Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

Topic: Minimalism

Link to buy Paperback/Hardcover/Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.in/Goodbye-Things-New-Japanese-Minimalism/dp/0393609030

Introduction

“There’s happiness in having less. That’s why it’s time to say goodbye to all our extra things.”

• How would you think of a 35 year old, single man, never been married and is working in a publishing firm? I recently shifted to a cheaper neighborhood and used up almost all of his savings in the shifting process. A loser, right? But why?

• This tells us about something that we have been told since we were a child and that is having more things makes us happy. This mentality makes us think about people, jobs and things around money.

• We convince ourselves that making more money will put an end to our problems. To earn a lot of money, somebody else needs to spend a lot of money and on we go.

• I don't care about useless pride because I am absolutely happy with what I have. This brings us to the well known fact that being happy is the ultimate desire.

“Minimalism is a lifestyle in which you reduce your possessions to the absolute minimum you need”. This helps to realize what actually makes one happy and hence, contentment.

• My apartment was a stack of unread books on usual days. The closet was overflowing with clothes that made it difficult to choose one to wear.

• Since the closet was always overflowing with clothes, I would never be able to choose my favorite outfit to wear.

• Since his apartment was a tribute to all his hobbies that he had taken up before finally giving up like a guitar, amplifier, conversational english workbooks, antique camera, I never wanted to do anything at home other than TV, games and booze.

• No matter how much I bought, I felt miserable for not being able to keep up with somebody else who had better stuff.

Before becoming a minimalist, I would hoard stuff of all kinds to either increase his self-worth or make me an interesting person. But even after buying all the stuff that I owned, I couldn't stop comparing myself with other people that again made me miserable.

• People buy things for happiness but it is essential to understand that the happiness that we get by things is short lived. Having more doesn’t make us more happy but cluttered.

• By practicing minimalism and losing things, more than tidying up, we find out what is truly valuable and brings happiness to us.

• Now that we have things that make us truly happy, we understand that it is more important to be happy, than convince people of our happiness by increasing the number of things we own. One truly begins to cherish what he/she has.

Chapter 1: Why Minimalism

Everyone started out as a minimalist

• Everyone started out as a minimalist in the sense that we came to the world empty handed and began with things that were truly essential to our survival.

• But what bad is in accumulating more items than I need? What do we lose by having more things? Time, energy and freedom.

• Let’s see how. Even after packing all the items before a trip, you keep thinking about what you might have forgotten.

• But once you get on the train and know there’s no turning back, there is a sense of freedom. A feeling that you can manage to live off, at least for a few days from the suitcase or get stuff from where you are going. That is the minimalist state, the feeling that you have sufficient and do not need anything more.

• The exact opposite happens on the way back home. The stuff that we went with came back all disarranged. Plus the souvenirs and the pamphlets for every site seeing spots are all stuffed into the pockets. Imagine the feeling that you get then, that is the state of a maximalist.

• On a normal day in his life before becoming a minimalist, I did not have enough time or energy to tidy up the room or do some maintenance.

• I’d end up spending the evening watching TV, playing games or drinking for some temporary relief from the misery. As one thing leads to another, the booze of the earlier day would destroy the morning the next day.

• Since, I don’t even feel fresh, I would start his day with checking emails to put off the actual work. I had excuses for absolutely everything from being fat to waking up late and was yet too afraid to make changes for the better due to my useless pride.

• After becoming a minimalist, my daily life changed drastically. I can now do the dishes immediately after eating, clean the bathtub immediately after taking a bath, and do some stretching on the space that was earlier filled with materials. I have made it a habit to wake up early and am now truly happy.

• Now that I am a minimalist, I very easily manage to keep my cloth cupboard clutter free and hence choose to find his favorite outfit in a good condition to wear. This sets the mood to do something good next and this is how small actions make an impact.

These are the items I threw away:

1. All the items related to the hobbies that I didn't take up or spent time on like books, CDs, camera sets, electric guitar and amplifier.

2. Items like antique pieces and rolls of developed pictures that I used to portray an image in front of people.

3. Expensive clothes that I planned to wear when I lost weight.

4. Things and tools that I could easily do without like the tools for maintaining my bicycle, a desk and dining table, a luxury blanket, full PS3 setup and TV.

5. Adult videos on the hard drive and treasured letters I’d been saving since kindergarten.

After throwing away these items, I realized that I used to have a lot but even then my mind used to focus on things that I didn't have.

• Some people become minimalists after being impacted by a disaster, some after losing the sense of control or happiness by the clutter of things that they've accumulated.

• I was a hoarder and other than buying more and more stuff, I also found it difficult to part with things that held a memory.

• I used to take pictures of everything to make them mine. I couldn't part with the books I read because they were now a part of me.

• These were some of the excuses that I had in my head to accumulate things.

• As things piled up, my energy to deal or part with them drained.

• I hated myself for not being able to make use of all the items that I had accumulated while still being jealous of everyone who had something else.

• Some part of all of our unhappiness can be attributed to the burden of our belongings.

The Japanese used to be Minimalists

• Japanese people used to be Minimalists carrying basic clothing and homes used to structures that could be rebuilt as needed.

• The Japanese tea ceremony is one application of the concept of minimalism in the sense that there is no excess in the ceremony, just people enjoying the tea and sharing thoughts.

• Steve Jobs, the founder of the company Apple, has brought back minimalism to Japan through Apple products. This is evident in that the ownership rate of iPhone is particularly high in Japan. Apple products are inspired by the concept of minimalism and hence the iPhone has just one button and the Mac has no extra cables or ports and Jobs has been a minimalist.

• Minimalism is knowing what is truly essential to one and reducing the others that are just for the sake of appearance.

