Humans are animals. We know this. We are always on the hunt for the next best thing; as we thrive to survive in this world. Whether it be for some fresh meat at the deli, a new mate at the bar, or the safest home to raise our young on a hill somewhere. In our endless hunt we are always looking for more "stuff" in our life long journey of pursuing pleasures and avoiding pain.
Back in the day researchers named Brickman, Coates, and Janoff-Bulman (1978) conducted a study that looked at one of life’s guiltiest pleasures… humans connection with money. He observed and recorded people’s levels of happiness when they met their “financial dream.” He found that people who had won millions in the lottery were no happier than his control group (who only had their basic needs met). He found that money itself created a temporary boost to self-reported levels of happiness but over time this boost diminished back to the point people felt before they won the lottery. With all the advertising out there in the world, this study says it all when it comes to this constant seeking of the next best thing (materialism) - that the buying of things to fulfill a void in happiness can be a vicious cycle.
This is because…
- Needing more money to get more ‘stuff’ can lead to stress.
- Less space in our houses can lead to stress.
- Debt can lead to stress.
- More ‘stuff’ to update and clean can lead to stress.
- Working harder & longer hours to get more money to makeup debt and buy more stuff leads to stress.
- Guilt about working more hours and spending less time with family to makeup debt and get more money to buy more ‘stuff’ can lead to stress.
You get the picture.
Enter Minimalism.
Many think Minimalism is about being a hermit crab; throwing away all your stuff until all you have is a shell to live in. While this reality is true for some, it is not for most. Minimalism is also not a religion. It would be like thinking because you bought a Buddhist statue at a garage sale, you are a buddhist; it just simply is not true. So, in the same sense getting a rid of things is simply the effect of being a Minimalist, not the cause. Donating a car load of all your possessions to Goodwill and sitting in a small empty room with no furniture or pictures on the wall does not make you Minimalist… it makes you an impulsive person. Minimalism is not about how much you have or how much you give away, it is about the way you prioritize what is around you.
Here, this sums it up nicely -
“What Minimalism is really all about is reassessment of your priorities so that you can strip away the excess stuff—the possessions and ideas and relationships and activities—that don’t bring value to your life.” – Colin Wright (2010).
So, after reading that quote let’s say you look at your collection of 1000 shoes and say, “these are really important to me and would be impossible to get a rid of as they are the main reasons I wake up in the morning.” Then keep your shoes and invest more time and energy into them. Because, they make you happy! But… as many of you who are interested in Minimalism will soon find out… it is often not materialistic items that bring people the most enjoyment in their lives.
--
Many get suckered into retail therapy but the truth is many stores are designed to make someone feel "out of the trend" a week after they buy something. They rotate through "52 semi-seasons" which constantly change what's cool and what's not (Cline, 2012). Ever notice when you buy a brand-new shirt and then a week later you end to the store and it is on clearance? As Macklemore would say, "I call that getting tricked by business." This led me to participate in Project 333. Project 333 is a Minimalist challenge that invites someone to prioritize their wardrobe and dress with only 33 of their favorite clothing items (or less) for 3 months. These 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and pairs of shoes. Each 3 months one will reevaluate and start over. Items not counted as part of the 33 items are wedding rings or another sentimental pieces of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing but you can only wear your workout clothing to workout (Carver, n.d). If you are thinking of a way to ease into Minimalism in order to promote wellbeing, than this can be a good starting point.
I will admit that in the beginning it was hard to narrow down my items to only 33. I seemed to be stuck on 34 for the longest time... But, after taking that step to donate one of my favorite beanies, I actually found it rather easy to manage my new small wardrobe. I don't miss my beanie at all and have actually not touched half of my remaining wardrobe so far.
--
Similiar to how one can approach Project 333, here are some steps to minimize, organize and prioritize what's important in your life.
Step 1: Take time and list all the things you own in a particular part of your life; doing so can hold great shock value.
--
Many get suckered into retail therapy but the truth is many stores are designed to make someone feel "out of the trend" a week after they buy something. They rotate through "52 semi-seasons" which constantly change what's cool and what's not (Cline, 2012). Ever notice when you buy a brand-new shirt and then a week later you end to the store and it is on clearance? As Macklemore would say, "I call that getting tricked by business." This led me to participate in Project 333. Project 333 is a Minimalist challenge that invites someone to prioritize their wardrobe and dress with only 33 of their favorite clothing items (or less) for 3 months. These 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and pairs of shoes. Each 3 months one will reevaluate and start over. Items not counted as part of the 33 items are wedding rings or another sentimental pieces of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleepwear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing but you can only wear your workout clothing to workout (Carver, n.d). If you are thinking of a way to ease into Minimalism in order to promote wellbeing, than this can be a good starting point.
