Minimalism
I have referenced it in passing a couple of times now, but a few years ago when the Minimalism documentary blew up on Netflix, the whole thing made a lot of sense to me.
Back in 2017 I immediately set about trading in everything I could. Life at the time was incredibly and unusually complicated, so simplifying everything seemed like the solution I was looking for.
Getting it wrong
The thing about starting out with a process of radical simplification is that you probably don’t yet have a handle on what is really important to you.
I started out by getting rid of the things I could easily turn into cash. To be honest, I needed the money anyway, so there were additional benefits to removing them from my life.
Into a box went my Playstation 3, a bunch of games, every CD, DVD and blu-ray I had to my name; a camera; some books, my laptop; some PC components I had been saving for who knows what and my guitar. My car wouldn’t fit into a box, but I traded that too.
The fruits of this process were the drip-drip of cash back into my bank account. It was strangely addictive.
Here’s the thing... With each box of stuff I did start to feel lighter and a little more free, but it wasn’t long before I started to miss some of the things I had traded.
I think this is all part of the process though. You have to go without in order to realise what you are missing. I bought back my laptop and eventually a camera, but not much else.
Getting it right
Minimalism, at least for me, doesn’t stop at physical items. I started to question many of the accounts I had logins for and the subscriptions I had leaving my bank account every month. I cut them back mercilessly, only to let the ones I really missed back in.
Everything needs to justify its place in my life or my home, or it is likely to get the boot.
In this process I came to a realisation. The only physical things I really value are my CDs, my laptop and my headphones. Oh, and I’ll probably need a phone and a passport.
Oh, and a NAS. I’m quite attached to my NAS.
As long as I have music; some good coffee; a space to write my long, rambling blog posts and a clear head, everything else is negotiable.
Yet things have a way of creeping back in without constant vigilance.
Anyway, this is a long-winded way of me saying I’m embarking on another purge. My Playstation 5 went this week, as I feel like I’m trying to cover too many platforms as it is.
My plan is to tackle the stuff that isn’t really worth anything, which makes the process far less satisfying but will make it easier to keep the place tidy.
My CDs aren’t going anywhere though. I’m not doing that again.