• Satoshi Murakami lives the life of a nomad and Keigo Sakatsume has a tote bag as his sole possession respectively but there are no set rules.

Minimalism is not a goal of reducing possessions that are not important to us so we can appreciate the things and not just material objects that are truly essential to us.

• Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs, they all lived with very little belongings while the Diogenes of Sinope owned just a sheet.

• This shows that minimalism has been around for quite some time but we do not need to aim for the extremes to get the benefits.

• Around 2010, the concepts of decluttering i.e Danshari, the simple life and the nomadic life created a buzz.

• With the publication and smashing success of the book, 'Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo came the emergence of many Minimalists.

Information and material overload, constant development of technology in a way that allows us to live with less and the Great East Japan Earthquake were the key factors that prompted people to start reconsidering the way they lived.

• Social media and the internet in general has created an unlimited amount of information to be consumed. Ranging from news to chats, we have it all just a click away on our smartphones.

• It is also important to note that it hadn't been this way always and this started with the globalization

• While the information that is presented to us has changed so much, the hardware of our brain hasn't. Unlike iPhones, there is no upgrade to the hardware of our brains.

• We turn to temporary relief and mindless distractions when the brain gets overwhelmed by all the information and further burdened by thoughts like how others see us and chasing things and then managing them.

• Likewise to an overloaded slow computer, my brain was only able to handle menial tasks and would crash immediately if I wanted to try something new.

• I think all my thoughts in my maximalist days were negative and filled with fear of being judged, worry of my career and perception of others’.

• Rather than trying to add more to the already overloaded computer, subtracting and refining would help it work properly and enhance the truly important things.

• Even though technology has overloaded us with so much information, it's innovation, the smartphone has enabled us to carry a lot of tools like the calculator, alarm, watch, TV, flashlight, map and even notepad in a single smartphone.

• Hence, it has become a very good resource for Minimalists.

• Scanners make it possible to click pictures of photos or objects that have a memory associated with them so we can look back at them and cherish them.

• I did the same with my kindergarten letters, negatives and prints and hence was able to throw away the physical copies.

• I use my MacBook Air to watch movies, listen to music, or read books. E-mail can be checked anywhere with my Gmail account, and I can work wherever I am by storing my files using cloud storage services like Dropbox.

• Wi-Fi infrastructure and Bluetooth connections have reduced the need to carry around cables.

Not just products but services too can be shared among people.

• Airbnb allows people to rent out spaces that they longer require and similarly obtain spaces for temporary stay. Internet helps in connecting the two categories of people.

• Public transport allows for travel without owning a vehicle.

• A scene in Mai Yururi's essay series, Watashi no uchi niwa nanimo nai (There’s Nothing in My House) that was specifically impressionable shows all the possessions that she and her family had lovingly kept in their home came crashing down when the earthquake struck and turned into deadly weapons.

• The Great East Japan Earthquake not just affected our sense of value but also was an initial step towards rethinking our possessions.

Minimalism is not just an idea but an attempt to rethink our lives.

Chapter 2: Why Did We Accumulate So Much in the First Place?

Before becoming a minimalist, I always thought I didn't have something but actually I had everything that I ever wanted. But why didn't I feel satisfied?

Let’s understand what happens by taking the example of clothes.

• I often felt like I had nothing to wear.

• When I did feel like that I used to go out and shop and get new stuff for myself. The new stuff gave me joy.

• There has been such a day for almost every piece of clothing in my wardrobe, so why do I not feel the joy now? Why do I now feel like I have nothing to wear?

• The same can be said about the job that we are doing, maybe it’s not the best role or company that we wanted, but it is definitely something that we at some point wanted.

• The same can also be said about our apartment in which we are living.

This helps us realize that we are taking for granted many of our wishes that have been granted and we do that because we get used to things.

The glory of acquisition starts to dim with use, this is the pattern of everything in life.

• In short, we can continue to be happy, if we could continue that happiness of the new state. If we could just be satisfied with what we have, we wouldn't have to keep buying stuff.

• Variances and changes cause stimuli. When we get used to having something, we get used to the stimuli.

• Rich people, hence, continue to buy stuff.

• This is the ‘familiarity’ conundrum; the thing remains unchanged, its value remains the same, just the person in question gets bored of it.

• People are known to also get used to hard-earned victories pretty quickly.

Although no limits can be attached to the prices of objects, there sure are limits to our emotions.

• Our smile isn't going to be 5 times with a 5 times more expensive ring.

• The joy of all things, no matter how momentous, lasts for a very small time.

In the same way, we have physical limitations.

• I cannot eat 6 meals in a day just because I’ve become as rich as Bill Gates. Getting rich won’t get us a bonus.

• The same can be said about the functions of a very expensive object. A very expensive object isn't going to have 10 times the functionality.

• If the functionality of an object increased in line with their prices and if expensive cars could take us wherever we wanted in double/triple speed, then money and objects could have made us all very happy.

• You cannot predict your future feelings.

• Shouldn't there be a point when we realize there’s no point acquiring more things then why do we continue to build the stockpile? A probable reason could be that we use the present to predict our future happiness.

• This is similar to how we overestimate how much we are going to eat based on our present hunger levels.

• Same when we get a pounding headache, we swear we are not going to drink ever again, but once the headache subsides, we begin drinking again.

• We tend to consider our future based on our present.

• When it comes to our belongings, when we buy something, we get an initial feeling of joy and we’re unable to think how we’ll feel when we wear it for the 10th time or after 1 year.

• It is difficult to predict how our feelings would change from initial joy to familiarity to boredom.

• At the outset, when we don't own the jacket, we feel the joy can go on forever.

Every item around us is something that we had genuinely desired to have. Regardless of our level of desire at the time, we get bored and then a desire to have something else, and now something more expensive for more stimuli, greater impact and hence, we continue to acquire more and more.

