Why Choose Simplicity?
photo credit: Johanna Garlike
Despite all the buzz around simplicity lately, downshifting still isn’t a wildly popular phenomenon. Most people still feel safer surrounded by things, similar to a tangible safety net. They solve many problems with a trip to the store. It’s not a crazy way of life. After all, that strategy can be effective a large percentage of time. It makes it easier to fit in and it fits with the majority of media messages. It doesn’t require a great deal of self-control and allows people to enjoy immediate (and often) gratification. So then why are some of us choosing the exact opposite? Here’s my take on the reasons why simplicity rules:
- Your stress is minimized. While stress has myriad causes, a significant number of them can be tied to an overwhelming amount of stuff and tightly packed schedules. By simplifying, you’re limiting the amount of things in your life that can bring you stress. Your finances will probably be much less stressful as well, since cutting back and spending less typically go hand in hand. A genuine feeling of peacefulness and relaxation is a great reason to simplify your life.
- You’re in control of your destiny. Stuff can hold you back. Too much stuff makes it hard to move, to change jobs, to follow your dreams. To quote a country song, “If I ain’t got nothing, I got nothing to hold me back.” When you choose to simplify, you start owning your stuff instead of letting your stuff own you.
- Choices become easier. As Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less tells us, fewer choices are actually more likely to lead to satisfaction. Plus, you’re forced to prioritize when you limit the amount of stuff in your life. Well-defined priorities + fewer options = easy choices that are more satisfying. Definitely sounds like a solid benefit to me.
- Satisfaction is always just a breath away. If you don’t base your happiness on material items or external criteria, satisfaction is nearly always within your grasp. You won’t find yourself saying, “I’ll be happy once I get a…” You can be happy right now, without a thing in the world besides your self-worth and values.
- Your time is devoted to things that truly make you happy. Let’s see. You could clean the huge house, or you could put your feet up and relax in your smaller house. You could spend time reorganizing the closets (again!) to fit everything in, or you could get rid of half of it and never miss a thing. When you simplify, you cut out a huge amount of the day-to-day minutia. This leaves time for your passions, your family, your friends, and yourself.
What would you add to the list? I would love to here everyone else’s reasons for choosing a simpler life.
June 20th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Can I say because it is simpler?
There are so many things that we think we need to do/get. In reality we don’t have to do most of them.
By living simply it gives you a chance to enjoy the simple things in life. Something very difficult to do with the opposite mindset.
June 20th, 2008 at 11:52 am
On #3: The choice is easier because by choosing to live simply, we have already made the choice ahead of time. Living simply doesn’t mean fewer choices; it means we’ve already made the choices.
That’s what leaders do: they make the decision BEFORE the situation arises. While everyone else is caught off guard and trying to decide, the leader is acting.
Choose simplicity then to act.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
“A genuine feeling of peacefulness and relaxation is a great reason to simplify your life.” I agree! Also, once you stop feeling pressured to keep up with your neighbors, it frees a lot of time and resources to do what you truly enjoy doing. You addressed this when you said “When you simplify, you cut out a huge amount of the day-to-day minutia. This leaves time for your passions, your family, your friends, and yourself.”
June 20th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I think simplifying provides a sense of completion. I have the basics, I’m all set, I’ve won.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I moved into a small house with small closets 4 years ago. I love the small closets because they keep me having just enough. Other than moving things into the basement that are out-of-season, I only keep what can fit in the closet.
(I have lots of friends who are paying for storage units - absolute madness.)
I also think that living deliberately is very important to a simple life. Noticing the bits of beauty, civility, peace, and joy that exist every where if only one takes notice of them.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:02 am
Hi Sara,
I love the photo. It’s so simple.
I think about how years ago our homes were smaller, and we were happy. Now people need more room, more closets, bigger kitchens, media rooms, home offices, three or four car garages, lots of storage, and on, and on, and on.
I find it ironic how it’s the older people who “downsize”. Have they gotten wise? I think so.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:21 am
Hi Sara,
This is a great piece, and so appropriate to the way I feel right now.
My wife and I have spent the morning clearing our house of junk. Even then, there’s still much more to do.
We’re doing this for exactly the reasons you’ve given.
A couple of months ago my wife and I swapped roles, and I’m now a househusband! I’ve come to learn how much time is wasted just moving clutter from one room to another, and then back again. It gets seriously depressing!
The feelings of frustration when things can’t be found become overwhelming and boil over into tantrums (and I’m talking about me here, not the kids).
Within the next two months we’re going to be selling our house and renting for a while. We won’t get so much space for our money but the prospect of living in a tidy, ordered and clutter free house, where we have only the things we really love, or are essential for everyday life, really appeals.
I enjoyed reading your post today. Thank you.
Dave.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
Sara- great post! I’m really bad about e-mail and paperwork and my photography.
I am good when it comes to clothes though. I own three pairs of jeans. One from about 12 years ago. Only a few pairs of shoes and a handful of shirts.
Life is easy when you only have a few choices. Without paring down the choices though we would actually get caught up in what we THOUGHT was good for us instead if what REALLY is good for us.
I kind of liken it to the HUGE diner that serves 1,000 items. It takes me forever to go through the list and then nothing really jumps out at me and they all start looking mediocre. Whereas when you go to a small mom and pop place with 5 items to choose from, the one I want almost always is immediate!
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 am
why a simpler life? you have more time to yourself, there is less to worry about, less to maintain, less worry about who will take what you have, less to insure, you save money, peace of mind. we need very little to be happy, sometimes stuff just feels a void of something else that we are missing.
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Hi Sara,
A beautiful picture accompanying a beautiful post!
I’m in the process of simplifying, shedding the old ~ well, except for my books and music. But I’m doing this because it’s time to shift the energy in my house. I feel lighter, cleaner and more peaceful as I am clearing out items that no longer fit the ‘new’ me, or serve me in the way they did previously.
Thanks for doing your blog - it’s inspiring!
Harmony,
Janet
June 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
This post was awesome! I too try my best to simplify as much as possible. I also live by the optimism rule. This allows me to change any negative situation into a positive one. Both of these ideas together just helps to create a calmer life.
Your noteworthy!
http//randomsuccess.blogspot.com