Gratitude – Shape Your Happiness

This particular quote from the movie Fight Club gets me every time I come across it: “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy stuff we don't need, and the things you own end up owning you.” You feel it too, right? That is why in this article, I will be talking about 10 reasons why we all need the “less is more” approach in our lives. Why less is more, you ask? There is no guarantee owning more adds to our joy or happiness. The idea of priding ourselves in the accumulation of possessions is outdated. What we do know is that it definitely increases our worries and stress levels. But before I get right into the gist of the article and present my 10-plus reasons to own less (12 actually, two are just bonuses for staying on), we need to first embrace the mindset by understanding its very core. We are the children of consumerism; we have been brought up in a world that projected that the more, the merrier. Of course, it does apply in some cases, but if we talk about the way of life and how we should lead it, the “less is more” approach hits it out of the park. We need more frame of reference to understand that. Less is more, or as they call it, conscious minimalism is an approach that suggests that producing or owning anything in bulk isn’t always the best way. There are more cons to it than benefits. It was first used as a phrase by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a famous architect who believed in the desirability of less cluttered spaces and how it is quite possible we may overdo it most of the time. The phrase caught traction and has been used as a buzzword in recent times. Understanding Conscious Minimalism Using the 80/20 Rule Minimalism is the opposite of everything we have been told via advertisements, the media, and society. Thankfully, everyone finally realizes the value it holds. Big companies that run our lives with their offerings are sensing that with the lack of time, no one, anymore, has the time or attention span to sit through a three-hour movie or a two-minute advertisement or a 15-minute tutorial. Have you noticed how, after the social media boom, videos, movies and shows have a shorter time-frame? After all, who has the time to go through an hour of watching Martha Stewart cook chicken pot pie when the same recipe can be given out along with the directions and ingredients in a 30-second video? As these companies realize how to capture their consumer’s attention in the limited span, so are we as individuals. We realize that most of the possessions we own don’t actually add any value to our lives. If we look at it using Pareto’s Principle of 80/20 rule, we understand how 80% of the joy or happiness we experience in life comes from 20% of the things we own. Do you have a favorite chair, mug, or clothing you like? All the others are just secondary. If given a choice, you will always pick them first over the others. So, automatically, the rest of the things become surplus. What is the point of having six mugs when you just use one? So you see, we all need the 80/20 rule to filter out the unnecessary things we hold onto for no apparent reason. The same can be said about the number of clothes, shoes, accessories, and furniture you own. If you think that their absence won’t be missed, they are just things taking up space and nothing more. This should be enough reason to discard them and clear up the clutter. Before I listed the 10+ reasons on "why less is more", I wanted to share with you this interview with Joshua Fields. He is a huge figure in the minimalist movement and has a great mindset towards living with less! https://youtu.be/UHg7y_mmgpI 10-Plus Reasons Why a “Less Is More” Approach Is Beneficial Now below are more reasons for you to believe in the idea of owning less and becoming happier and stress-free. Take a look! You Reassess the Meaning of Life One of the biggest reasons why this approach to view things works so well is because it offers us a chance to see things differently. It lets us reconsider the meaning of life, helps find a purpose, and choose a direction to follow. The reason you need to adopt this is because when you do so, you begin to realize that owning more doesn’t resonate to more happiness. There is more to life than pursuing more of everything. When you learn that more things aren’t going to make you happier, you stop giving in to the whole idea of consumerism. Simultaneously, we also realize that acquiring more just adds to our problems and worries. We always have to carry the burden of those worries and stresses with us everywhere we go. It drains our energies, renders our time useless, and robs us of our money. Imagine you live in a big mansion full of furniture, décor, art, kitchenware, appliances, and more. If we just look at one aspect of it–cleaning, we realize how much more time, money, and labor goes into its care and maintenance. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting you give up your mansion to move into a small apartment of 50-square feet, but emptying it of things that just cramp space and are of no use. Do you really need that three-seater sofa in your bedroom when you just go in there to sleep and use the washroom? If you are out all day, there is no point in keeping it for the sake of making the most of the available space. When you have more space, you feel freer and less cluttered–both in your head and your room. Moreover, you realize that it isn’t just your home that needs decluttering, but also your mind. What you need is a new sense of direction and focus. Making unnecessary purchases often suggests that you lack intention as well as a purpose in life. The minimalism approach helps you find a more goal-oriented direction and purpose in life. You Are No Longer Confused If we talk from a decluttering point of view, you must have had those days where you had to go through every drawer in your room just to find the matching sock to the one you are holding in your hand. Yes, been there and done that! Did that search not make you mad? Did it not make you late? And you promised yourself that when you come back home, you will get rid of every useless thing in your closet and drawer. But that day never came, did it? Even if it did and you cleaned up, you got new stuff later to replace what you got rid of. So, basically, it’s the same situation all over again. This is another reason why less is better. When you have fewer items, things rarely get misplaced or lost. When you have fewer things to go through, it saves you both time and confusion. Less stuff also takes less space. Having fewer possessions also makes it