20200412.- Tips for minimalism 8 to 14

*8.- Support other causes* Living a simple life provides the opportunity to financially support other causes. Minimalism provides an opportunity to not just save money for the sake of keeping it for myself, but to use it to further causes that I believe in. I met a man recently who has just put his house on the market to sell so that he can donate some money to a charity that he believes in strongly. Let me adjust that… he has put one of his homes on the market. He has recently decided that there are more important things in life than owning houses in every imaginable climate. Now, I may not be tempted to sell my house (I only have one), but I am seeing the value of not purchasing another coat this winter, another piece of art for my wall, or another “new and improved” cleaning solution so that my finances can be given to bigger causes. I am learning that our money is only as valuable as what we choose to spend it on. *9.- Own higher quality things* I will admit this benefit of minimalism came unexpected to me. For some reason, I didn’t combine owning fewer things and owning nicer things in my mind. But the truth is, they go hand-in-hand and are directly related. When we made a commitment to buy fewer things, we opened up our lives to the opportunity of owning nicer things. Take your wardrobe for example: if you are like most, you have 25 mediocre shirts hanging in your closet – even though you really only wear 10 of them and truly love even less. A much more sensible approach is to have 10 shirts that you truly love hanging in your closet rather than 25 that you just “kinda like.” Based on the budgetary reality that we only have a certain amount of money that we can spend on clothes, you can either purchase 20 shirts at $20 each or 10 at $40 each. In this way, a minimalist lifestyle allows you to purchase higher quality items. Remember, more is not better… better is better. *10.- Less work for someone else* This past year, my mother sorted the belongings of a deceased parent. This past month, my close friend oversaw an estate sale of a family as they transitioned into assisted living. This past week, I helped a family move out of their residence of 45 years. Hours and hours were spent going through boxes and boxes of belongings, room by room. Some things were kept, some things were sold, much was thrown away. In each case, someone other than the owner of the possessions was doing all the work. Consider the fact that at some point in your life (or in your death) every single item of your belongings will be sorted by another human being. You can create for yourself a less stressful life today by living a minimalist life and lessen the burden on someone close to you as well. For the sake of your closest friends and family, choose to live a simple, minimalist life. *11.- Be happier* Owning fewer possessions makes you happier. According to a survey by the Simplicity Institute, an organization that surveyed 2,500 people across various countries who self-identified themselves as living with fewer possessions, 87 percent of respondents indicated they were happier now than when they owned more possessions. This may sound contrary to everything we’ve been told growing up. But when we begin to consider the benefits of living with less (less debt, less stress, less cleaning), it begins to make sense why these statistics would hold true. Happiness is not found in owning as many possessions as possible; it’s found living life consistent with your greatest passions. *12.- Do work you love* Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, is credited with saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Whether you are 16, 26, or 76, you are making choices today that will chart the course for the rest of your life. And those who choose to embrace the idea of living with less open up the rest of his or her life to endless possibilities—including picking a passion as a career. Somebody who decides to intentionally live with less has less need to hold a certain level of income. As a result, they can choose whatever career path they most desire. Their decision does not have to be dictated by income level. And while there is nothing wrong with earning money, when your salary package can be removed from the career-choice equation, you are free to choose your career based on other factors—such as “something I really want to do.” Own less stuff. Choose work you love. *13.- Freedom from the comparison game* Our culture begs us to own more. Advertisements call us to purchase the latest and the greatest. Our natural tendencies cause us to compare our lives with those around us. Add in the fact that we seem to have a built-in desire to impress others by owning as much as possible. And you’ve got a recipe for disaster. As a result, we spend precious energy comparing our stuff to others. We notice what she got for her birthday, what technology he carries in his pocket, or what trendy clothes all of our friends seem to be wearing. Ultimately, we end up wishing we had more. But this constant dreaming, hoping, and envying others’ possessions steal from our joy and contentment today. We spend so much mental energy thinking about what we don’t own, we fail to appreciate the things that we do own. It makes us feel we are missing out on something—even though there is so much joy right in front of us. *14.- Time for things that matter most* John Ruskin, an art critic in the 19th century, once wrote, “Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.” He was right. Every single thing you own requires a little bit of your attention and time whether it be researching, shopping, cleaning, organizing, repairing, replacing, recycling, or working just to make the money to buy the new thing that you can take home to clean and organize and replace. John Ruskin was right. The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you. That’s why those who live a minimalist lifestyle have more time on their hands for other things in life. It was this benefit that ultimately led to our decision to become minimalists. Remember the story of my son playing baseball in the backyard while I was stuck cleaning the garage? Since becoming minimalist, we have found that living with fewer possessions means that all our belongings have a standard place where they belong in our home, which makes cleaning a snap. I spend less time searching for books, keys, and shoes. In short, I spend far less time being the janitor for my possessions, and far more time doing the things I love.