyle that is more focused on what matters the most. Holding this philosophy across all aspects of my life helps me stay more consistent than only apply it towards specific goals like work performance. Try cleaning out your closet and maybe that will help you focus more on what matters at work. And for heaven’s sake, if you find any vintage Wu-Wear, save it for the children.