I will admit that in the beginning it was hard to narrow down my items to only 33. I seemed to be stuck on 34 for the longest time... But, after taking that step to donate one of my favorite beanies, I actually found it rather easy to manage my new small wardrobe. I don't miss my beanie at all and have actually not touched half of my remaining wardrobe so far.
--
Similiar to how one can approach Project 333, here are some steps to minimize, organize and prioritize what's important in your life.
Step 1: Take time and list all the things you own in a particular part of your life; doing so can hold great shock value.
Step 2: Circle the items you most definitely want to keep in your life.
Step 3: Cross-off the list obvious things that are just taking up space and hold no value to you. Discard that crap.
Step 4: For things you are unsure about, test the waters and see if you can live without that item for a day, a week, or even a month. If you can live without it, it must have not been very important. Also, don’t throw things in the trash just because you can. This often results in buying important items back while destroying the environment in the process. This is called yo-yo’ing and yo-yo’ing is bad.
Step 5: Sit back and relax.
Once you remove the clutter it can be easy to go back to your old ways and accumulate worthless items again. To prevent this, be aware of future purchasing and avoid getting suckered into marketing schemes... that are just about everywhere. Every time you are tempted to purchase something new take the time to stop and think to yourself “will this bring value to my life if I were to own it?” If it is a no or will only bring temporary happiness, then pass and save yourself the trouble.
What’s nice about practicing Minimalism is you’ll have more resources to use on things that have a greater positive impact on your life such as experiences and spending time with others, rather than materialistic items. Dunn et al. (2008) found that spending more of one’s income on others predicted greater happiness. They found that participants who were randomly assigned to spend money on others experienced greater happiness than those assigned to spend money on themselves. Furthermore, Van Boven & Gilovich (2005) found that experiential purchases—those made with the primary intention of acquiring a life experience—made them happier than material purchases. They found that experiences make people happier because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are a more meaningful part of one’s identity, and contribute more to successful social relationships.
All and all, as you strip yourself away from the vicious cycle of buying new things (like the newest pair of boots that will be considered old in a week) you’ll find yourself doing more in your life with less.
Enjoy and share if you think this will help someone.
Also, New site at DIYHappiness.club.
References
Once you remove the clutter it can be easy to go back to your old ways and accumulate worthless items again. To prevent this, be aware of future purchasing and avoid getting suckered into marketing schemes... that are just about everywhere. Every time you are tempted to purchase something new take the time to stop and think to yourself “will this bring value to my life if I were to own it?” If it is a no or will only bring temporary happiness, then pass and save yourself the trouble.
What’s nice about practicing Minimalism is you’ll have more resources to use on things that have a greater positive impact on your life such as experiences and spending time with others, rather than materialistic items. Dunn et al. (2008) found that spending more of one’s income on others predicted greater happiness. They found that participants who were randomly assigned to spend money on others experienced greater happiness than those assigned to spend money on themselves. Furthermore, Van Boven & Gilovich (2005) found that experiential purchases—those made with the primary intention of acquiring a life experience—made them happier than material purchases. They found that experiences make people happier because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are a more meaningful part of one’s identity, and contribute more to successful social relationships.
All and all, as you strip yourself away from the vicious cycle of buying new things (like the newest pair of boots that will be considered old in a week) you’ll find yourself doing more in your life with less.
Enjoy and share if you think this will help someone.
Also, New site at DIYHappiness.club.
References
Brickman, P., Coates, D., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (1978). Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(8), 917-927
Carver, C. (n.d.). Project 333. Retrieved from http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
Cline, E. (2002). Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. NY, New York: Penguin Books.
Dunn, E., Aknin, L., Norton, M. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness.Science, 19(5870), 1687-8
Van Boven (2005). Experientialism, Materialism, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 132–142
Wright, C. (2010, Sep 15). Minimalism Explained [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://exilelifestyle.com/minimalism-explained/
Carver, C. (n.d.). Project 333. Retrieved from http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
Cline, E. (2002). Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. NY, New York: Penguin Books.
Dunn, E., Aknin, L., Norton, M. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness.Science, 19(5870), 1687-8
Van Boven (2005). Experientialism, Materialism, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 132–142
Wright, C. (2010, Sep 15). Minimalism Explained [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://exilelifestyle.com/minimalism-explained/