Downsizing: Focusing on the Important Things
Minimalism turns a lot of heads and inspires instant judgment. I’ve always been thoughtful with my purchases. But I’ve not been so conservative with the things that I choose to keep around.
Life can easily turn into an endless pursuit of buying the next pair of shoes, gadget, video game… thing. It’s what we are told to do by commercials, Internet ads and the stigma even exists in day to day conversation. “Did you hear about Robin’s new car?”, “How’s that smart watch working out for you?”. It’s ingrained in our thinking.
I found myself drowning in my possessions. The high of buying a new thing on Amazon or at the department stores ceased as soon as I realized how little I wear that one pair of green pants that looked so good that day in the store.
I’ve just reached that quarter-life mark by turning 20 years old and I’ve made it a priority to cleanse my life of physical baggage and alter my lifestyle to be more sustainable and meaningful.
The majority of things I own are duplicates, sentimental, or just in case items.
- I have three pairs of headphones
- Thirty plus button up shirts
- Fifteen plus pairs of jeans
- LEGO magazines circa 2006
- Massive piles of old computer parts
Those duplicates rarely get used. I regularly wear three pairs of those jeans, ten of those shirts, and one of those headphones.
Those sentimental items never bring me value. They sit on a high shelf in my closet collecting dust. I never flip through them like I used to.
Those “just in case” items are the most difficult to me as a money saver. This old 3.5 inch 80GB hard drive will save me from having to buy a new one if the one I have dies. I subscribe to the 20/20 rule from The Minimalists. Get rid of those just in case items because 90% of the time, you can replace that item for less than twenty dollars in less than twenty minutes.
I’ve taken measures to achieve this lifestyle that I want. I’ve collected my unused or rarely used items and donated them to the local charity resale shop. I’m taking note of the things that bring me value and marking what passions I can cultivate now that I no longer spend copious amounts of time shopping or chasing the next new thing.
For me, it’s not about owning as few things as possible. It’s more about getting the maximum utility out of the things that I do own and having more time/energy to focus on what I believe is important. Finding my passion. Directing my life so that I become the adult that I imagine I want to be. It all starts with eliminating the excess.