• A domestic car is enough to meet someone’s needs, but the owner will get bored and even though you work hard to acquire the very expensive car, your sense of happiness won't last long and it wouldn’t be much different from what you’re feeling now.

• Ridiculously expensive items aren't going to make you ridiculously happy.

Accumulating more and more is an eternal loop and the mechanics of unhappiness because you’ll always wish for more.

• Another reason from the prehistoric times for why we accumulate things. Stone tools, earthenware, were all functional tools for the early humans.

• Early humans never knew if/where food would be available. They didn't know what would happen in the next moment. So, they started collecting earthenware to store leftover food.

• But the items that we own now, are out of luxury and not necessity.

Why do we buy and collect items that aren’t our necessity? We’re desperate to convey our own worth, we use objects to tell people just how valuable we are.

• We all have an app installed that recognises ‘loneliness’.

• Cats are lonely beings, dogs cannot live alone. We are more like dogs, we like to live and function in packs, adding meaning to the society.

• Feeling valued and needed is second to second our physiological desires like hunger.

• Unless we can see ourselves reflected from another person’s perspective, we cannot affirm our self-worth. Like dogs, we simply cannot bear absolute loneliness.

• Our self-worth drives our behaviour. We criticise others, bring them down to affirm our own self-worth.

• Being the social being that we are, it is impossible to do anything without a reasonable dose of narcissism. If we look at it, it isn't a bad thing. In fact, it’s necessary.

• The problem lies in how we convey our value to others.

Conveying our self worth.

• Physical or outward appearance wise qualities like beautiful, fashionable, and slim are easy to grasp, but there's a limit as to how much we can polish the surface.

• Other kinds of qualities like kindness, smartness, intelligence are difficult to grasp.

• We need to spend some time with the person to actually understand the true worth of a person.

This is where our belongings come into the picture, we can use our items to communicate our personality and our values.

The next question to ask would be that when we know that we get used to the new things then why do we still keep accumulating things?

• Think about the time when you ordered excess food just because you were extremely hungry while ordering.

• We try to predict our future emotions based on our present state. We end up making a wrong estimate of the future because we base it on the present.

• When it comes to our belongings, we feel that the joy of an item is everlasting when it is not ours to keep.

• When we put it on for the first time, we are elated and hence we cannot estimate our feeling when we wear it for the 10th year or maybe after a year.

We get stuck in the eternal loop that forces us to buy more and more stuff and we become unhappier.

• In the prehistoric times, we used to collect items like stone tools and earthenware because we never knew when or if we'd get our next meal.

• The things that we collected in those times were of efficient functionality. But the items that we accumulate today not just cost money and time in maintenance, they're inessential in the sense that we can easily do without them.

So today when we have the luxury of supermarkets where we can get almost anything, why do we accumulate so much?

The answer is that we accumulate stuff to convey our self worth. We use our belongings to convey our worth to other people.

Let's understand this.

• We're social beings with extraordinary power to have survived on the planet for so long. One reason might be that we stayed and functioned in packs. This gave us not just a sense of security but gave us an emotional affirmation.

• We are just like dogs in the sense that we cannot live in solitude and like to act in packs.

• As social beings we like to believe that our lives have a meaning that is affirmed by recognition by others.

• A person commits suicide when he/she is convinced that his/her life holds no value. More people are killed by suicide than in a natural calamity each year. This tells us how strong the desire of a purpose and affirmation is for us.

• People can’t manage to go on in this world if they don’t believe in their own worth.

• A small amount of self-appreciation and narcissism is indispensable for us to live.

• Some may say, “It’s up to us to determine our own value,” and I agree to some extent, but if we’re completely alone and never see anyone or connect with others, then there’s no way for us to affirm our worth.

• I think that no matter how much of a lone wolf someone may appear to be, there’s some level of desire within them to have another person—anyone—turn their attention to them.

• Like dogs, we simply can’t bear absolute loneliness. Unless we can see ourselves reflected from another person’s perspective, it isn’t possible for us to really know our worth.

Being the social animal that we are, I also believe that self worth is at the base of all our actions. We do things consciously or unconsciously to prove our worth to others.

• We have different kinds of qualities, some qualities lie on the surface like being slim, cute or beautiful. These are the qualities that appear externally and are easy to grasp.

• There are other qualities like generosity, sincerity, smartness or thoughtfulness to recognise which one needs to spend some time with the person.

• And then comes belongings, belongings for example clothes can be used to convey our personality and values. A rock star outfit shows that we aren't afraid to be different while a more natural style conveys gentleness and kindness.

• Our belongings ranging from furniture, the posters on our walls, the plants we grow convey a sense of our values and once in a while, we might as well wish to show off, out of a very natural worth, our worth as someone who chooses a superior brand of products.

• But when we start buying items just to convey our qualities, the collection starts to grow too big.

• And then, before we know it our possessions becomes the qualities we embrace and we become the objects.

• Rather than working on ourselves, we start working to increase our belongings because that becomes equal to increasing our self-image and our objective becomes their care and maintenance.

• I kept piles of books in my bookcase from modern philosophy to lengthy literary works without even reading more than a couple pages to convey my worth. I wanted the books to convey that I was an avid reader and I am interested in the variety of topics on which I have books and I am an intellectual with depth.

• For the same reason, I piled up a collection of CDs and DVDs, antique pieces, the stylish photographs that decorated the walls, my tableware, and my camera collection.

• Because of their sheer volume, it was difficult to clean the apartment or even take care of a single thing and that left me wanting to do nothing and ending up with alcohol.

Chapter 3: 55 tips to help you say goodbye to your things

1: Discard the preconception that you can’t discard your things.

