Live With Less to Live Life More Fully
by Kimberly Blaker
We’ve been hearing this mantra for years. While it’s a very worthy ideal indeed, it’s often easier said than done. That’s in part because we derive a degree of pleasure from at least some of our stuff–even though sometimes that pleasure stems from our own materialism. This can be difficult to escape when we live in a society that embraces material things as a symbol of status. All too often though, our material possessions become entangled with our own sense of self-worth.
Another big problem is that over time, the accumulation of things erodes the joy, pleasure, and fulfillment we get out of life. Stuff tends to multiply and requires more and more living space. In turn, we upsize, and because we have more living space we continue to accumulate. This cycle persists until one day, you wake up, and what you’ve subconsciously known all along finally hits you. It’s the sad realization you no longer have a life–and probably haven’t had one for a long time. Instead, your home and belongings have become your life, and they own you.
Possessions eat up precious time, energy, and money you could spend on doing the things you love. The more you have, the more time and money it takes to clean, organize, and maintain your stuff and your home. In fact, having all that stuff means you likely have a larger home just to accommodate it, and that also costs you more time and money to clean and maintain.
If you live with less, you can enjoy more of the things that bring you real happiness and fulfillment. That might be going to more plays and concerts, sporting events, traveling, pursuing hobbies, focusing on physical fitness, volunteering, spending time with family and friends, or any number of activities.
The question is, how do you go about reclaiming your life? For some, experiencing this awareness is a no-brainer. They quickly come up with a plan and immediately move forward to implement it. But for most of us, it’s a longer and more difficult process. We often feel tied to our possessions and current lifestyle for a multitude of reasons, even if they don’t serve us well. Fortunately, there are ways to ease into the transition.
How to reach your end-goal
First, create a budget and account for everything you spend money on, and don’t forget all the maintenance costs. Next make a list of the amount of time you spend shopping, cleaning, organizing, and maintaining your possessions, including your home. Now add a second column to each of these lists, and note the amount of time or money you can save by living with less stuff and a smaller home. Let, make a list of the things you could do with the extra time and cash that would bring more joy to your life.
Now, set a goal to eliminate a certain number of possessions on a daily or weekly basis. Once you begin, if you have the sudden urge to purge more, go for it. But use that goal to keep yourself moving forward.
Also, decide the best methods for disposing of items so you’ll feel good about it and stay motivated. If you could use the extra cash, box things up for a garage sale, or sell them online. You might also revoke some of your items with family and friends. Maybe donating your goods to a particular charity or family in need will make you feel better about parting with your possessions.
Once you begin purging, work room-by-room. That way you can keep track of what you’ve already done. You’ll also be able to see your progress sooner and experience how good it feels to have a room that no longer owns your life.
As you sort through your belongings, ask yourself why you’re keeping each item. If you’re storing it “just in case,” haven’t used it in a year or more, wouldn’t buy it now, it doesn’t hold sentimental value, and doesn’t bring you happiness, in all likelihood you should get rid of it.
After you’ve gone through your entire home (including yard, shed, and garage), make another round. By this point, you’ve developed the knack for purging. So you’ll likely find many more items you’re now comfortable eliminating.
Finally, once you’ve successfully freed up a ton of space in your home, consider your next step. You’ll likely realize you don’t need so much space. So consider moving into a smaller home or apartment to save more time, energy, and costs–so you can enjoy your newfound freedom and start living your life to its fullest.