easier to focus on things that are more important to you. Instead of having a lot of things that you have to take care of, you have the time and the freedom to pursue other interests. Less Junk Means a More Focused Mind It is very easy in today’s world to chase after the whim and fad. You are driven by those powerful marketing ads that hit right where they should and end up with another thing you didn’t need. The biggest reason to become a minimalist by heart is so that you can differentiate between the things you need and the things you want. Thankfully, when you try to adopt the culture of less is more, you start to go after things you really need rather than the things you want. Your focus is redirected to achieving things you need and away from the things that aren’t necessary. When you have fewer things on your mind to worry about, you begin with a thorough research process. You don’t get carried away with emotions but rather evaluate the costs and expected marginal return. You only buy what is of the best quality and stop wasting your money and time over things with little to no value. In short, minimalism makes you more productive. More Joy and Less Stress When you have less, you worry less too. Fewer possessions in life mean less work and maintenance. We often pile our closets, rooms, and homes with pointless stuff. Instead of discarding in its due time, we just keep on adding to that pile and hiding some of it in the attic in closed cartons for some later day use. However, that later rarely comes and the extra things just keep sitting for years without offering you any benefit. If you are a parent, you must have kept your child’s clothes, toys or shoes stored up, but for what use? Your child won’t be needing those anymore. So why add to the amount of storage in your shed, garage, or attic? When the time comes to clean the garage, attic or storage shed, it will only make you stressed, and you will keep avoiding it. However, when you discard things on a timely basis and keep fewer possessions, your stress levels reduce. You will be done with the cleaning and sorting in no time when you have fewer things to go through, leaving you with more free time on your hands to do the things you actually want to be doing. You can spend the same time doing things you actually enjoy doing and the things that bring you joy. Things that you wouldn’t do otherwise because you are always taking care of the things around the house. Working Smart Rather Than Hard Did you ever wish for more hours during the day because you can’t seem to notice where they go? This means you obviously have too much to worry about and fewer things to work on. However, working hard doesn’t guarantee success. Working smart does! We tend to measure our success with how much time we have invested in doing something rather than on how much has been accomplished. With a “less is more” approach, we can focus on the work that needs to be done rather than doing one thing after the other mindlessly. Working less but smart also makes us realize that it is okay to fall behind as long as the most important things get done. It eliminates the guilt that comes with doing less as we begin to view the importance of doing things differently. Our focus shifts from doing more to working less but smart. Less Planning Less planning equates to more doing. Although, to-do lists are great by all means; however, when we have so many things to organize and do, we often get caught up in the planning excessively. If you think about it, planning excessively doesn’t get things done. Doing things get things done. Avoid planning so far ahead instead, make plans for the day only. Short-term planning is a better way of getting things done as we tend to get carried away or overwhelmed when we have more than ten pointers to-do list. Divide your focus in between a few tasks only so that you can give each one the amount of thinking and focus it deserves. When left with a plethora of choices, our decision-making ability also suffers. Conversely, when there is less to stress about, we become more confident about the things we want to do and the things we should do. Healthier Spending Habits Conscious living leads to conscious buying. When we buy things that we need, we build healthier spending habits. Wanting less validates the futility of just-in-case items. It also eliminates our obsession with staying prepared all the time. We learn to let go a little and appreciate the things that we have rather than madly going after the things we don’t have. When we adopt such an approach, it becomes easier to overlook even the most appealing of clutter and hold back on all those purchases without any value. More Free Time At the end of the day, you have more time to enjoy me-time and spend it like you want to. Less clutter equals less time wasted on maintaining it. It also means more free time to enjoy the things you love doing. It can become a great source of strengthening your relationships with friends, spouse, and family. After all, these are the things that really matter. Material possessions can never substitute the need for relationships and strong bonds, so what’s the point of having it? Less Indulgence in Impulsive Buying Advertisements have us believing that to lead a successful life, we need the latest and greatest of everything. Own a big TV, get the fastest speed connection, the biggest house, the largest bed, the most expensive paintings, and whatnot. However, when we adopt a minimalist’s mindset, we begin to realize that none of that matters. A smaller TV works just fine, a slower connection also opens up the same content, a smaller house offers the same comfort level, a smaller bed still houses two people and cheaper paintings or wall art also gets the same appreciation. So what realty is the point of spending so much on things with more or less the same value? When we start thinking in such a manner, we reduce the amount of impulsive buying. We are no longer fascinated or excited about sales, discounts or billboard ads that remind is now is the time to buy the best. We stop buying when told to buy but rather buy when we are ready to buy. Less Complaining When you adopt the less is more approach, you find less to complain about in life. Not only do you realize that there is no point in complaining, but you also look for means to fix the problem. The best thing about such an approach is that it keeps your mind free of unwanted negativity. When you have less, you have little to complain about. When you have little to complain about, you view things from a different perspective and work hard to amend the things that need