• The number one excuse that people put forward to not being able to discard things is that their nature won’t allow them to do so.

• Psychology explains this “learned helplessness” as giving up because one has already experienced a number of failures.

• Understanding the reasons for failure, learning the techniques and developing the habit of getting rid of excess will help.

2. Discarding something takes skill

• While 7-8 days is enough to discard the excess, the decision to do it often takes longer. And the time taken to decide reduces with practice similar to any other skill.

3. When you discard something, you gain more than you lose.

• It is essential to not get fixated on the loss of the belonging right in front of you and look at the limitless future gains of time, energy, space and freedom that will help one to get rid of the excess.

4. Ask yourself why you can’t part with your things

• Consider asking yourself why you cannot part with a certain belonging. The answers can surprise you and also tell you a lot about yourself.

• Is it because it was expensive, or it brings out feelings of guilt or shame for not using it the best and throwing it away? Is it about feeling bad for the person who gave it to you or is it just easier to not throw it or is it because of the attached memories?

• Don’t worry if you can’t discard your possessions all at once.

5: Minimizing is difficult, but it’s not impossible.

• No matter how beautiful the reason is why we don't wish to discard something, the key reason is that we are more comfortable with owning it.

• Living as a minimalist should be the top-most priority and one has to choose discarding something over the easier option of minimum resistance.

6: There are limits to the capacity of your brain, your energy, and your time.

• Not only do extra possessions hold physical space, they also add a lot to the mental clutter.

• It’s wiser to clean up our system and delete all the unnecessary data so we’re free to function efficiently and happily.

7: Discard something right now.

• Most of us keep postponing getting rid of the excess until something or other. What we fail to realize is that we will be able to create time only after we get rid of the excess.

• Take a step right now and make it a top priority. Practice will make you perfect.

8. There isn't a single item you’ll regret throwing away

• We need to face our fears that prevent us from parting from things.

• Try convincing yourself by knowing the fact that I haven’t missed any of my belongings even though I have parted with almost 95% of my belongings and even if I have, I don't remember it, that is how insignificant it really is.

9: Start with things that are clearly junk.

• Ichiro Suzuki, one of the best baseball players, said that small achievements pave the way for something really incredible.

• Start by throwing the small things first and most importantly, the items that are clearly junk and are of no use.

• Not only is it easier, it will also embolden you to throw away other stubborn excess items.

10. Minimize anything you have in multiples

• When we don’t give things a designated spot, we end up having multiples of them and also lose track of things that we have.

• Try and reduce the multiples of anything that you have to one by eliminating the ones that you aren't very fond of.

11: Get rid of it if you haven’t used it in a year.

• Dust accumulated on any object is an indication that we don't use it that often.

• Consider getting rid of items that we haven’t used in a year unless it is emergency equipment.

• You can also consider renting it if you use it once in 3 or 4 years.

12: Discard it if you have it for the sake of appearance.

• As discussed in chapter 2, we use our belongings to put forward a social image.

• While everyone does that, you might want to consider letting go of items you keep just to show off to others.

13: Differentiate between things you want and things you need.

• Consider buying things that you genuinely need and not want. This will help you stop accumulating and in turn you wouldn’t have excess in the first place.

• Try to judge an item as a ‘need’ or ‘merely a luxury’ or a ‘want’ even before bringing it home and you can avoid buying unnecessary items.

14: Take photos of the items that are tough to part with

• A tip to part with items with an associated memory is to click pictures of the things so that you are only parting with the object and not the memory.

• By looking at the image you can revisit the memories.

• For myself, if I am able to even delete those images, it would mean that I am more focused on the present moment.

15: It’s easier to revisit your memories once you go digital

• I am a fan of film photography.

• Keeping a scanned copy of the photos in the cloud storage helped me not just stay organized but also access the material from wherever I wanted.

16: Out things are like roommates, except we pay their rent

• We think that we want to live in a nice clean and spacious space, but we just want to let our ‘things’ that live with us, live in a comfortable environment.

• Unlike a real roommate, they don’t pitch in with the rent, nor do they help with the household chores but take up space and create extra work for us. So we should consider parting with them.

17: Organizing is not minimizing

• It is important to understand that organizing the excess is not going to solve the problem of clutter.

• To avoid getting cluttered again and again, it is important to get rid of the excess rather than just store it in an organized manner.

18: Tackle the nest (storage) before the pest (clutter).

• Instead of getting rid of the excess in the storage containers before finally throwing them away, we need to throw away the storage containers first.

• This will help us in collecting clutter again as it no longer has a home. With all the possessions piled around without storage boxes, we are most likely to get rid of the unnecessary stuff.

19: Leave your “unused” space empty

• Setting up a rack on top of our washing machines for extra storage is an example of our natural tendency to build extra storage at spaces in open unused spaces.

• This in a manner is creating home for extra stuff that should be avoided because maintaining it takes time and effort.

20: Let go of the idea of “someday.”

• We often hold onto things thinking that we will do something with it someday.

• But we know that if ‘that day’ is not today then probably it is never going to come. It would be wise to let go of those types of things.

21: Say goodbye to who you used to be.

• Just like preparing for the future is futile, clinging to the past is also a waste.

• We often hold on to the idea of who we were and collect belongings that remind us of who we were in the past.

• Discarding things from the past that are no longer useful to you today can also help you focus more on the present.

22: Discard the things you have already forgotten about.

• A minimalist should be able to recall his possessions because they all serve him/her on a regular basis.

• Oftentimes while cleaning we find something and we’re amazed that we even owned them, and then we try to figure out where in our house they would fit. But were they not buried deep into your belongings and you were not even looking for them. It means that you don't need them and should be discarded at once.

