Own less, enjoy more (in digital)
Probably everyone knows that possessions could easily become a great distraction in your life. Can you let them go?
Probably you ever heard about Maria Kondo's technique — “Does it spark joy?” Once you can answer this, you can take action accordingly.
Is minimalism phase?
It’s great to try out and you will see what has changed in your life. Whenever you earned more time to pay more attention to things that really matter to you. It’s not just about physical things, but also preserving resources you have finite amount like money, time, energy, attention and physical space.
Once you mindfully start realizing how you are spending these resources, probably your decision-making will take a steep turn. Once you do that, you will have probably more of them at the end of the day. On top of that, you will probably start gaining new relationships, mental capacity and physical capacity. You will be more creative and curious. Your mind would be less cluttered by things you don’t need. You will be prepared to explore and wander new avenues of your life.
One needs to figure out what’s fits best, there is no size fits all. Everyone is individual and unique.
How I’ve adopted it — radically
We have been running hackerspace Progressbar for ten years. Place where members stored their hacks and tools need to invent new and novel ideas, their DIY stuff, you can imagine, a lot of probably invaluable stuff for the public market, but highly valuable for geeks and hardware hackers. When lockdown came in, the decision was to drop all the stuff in the way people could keep it as a memorial for the place and hangout time. Probably was a tough one, we did not have a budget for storage. In hindsight, it was a great win-win move.
Similiar I’ve learned from this approach there, when I was moving to a new place, I realized I have tons of stuff I simply don’t use anymore and it could spark joy in other people.
⏩ Fast-forward, since I’ve started selling stuff, made over 250+ listings on local craigslist and could not regret it, even some things may have memorial or sentimental value, it’s okay to let it go.
Speaking of benefits I’ve earned:
- Economically I have an empty storage room, nothing to lose from market value in time.
- Things I don’t use brought joy to others and things gained new life.
- Flexibility — whenever I’ll be relocating to my next destination — having a table, MacBook, ergonomic chair is really everything I need to create some value add to keep paying my bills in long term for now. Even writing this article or working on an NFT crypto startup
- More physical space to relax. Even I don’t have a kitchen as renting time from a virtual kitchen is probably a more efficient way of living.
- More time for self-development, self-care, personal growth.
- I enjoy life more
Minimalism mindset
From here you may realize that it’s great to have only things that matter to your most. Things that offer you everyday benefit. Only those are impactful for your life. Storing stuff you haven’t used for the past weeks really doesn’t make sense to store. Rather let it go through craigslist/secondhand to spark joy in others who would use that more.
We subconsciously creating sentimental treasuries. You can learn here that owning fewer of them, the ones you keep will have greater value. Even you may have memories on some items, it’s fine to let them go because memories are inside you and not within the item. At some point, if you are stuck in past, it will help you unlock your mind and be more present. Items in your flat constantly remembering your past events, moments, memories. The best way is to have things that constantly remembers you of positive memories, fuel you with energy and excitement to live this day.
We subconsciously creating sentimental treasuries.
My personal pick is to have a lot of plants as they change every day and since can take care of them and their rewarding green leaves constantly recall us how fragile are we.
Adds life flexibility
Whenever you are single, couple or family, you may realize that changing your life path is obvious pain. Relocating, shuffle between locations. Once you adopt minimalism, you can free your mind about things you want to do. Explore freedom of various hobbies you may want to try. It may put you in a different position when all you need are things you can take into your backpack. Without the need to have material possessions.
What’s in your Backpack?
Practical benefits
Owning less means less financial burden, less cleaning and organizing. Simple as that. You will unlock more time for examining life to your fullest.
Same I’ve learned that having few clothes which I rotate on a weekly basis through the washing machine, having one bike which helps me keep my mental focus, use for meditative rides and gives me the ability to make strength exercises. Having a place to do my hobby — write and create. Sometimes do phonecalls are all I need and want to accomplish few simple tasks here and there. Turns out, having a pretty basic existence that fulfills me best is all I need.
Empty your mind — Be water
The same goes for your mental space. Whenever you can empty your brain, having a calm mind and a relaxed state, one doesn’t need to go haywire through Escapism[4]. You will no need to escape the usual stereotypes as you will have time to mindfully find meaning in things around you. There is plenty of them, just look around you. Asking questions like “How this thing works inside?”, “Why is it like that?”, “What is behind the dynamics of X?”, &c. Trying to embrace and understand is probably the brightest moment for your brain.
What I’ve learned is actually learning more on daily basis, through various meta-cognitive skills I’m experimenting with brings me joy, probably because I’m using synaptogenesis in some form. The deep study, deep creativity, deep relaxation. Probably three mental states you need and want for your lifetime.
Once you create a habit from those, you will explore your curiosity and enter the whole new world of things. You will most probably come with your habit which fits you best.
Exit to the digital world?
The problem with physical things is they might fade, perish or spoil. Another way around, love, joy, purpose, contribution and compassion stands eternal. These things could be brought to “life” through digital worlds, where probably most of developed society spends their attention span. Probably the question is, is society rewarded well for their spent time there? Aren’t social media just weaponized dopamine loops constantly attracting you to grab your attention which is really scarce to you for survival?
Embrace Metaverses Experience
Probably what we are already living right now, yet without blurred lines in between the physical world and the virtual world. You daily consume a digital piece of information through the window of your browser, feed of your favourite social network, graphs of your closes relationships. One may feel that we are already in the light version of the metaverses and change with the upcoming immersive experiences will go through a steep curve. What could be next?
Conclusion
Eventually, live light will bring you more joy in the long run. Own only stuff you use daily and produce value with. The same goes with your relationships, participate only with friends you are mutually beneficial for each other.
Thanks for reading, I may consider bringing it down from Medium and go through another long-read platform. May announce it on my Twitter
Once you will need less, you will have more.
