Recently, I’ve begun to change the way I think about things, and my opinion on personal possessions. For a while, I have appreciated what some might call minimalism (when it comes to appearance of things, like computers, for example), but until now these ideas haven’t had an effect on the way I live. Here are some of my thoughts on stuff and why I’ve been trying to simplifying my possessions.
The reasoning behind my movement towards simplicity is motivated by the belief that I should only have what I need. I don’t think that it’s wrong to own things, even expensive things, but I am trying to train myself to not be materialistic.
Stuff
I have come to realized that I have way too much stuff. A large portion of the things that I own really aren’t necessary to have. So, I’ve begun to try to get rid of things that I don’t need. There are two major categories of things that I begun to get rid of: junk and clothing.
Junk
The category junk is very broad. I consider junk to be anything that is just sitting around that I don’t need or use. I’ve recently thrown away a lot of “stuff” that just sits around and doesn’t serve any real purpose. The actual process of getting rid of stuff can be difficult, but I have learned to ask myself whether I really need something, and if I don’t, I get rid of it. A lot of my junk is stuff that needs to be thrown away, but there are other things which I’ve considered selling on eBay or Craigslist.
Clothing
Clothing is the other thing that I have been focusing on getting rid of. I own a lot of clothing, but don’t wear many of the things that I have. I’ve recently been going through all of the clothing that I own and getting rid of anything that I haven’t worn in while. Also, I’ve made a commitment not to buy news clothes, unless it is something that I truly need.
One of the biggest changes in my thought process when dealing with stuff has been the shift to value quality over quantity. I’ve recognized that I don’t need a lot, so I’m trying to focus on owning a few things that I really like (and need) rather than a large number of things that I don’t like (or need) that much. Some times these nicer things can be more expensive, but it can be worth it to spend a little more on something if it will last for a long time (investing, if you will).
I plan on doing some more writing on simplicity, concerning organization, productivity, and maybe some other topics. Let me know what you though about my views of stuff. I would also appreciate to hear how you feel about stuff, and if you’ve ever felt the need to get rid of things to simplify your life.
great simple website with clean cut defined menus
http://havenworks.com/
said Inxane at 12:36 pm on Monday, March 17
If you go to freecycle.org , you may be able to give away that stuff you want to throw away. Basically you join a local group (like Pittsburgh) and then email the group to see if anyone wants your old magazines, bike parts, etc. Freecycle is about “recycling” your junk- offering it to someone who might want it to keep useful stuff out of landfills. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.
Just a thought as you simplify your life:)
said Jessie at 5:45 pm on Saturday, March 22
Jessie,
Thanks a lot for the great link! I’m definitely going to look into to this. It seems like it could be really useful.
said Nathaniel Buck at 11:06 pm on Saturday, March 22
You should really read the Stuff essay from Paul Graham (if you haven’t already done so) http://www.paulgraham.com/stuff.html
When it comes to simplicity, i think that Maeda gets it right in his book “The Laws Of Simplicity”:
Simplicity is about removing the obvious, and adding the meaningful.
said Arthur at 7:52 am on Sunday, March 23
Arthur, thanks a lot for the link. It’s a great article. That’s why I already linked to it at the end! :)
I definitely agree though, it’s a really good article, and one of the reasons why I started to change my opinions on stuff.
said Nathaniel Buck at 11:43 am on Sunday, March 23