23: Don’t get creative when you’re trying to discard things.

• One of these days when we start discarding things, we might get creative ideas to put those things into use.

• But it's important to understand that creativity emerges from the reluctance to part from the items and will most probably vanish as soon as you're done with discarding the things.

• Hence, it is wiser to ignore those creative ideas that pop up at the last moment.

24: Let go of the idea of getting your money’s worth.

• One reason why we avoid parting with certain things is that we think we haven’t got our money’s worth yet.

• Maybe it’s an ill fitting dress that you bought for its gorgeous design and you haven't got enough use of it yet. Getting rid of it will help you to avoid that psychological drain every time you watch it and think about the mistake you made by buying it. We need to get go of the concept of getting our money’s worth because that is probably not gonna happen.

25: There’s no need to stock up.

• Many of us stock up on everyday supplies so that we won’t have to rush at the last minute.

• We can consider storing an extra packet for emergencies and no more because it can create clutter and we might also lose track of how much we have stocked and where.

26: Feeling the spark of joy will help you focus.

• Marie Kondo introduced the idea of touching an object and seeing if it sparks joy.

• Only the items that we feel presently joyous to have should make our way back to us.

• This method is not just effective and simple but also helps us resonate with our senses.

27: Auction services are a quick way to part with your possessions.

• I once owned a camera equipment and I postponed getting rid of it for so long that finally after much frustration I threw it away as trash.

• Auction services are a convenient way to get rid of something without throwing it away as trash.

• I use a local auction service called QuickDo that does all the shipping and handling at a minimal cost and you can sit back and watch the bidding.

28: Use auctions to take one last look at your things.

• Online auction sites like Yahoo! Auctions require the user to prepare photos and compile a short description of the product before finally shipping the product to the customer.

• Kouta Itou says that the whole process gives one a chance to revisit the belongings and the associated memories.

• Kouta says it’s during these procedures that he promises to never again buy something he doesn’t need.

29: Use a pickup service to get rid of your possessions.

• Using a pickup service where they pick up your goods from your home is easier and the method of least resistance to get rid of your belongings.

• I used Takakuureru.com to get rid of my heavier items like the TV set, PS3 to avoid the hassle of packing and moving stuff. A bookstore bought all my books.

• Minimizing the effort required to minimize is the key to success.

30: Don’t get hung up on the prices that you initially paid.

• When we consider getting rid of items that we bought at higher prices, we tend to fixate on the prices that we paid for them initially.

• But we forget that things reduce in value after they've been used. So we should forget the generous estimates and part with the possessions at their current value.

31: Think of stores as your personal warehouses.

• Author Daisuke Yosumi asks us to think of stores as online retailers are warehouses that store a variety of items for us.

• They’re welcoming and omnipresent so it isn't actually necessary for us to stock up on items and rent space for storage.

32: The city is our personal floor plan.

• Think of the entire neighborhood as your floor plan.

• It is unwise to consider blocking huge spaces at home for the few occasions when you’d have friends who wish to sit and enjoy a couch in the living room or chat and have coffee.

• When you consider places like restaurants and cafes in your neighborhood as your floor plan, you can give up the big couch and coffee table.

33: Discard any possessions that you can’t discuss with passion.

• In one of her books, Daisuke Yosumi writes that people are likely to have knowledge like brands and backgrounds of things that they are passionate about.

• Also things that we are passionate about are almost perfect for us so we are unlikely to stick to them for longer.

34: If you lost it, would you buy it again?

• It might be difficult to judge if we’re really passionate about an object or not, so the little exercise might help.

• If you lost that particular item, would you be willing to buy it again at full price? If yes only then you’re truly passionate about the object and it is a necessity for you.

35: If you can’t remember how many presents you’ve given, don’t worry about the gifts you’ve gotten.

• Presents are difficult to part with because we associate a feeling of guilt with throwing them away.

• But seldom will a caring gift-giver want one to hold on to a gift even if it is just taking up space. Also these things don’t usually stay so clearly in the mind of the giver.

36: Try to imagine what the person who passed away would have wanted.

• It is a very natural human sentiment that avoids people to give up the possessions of someone who has passed away.

• While holding on to things to cherish the bond is not wrong, but it makes more sense to recall their words or think about what they did for you while they were alive rather than managing their possessions while they're gone.

37: Discarding memorabilia is not the same as discarding memories.

• Discarding things from the past will stop us from recalling memories that are unimportant.

• The memories that we truly cherish will come back to us even without the memorabilia.

• Tatsuya Nakazaki wrote in his book Motanai otoko that the past is not discarded when we discard the associated objects.

38: Our biggest items trigger chain reactions.

• Some of our big items come with a lot of attachments or other helping tools. For example a cell phone brings with itself a power charger, covers for the earphone jack, a strap, etc. to our homes.

• In such cases, getting rid of the main object is much more intuitive as it pays off better.

39: Our homes aren’t museums; they don’t need collections.

• Our collections are mostly personal items that are not priceless and hence we should let them go.

• Collections of truly priceless items are already there at museums and there is no reason why we should turn our homes into one.

40: Be social; be a borrower.

• Often when we think about ourselves, we feel that we should own everything that we need. An alternative approach could be deensing on other people and borrowing things that people wouldn't mind lending.

• Mai Yururi wrote in one of her books that she threw away her school yearbook. Even if she gets the strong urge to look into it again, she can simply ping up any of her school friends.

41: Rent what can be rented.

• Rentals are a hassle free option when you don't have to use the product too often. Renting out belongings not only reduces the maintenance work but also saves you the storage space.

• The Internet has made it easy to rent a variety of stuff.

42: Social media can boost your minimizing motivation.

• We all care what other people think about us and social media can connect us with people who are going through a similar journey.