fixing. On the other hand, when your mind is too occupied, you fail to see the beauty in things, often find yourself complaining and unhappy in general. It also allows us to comprehend that not everything in life goes according to plan and that complaining about things is never the solution. When you have fewer things to worry about, everything that needs fixing actually gets fixed in its due time. Moreover, when we complain less and replace the negativity with something as positive as encouragement, we begin to accept things as they are. Less Talking Less talking means more listening. When you stop unnecessary chatter, you allow yourself the opportunity to become a good listener. In a world ridden by depression, suicide, and addiction, listening has become a great asset. It is easily the greatest gift you can give to someone. Conversely, when you keep talking and don’t allow the other person to share their thoughts and views, not only are you depriving them of the right to expression but also preventing new information to reach you. With the less is more approach, you begin to see and value the importance of others’ opinions and can contribute your views and advice without judgment. Wasting Less Money This equals to more money saved in the bank. When you have fewer possessions or spend less on things, you can save up for emergencies in a more prepared manner. Think of it in this way. If I buy a new car, I am not only paying extra for the purchase but also for fuel, repairs, and maintenance. If the overall costs only add more debt and my other car is still in working condition, there is no point in making the purchase. This decision to hold back and utilize that resource elsewhere is the whole idea of the minimalist living. When you adopt this thinking for your benefit, you save more. What Are the Benefits of the “Less is More” Approach? Consider this a concise version of all the points I missed mentioning above but are still worth reading. Conscious Minimalism has the following benefits. Financial freedom: When you spend less on stuff, you increase your savings and gain financial freedom. Easy Maintenance: A less-stuffed space is easier to clean and maintain. Mental Clarity: When you spend less, you gain more mental clarity. You no longer feel attached to material possessions. Environmentally-friendly: The overall approach to spend and consume less helps keep the environment clean. Sets a Good Example: Learning to spend money wisely and on things that are a basic need only sets a good example for future generations. How Minimalism Changes You We need to understand that the “less is more” approach is more than just about decluttering. Although it is an important aspect of it, it isn’t the whole of it. When you truly embrace the art of conscious minimalism, it includes a shift from your current mindset to the mindset of a minimalist. It means committing to own less rather than just decluttering and sorting through stuff. It is about being clear about the things you own and why you own them. It takes time to change your perspective toward materialistic things, but when that shift happens, maybe in a week, month or year, it changes you for the better. Your relationship status with stuff changes and so does your buying behavior. I call this the minimalist mindset shift. You Start Valuing Experience over Possessions Once you commit to owning less, you start spending your time and money over creating memories than just adding more to your house. You prefer to have experiences rather than things. You are more driven toward spending your money on activities, experiences, and adventures. This is only possible when you stop buying endlessly or acquiring things you don’t need. You Become More Intentional You are concerned about what comes into your house, be it new furniture, clothing or even food. You stop giving in to your impulses or buying only for the sake of satisfaction of owning something new. Your spending habits also change for the better as you critically evaluate the expected and perceived value of things. This puts an end to your poor shopping habits for the sake of passing time, and in the meanwhile, you indulge yourself into newer and better habits that add value to your life. These are the things that truly make you happier in the long run as every purchase you make loses its worth over time. On the other hand, good hobbies and interest never lose their charm or value. You Become an Intentional Gatekeeper Who, according to you, is a gatekeeper? You might say a guard who stops and checks everyone and everything coming into your house, right? Well, that is what you become when you commit to the minimalist mindset shift. You stop unwanted or unnecessary items from finding a place in your home. You acknowledge the fact that once something comes inside, it has to be dealt with and you ponder over whether it’s worth it or not. When you change your mentality this way, you save yourself from the process of sorting and decluttering later only by becoming intentional about what you want to bring in. You Become Premeditated with Your Time Minimalism isn’t all about stuff or its accumulation and decluttering. It also has a lot with how we spend our time. We can all agree that time is something that holds the utmost value. It is never coming back, which begs the question, are we spending it doing the most productive thing or not. When you commit to a minimalist’s mentality, you begin to value time. You say no to commitments that don’t add much value to your life. You contemplate if you want to spend it on things or people. You learn to say no to things that take too much of your time but fail to return you with similar outputs. You Stop Comparing Yourself with Others It is no longer a race to have it all. You don’t just buy new things because a friend or neighbor of yours did too. This comparison and the thirst to be the best at everything no longer encourages you to make pointless purchases just so that you can show it off. You let go of this idea of comparison and stay content with the things you have rather than stressing about the things you don’t. This happens when you realize that things don’t define you as an individual. You stop buying things knowing they will burden you and add to your work. You seem content with owning less because you realize that more doesn’t guarantee joy or happiness. If you are interested in learning more about the topic and how to become a minimalist one day, here is a fun way to help you get started on your journey towards conscious living. It is called the 30-day minimalism game.I challenge you to it! https://youtu.be/s64GiwN3hCs