Ep. 42 – Minimalism & Seeking Lightness

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Hello dear ones,

I know we have a way to go before winter lets us out of its clutches up North, but this week there were signs of life, and it got me excited.

Leaf buds are appearing on the apple tree outside my window, it’s getting lighter in the morning, and the tweedle birds are bobbing about, which all bring me lots of joy.

These subtle changes have got me into a (possibly premature) spring cleaning mood!

But why not … creating space is my overarching theme for the year and clearing dust, clutter and stuff is part of that. 

There’s a larger reason this is important.

Dealing with the jumbled disorder of our lives doesn’t just have the potential to create order and tidiness.

Clearing clutter can also lead to a lightness of being.

And with so much around us cluttering up our lives, our minds and our attention, this is becoming a crucial thing to consider.

They say change is as good as a holiday, so …

This week I’m also doing something different.

Instead of writing something new, I’m revisiting (and for the sake of sustainability, repurposing) an article I originally wrote in 2016 about minimalism.

• Why? Because the points I make are still relevant today, perhaps more so!

Perhaps even more of a change …

I’m also recording an audio version of this newsletter, which you can listen to on a dedicated webpage version of this newsletter on my site.

If you prefer listening to reading, let me know your thoughts on this?

Too often, we fill our lives with stuff to replace the things we long for (love, belonging, self-esteem, confidence, etc.)

But it’s in the clearing that we are likely to gain more than what we lose.

Let’s dive in…

Why Less is More

It’s common to associate positive change with the idea of gaining something.

It’s human nature to want more out of life. And if we want something badly enough, we’ll make a change to get it.

In our pursuit of happiness and fulfilment, wanting something better often results in gaining more. And that can often equate to more stuff.

But there’s a different way to go about creating positive change…

Focus on creating MORE with less…

Ever noticed how liberating it can feel to spring clean your living room or do an office tidy up? Or when you give away the things you no longer need rather than holding onto them for a rainy day that never comes?

Reducing the clutter in your life, both mentally and physically, leads to simplicity and clarity.

Making room for less creates a lightness of being as good as any holiday.

Simply Put, Less is Simpler

There’s a lifestyle movement which promotes simplicity. It’s called Minimalism.

Originally coined to describe a modern arts movement in 1960s, today being a minimalist involves simplifying your life by living according to minimalist principles.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus have written essays and books, toured countries and made movies about this concept, to share their own journey towards this style of simplicity.

Here they explain what we can achieve when following the principle of “less is more”:

Not only can less equate to more.

Less can create more.

I’m NOT a hard-core minimalist like these guys, but after many opportunities experiencing life both ways, I now lean towards this way of thinking.

Being a minimalist isn’t about advocating for a life of penny-pinching frugality.

I do have stuff and I do enjoy having stuff. From wearing pretty dresses, to using cool gadgets, to keeping sentimental items that hold memories and ground me.

My point is this: I have stuff like the rest of you, I just focus on making an effort not to have a lot of it. And for what I do have to serve a very clear purpose.

I’ve become choosy about what I fill my life with — be that material goods or people. Because I find less value in stuff. And I find more value in experiences, relationships, learning, observing, making and growing.

This idea of clearing away the clutter can also be applied to your business life.

• Think about how much better your decisions are when your mind is clear.
• How much more productive you can be when your focus is straight as an arrow, because there’s no physical or mental obstacles getting in the way.
• Doing collaborative work with a clear purpose and meaning, instead of our typical “hair-on-fire, headless-chicken” response, all in aid of supporting the habit of buying more stuff.
• Supporting people we care about in a way that helps them reach their potential and prosper, instead of reaching for the remote to watch season 27 of reality TV.

Fair enough, we each have our own interests and desires. And they can be simple or complex; material, intellectual, or experiential.

Whatever they are, think about how your belongings can help you to create a sense of fulfilment that is more than just fleeting.

The things you hold onto should appeal to your identity, your values and your beliefs, (not capitalism’s idea of what that should be).

Decluttering is more about the internal than the external.

In Joshua Becker’s definition of minimalism he touches on an important point:

When our stuff becomes more meaningful than the people in our life, something is wrong.

When our stuff becomes a short-term substitute for other things in our life that could actually provide longer-term fulfilment, something is wrong.

Ryan and Joshua hit the nail on the head about why cluttering up our lives becomes problematic:

Simplifying our life has to do with changing our mindset about — and our relationship with — our things…

As simple and as complicated as that.

So consider …. what do you have to gain from decluttering your life, your mind, your relationships, your office or your home?

Apart from more room to breathe and focus, you’ll have more space in your life to live it more freely.

So, bring out the feather duster and the goodwill box and get to it! 🙂

In the newsletter, you’ll see a little doodle illustration that I drew in 2016 to accompany the original article. I also share further resources that you can read or watch to find out more about minimalism and understanding how our stuff owns us rather than other way around.

And on other fronts, just an update on my Intentional Productivity book. The book is still being reviewed by my beta readers and the final phase of editing starts next week, once I have everyone’s feedback. Wish me luck.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with more thoughts, ideas and resources to help you build more space and flow into your life, creating momentum, working with purpose, and living with intention.

Until next time, keep moving forwards, with courage, curiosity and cadence.