• Posting pictures and then getting comments and appreciation on it will help us stay motivated to get rid of all the excess in our lives.

• Giving away the items that we are throwing to someone else who might make use of it also gives a good feeling.

43: What if you started from scratch?

• Imagine starting from an empty apartment and then consider what are the items that you would need.

• Thinking this way helps us to identify items that are really essential.

• In a thought-provoking documentary film called ‘My Stuff’, the protagonist takes all of his belongings, puts them in storage, and allows himself to retrieve only one item each day.

44: Say “see you later” before you say goodbye.

• Many times showing people that they can live without their possessions helps them part with them.

• This can be done by packing your possessions in a bag and keeping them away for a while.

• Realizing that you haven't looked for them for a month or more should be enough to convince you to part with them.

45: Discard anything that creates visual noise.

• Larger objects with bold colors trigger visual fatigue and cannot be used for longer durations of time.

• Try to use objects that are colored in shades of white, beige, gray and colors of wood.

• Discard things that stand out too much and disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

46: One in, one out.

• The rule of one in, one out can be applied to similar items once we have discarded the excess.

• While we are still parting with the excess, one can replace one item with several other items.

• One may also need to buy multifunctional stuff while becoming a minimalist.

47: Avoid the Concorde fallacy.

• The Concorde is the supersonic jet developed by the British and French governments. It was known to be a fallacy when it had already cost about £4 billion and hence, people avoided accepting the fact and ended up making a loss of £10 billion.

• In real life also, we tend to not give up on certain ideas on objects because we have already invested a fair bit in it, but when we know the outcome is not going to be as desired, we should gather all the courage and leave.

48: Be quick to admit mistakes. They help you grow.

• Many times we buy items that just aren’t for us, maybe because it was cheap or it looked good on somebody else. And we cannot throw that item away because we haven't got our money’s worth yet.

• In these cases, it is necessary to admit our mistake in buying the outfit and get rid of it as soon as possible.

• By admitting our mistakes sooner, we make an understanding to not make such mistakes again.

49: Think of buying as renting.

• A friend does this thing of buying clothes, wearing them for one season and selling them at an auction in the next season with their tags that he had preserved. This helps them get a good price.

• We are also more likely to care for the clothes more if we know they’re our temporary belongings and hence, humble down.

50: Don’t buy it because it’s cheap. Don’t take it because it’s free.

• Buying something just because it is cheap or free is not justified. Even if an item is cheap or free it is bound to take storage space so it is technically going to cost you.

• Also once you have an item, you are definitely going to be aware of it and hence, it is also going to take some mental space.

• The management and care that goes into the material is also to be added.

51: If it’s not a “hell, yes!” it’s a “no.”

• Consider yourself weighing the pros and cons of discarding something.

• If that item was truly valuable to you, you wouldn’t even consider throwing it. So, if you’ve come to the level of thinking about it, you better do it.

• Also, most probably you are deciding between £1 or £1.01, so it won’t really cause you harm if you discard it.

52: The things we really need will always find their way back to us.

• There are very few things that will be completely out of your reach. If you think like that, it will be easier to discard the excess, knowing that you can always get something back.

• There are stores, online retailers, auctions and fellow minimalists giving away things for others.

53: Keep the gratitude.

• It is important to part with items with a sense of gratitude.

• Gratitude for the person who gave it to us, if it is a gift, to the person who it belonged to, if it belonged to someone who passed away and otherwise gratitude to the item for serving you. It will help to cut down on the resent in your heart for giving it away.

54: Discarding things can be wasteful. But the guilt that keeps you from minimizing is the true waste.

• It is wasteful to throw away something that is in a usable condition.

• But if you know that you won’t make any use of it, then it is better to get rid of it than let it cause a psychological drain every time you see it.

55: The things we say goodbye to are the things we’ll remember forever.

• When we have a lot of items piled up, we might not be able to value the truly valuable ones.

• Only when the time comes to say goodbye to it, do we actually realize how valuable it was to us.

• Saying goodbye to an item does not mean saying goodbye to the memories.

15 More Tips for the Next Stage of your Minimalist Journey

1: Fewer things does not mean less satisfaction.

• Our brain functions in a way that it feels more satisfying to have one adorned piece of belongings rather than multiple ones that we aren’t crazy about.

• Regardless of how we generally think, reducing the number of items we own doesn’t reduce satisfaction.

• In the same line, American poet Allen Ginsberg once observed that if you pay twice as much attention to your rug, it’ll mean the same thing as owning two rugs.

2: Find your unique uniform.

• Setting a personal uniform for ourselves like Steve Jobs, Mark Zukerberg and Einstein helps us to avoid spending important time on choosing clothes and chasing trends and direct it toward things that are really important for us.

• There is also a different kind of stylishness associated with wearing clothes that are perfect for us.

3: We find our originality when we own less.

• Our originality doesn't come from our belongings but from our experiences. Thus owning less materials helps us find our originality.

• Since minimalists own only things that are really important to them, their belongings are unique to them.

4: Discard it if you’ve thought about doing so five times.

• We get roughly sixty thousand thoughts daily. Many of them are passing thoughts and are chained to our previous thoughts.

• If we have even fleeting thoughts about getting rid of a certain item then those thoughts have the ability to multiply if we don't act.

• We must get rid of an item if we’ve thought so at least 5 times

5: If you’ve developed your minimalist skills, you can skip the “see you later” stage.

• In the previous section, we discussed in tip 44 that people can have a “see you later” stage for items they are skeptical about throwing right away.

• Since throwing away the excess is a skill, if you’ve developed the skills, you can skip this stage.

• You always know that you can buy back something that you need..

6: A little inconvenience can make us happier.

• By switching to a teugui, a thin Japanese hand towel instead of soft fluffy towels, I was able to cut short two-thirds of my laundry.

• I have also lowered the bar of my happiness, in the sense that a usual body towel makes me feel very happy as I haven't gotten used to that convenience.

7: Discard it even if it sparks joy.

• I had a cross that I bought from a local artist during my stay at Croatia. It was a ceramic cross in a scarlet color, adorned with an intricate design crafted by hand. The colors, the smooth texture, the comfortable weight—I loved everything about it.

• Even if it sparked joy, I parted with it. Now, I no longer look for souvenirs while traveling.

• I only look at them while passing by, this also aligns with the philosophy of life as a journey.

8: Minimalism is freedom—the sooner you experience it, the better.

• All the belongings that we hold on to, are important just for ourselves and would be a burden to anyone if something were to happen to us.

• Our belongings aren't of any value to any other being.

• Getting rid of our excess belongings will help us gain freedom from the possibility of burdening our loved ones with our possessions.

9: Discarding things may leave you with less, but it will never make you a lesser person.

• While getting rid of the excess, you may feel like you're parting with an extension of yourself, but actually the connection is a creation of your own mind.

• People around you wouldn't notice anything except for the fact that you’re dressing up simply.

• Pleasantly enough, discarding the extraneous things will help you to become more of you.

10: Question the conventional ways you’re expected to use things.

• Not binding our imagination and ignoring convention, we are introduced to creative ways to declutter and re-use items.

• Cutting boards and sponges can also be dried on the laundry line but the only thing that stops us from doing so is convention. Body soap can also be used as a detergent or for washing dishes.

11: Don’t think. Discard!

• One of Bruce Lee’s famous lines from Enter the Dragon is “Don’t think. Feel.” To apply this to minimalists, the line would probably go, “Don’t think. Discard!” Trust your instincts and get rid of things when you feel you aren’t able to decide.

• The more we think, the more our mind comes up with excuses to not throw away things. I once shredded my bankbook but was able to close my bank account and had no problem whatsoever.

12: Minimalism is not a competition. Don’t boast about how little you have.

• Don’t judge someone who has more than you. Similarly, a minimalist should never get into a competition of having less than somebody.

• Minimalism truly is understanding what is essential to you and after that, reducing the necessary items makes no sense.

13: The desire to discard and the desire to possess are flip sides of the same coin.

• While getting the initial courage to throw away the belongings is difficult, it is also very refreshing and rewarding and hence one can crave for the stimulation over and over again.

• Just like before keeping something, one questions its value in his/her life, one should also question if an item is really something he/she should get rid of.

14: Find your own minimalism.

• As it is, there are no specifications on how much or what you can own as a minimalist.

• Creating your own version of minimalism is important after realizing what is truly valuable to you.

• Mr. Numahata, the person I run a website with, has bought a car, saying that’s where minimalism has led him. He has reduced his unnecessary interpersonal relationships, and his car helps him make the time to be alone.

• He can also keep the interior completely free of possessions, and consider it a minimalist room that’s mobile.

• Feel free to experiment and find your own minimalism.

15: Minimalism is a method and a beginning.

• Minimalism is a method to eliminate distractions. Only after getting rid of the excess can one understand and identify what is truly valuable to them.

• But this is just the beginning of you creating your own unique story. The whole point is not about getting rid of the excess and understanding the truly valuable.

• The idea is to do all these so as to free the time and energy to become your true self.

12 Ways I’ve Changed Since I Said Goodbye to My Things

1. I have more time.

How possessions take your time

• On December 20, 2014, special limited-edition Suica fare cards were issued to commemorate Tokyo Station’s hundredth year in service.

• Many people waited in line in the cold weather to get the cards. People were angered when the sales were suspended due to the large crowd.

• But even when the functionality of these cards was the same people failed to realize that was just a want and not a ‘need’.

• Time spent exclusively to get the cards includes the time spent getting to and from Tokyo Station, the time spent waiting in line, feeling angry after being told that sales have been canceled, controlling your anger and figuring out what to do next and maybe even planning your next attempt to purchase the card.

• Life is short and it is a shame to waste it to some material object.

Less time spent being distracted by the media or by ads

• Media and ads throw urgent messages to us that we are not good as we are, we need to get ‘fitter’, ‘healthier’, ‘slimmer’ etc.

• If we are minimalists then we will be able to ignore those messages because we know that we already have enough.

• Having the awareness of a minimalist will avoid you being pushed around by something that you think is missing.

Less time spent shopping

• Even though you’re a minimalist you're going to need to buy things.

• In my maximalist days, I used to get overwhelmed by the options available for buying a single item. I would move from one store to another carrying shirts in hand, thinking about not missing out an option.

• It is actually proven by a scientific study that people tend to regret their choices when the number of options available is large.

• They tend to worry that there's something better out there that they're going to miss.

• As a minimalist, I buy things that have the qualities

(1) the item has a minimalist type of shape, and is easy to clean;

(2) its color isn’t too loud;

(3) I’ll be able to use it for a long time;

(4) it has a simple structure;

(5) it’s lightweight and compact; and

(6) it has multiple uses. Since all my criteria are met, I don't need to waste time by comparing my choice with the other available options.

Also I keep buying the same product over and over again because I am already satisfied with it.

• Minimalism naturally narrows down your choices so you can arrive at quick decisions

Less time spent doing chores

• Reducing the number of belongings will reduce laundry and household chores.

• Less belongings means less things lying unused and hence less dust to clean. mornings have become more pleasant with an already clean room.

I can move out of my home in thirty minutes

• I can move out of my home with the casualness of stepping out for a coffee.

• I have very little to pack and hence I don’t need time to pack up all of my possessions.

Less time spent lazing around

• When we have few possessions, fewer things need to be done each day. When we have a lot of possessions, each one of them requires maintenance and hence the household chores overwhelm us.

• When we have fewer possessions, we can take the tasks as they come and so we don't end up with a long list of to-dos. That leaves us lively and free.

Less time spent looking for missing items

• When I have fewer belongings, I am aware of things that I have and also where I have kept them.

• I waste zero time looking for things or guessing if I have something or not.

• With fewer possessions, the risk of forgetting or losing things is also less so I am always very relaxed.

Quality time, not quality objects, leads to happiness

• Quality time is important for people to refresh and rejuvenate.

• People earning large sums of money but not having time at hand are seen to be stressed out. Even pleasant people turn negative if they don't have time and are too busy.

• Enrichment of time makes people happier and not enrichment of objects.

The importance of daydreaming

• Finding time in a day to relax is the ultimate luxury. The time spent relaxing is used for self reflection and introspection.

• Relaxed moments are used for self-awareness, orientation and memory.

You can feel happy right now

• As we discussed that there are limits to how happy we can feel, there is no difference between the happiness on a beach chair and in the nearby coffee shop.

• Since we have now reduced our possessions to a minimum, we have the time that they have been stealing from us and we can use this time to relax.

• This happiness should be devoted to finding the pursuit of happiness in everyday life.

2. I enjoy life more

Everyone likes the results of a good house cleaning

• When we have an overwhelming amount of stuff in our homes, house cleaning becomes difficult because we don't know where to start.

• But we all love a thoroughly clean house. Doing little tasks daily is easy and minimalist and it also prevents the to-do list from getting too long.

There’s no such thing as a lazy personality

• I believed that I was a lazy person with no willpower and hence I couldn't get any of the house cleaning done.

• But now things are different, I tackle things as they come.

• I vacuum my apartment every day before beheading off to work. I tidy up my bathroom every time I take a shower and hence it’s always squeaky clean.

• Cleaning has become easier because I have fewer possessions and it's easier to clean the house. I don’t have a lazy personality now, and I didn’t back then.

Aristotle’s method for cleaning up

• Aristotle believed that excellence is not a single act but a habit.

• Accordingly we cannot depend on determination to be able to clean up our houses everyday, but making it a daily habit will help.

The rewards for making cleanup a habit

• Getting a reward is key to forming a new habit. With minimalism the process of cleaning up becomes easier while the rewards of confidence and calmness remain all the same.

• Having fewer possessions is key to making cleaning up easy.

Cleaning becomes three times easier when you have less

• When we have a sculpture at home, vacuuming becomes a difficult process. One has to move the sculpture, then vacuum the area beneath it, then again shift back the sculpture to its place.

• The nooks and corners of the sculpture also need to be vacuumed.

• When we have 6-7 sculptures of the same kind at our homes, the cleaning process becomes even more difficult and time-consuming.

Without clutter, your possessions have a natural resting place

• With fewer possessions I now return things to their resting place after using.

• Earlier I used to think that it's a difficult thing to do, but now with fewer possessions and a clear mind, I have formed it as a habit. I now do it effortlessly.

The joys of living in a small apartment

• One of the benefits of moving to a smaller apartment is that cleaning has become an intimate act.

• With very little surface area and even fewer possessions, cleaning has become a fun, quick and easy thing to do.

• I would also never hire anybody to do the cleaning for me.

Dust and grime are reflections of our past selves

• It is the past deeds and shadows of our past selves that let dust and dirt accumulate in our houses.

• When we have fewer possessions in our house and cleaning has become a daily habit, we only have reflections of our daily accomplishments and not of our past selves.

• Changing your daily life is key to changing yourself. Living an organized life leads us to being more invigorated and confident.

The pressure to build a “successful” future

• Young people are especially bombarded with messages to make it big. But after you become content with yourself, you don’t feel the pressure to build a very ambitious future.

• Discarding the excess has helped me to feel contentment in everyday life.

• After doing the daily cleaning of my apartment, I take a stroll and notice the birds doing their usual thing and just being happy in the moment.

3. I have more freedom

The freedom to move

• Birds are free to soar anywhere in the sky because they don’t carry suitcases with them and their nests are very simple.

• Before turning into a minimalist, I used to always be on the lookout for bigger spaces where I could easily stuff all the collections that I had accumulated.

• But now with so little belongings, I am ready to shift in a smaller space and that too in a very less time for packing and moving. Also the rent is lesser for a smaller space.

• The last time when I moved, the packing (without a single cardboard box, mind you), the move itself, and unpacking all took but an hour and a half.

• I now have gained the freedom to move anywhere I wish.

The freedom to choose a new lifestyle

• There are options coming up to the conventional thirty-year mortgage system.

• Only the ones who have fewer possessions will be able to utilize those unconventional options like the author Tomoya Takamura’s hut, Kyohei Sakaguchi’s mobile house, and of course the tiny house.

Lower living costs lead to a freer life

• One should calculate their minimum living costs at least once.

• By adopting minimalist, one already rejects ideas that lead us to compare ourselves with others and hence we can be content with what we have.

• My monthly rent is 67,000 yen and I can happily live on 100,000 yen a month, which is very easy to earn anywhere.

• Minimalism can be liberating in the sense that I can live with my minimum living costs and not worry about competing with somebody else’s living standards.

Liberated from your personas

• We all identify with our possessions to some extent. We form personas and then abide by them.

• Parting with possessions that were a part of our persona helps us gain freedom from the images that we have created of ourselves.

• We can be at peace with ourselves and at perfect contentment without feeling the constant need to conform to some image.

Liberated from greed

• When you become a minimalist, you have the awareness that you already have enough and hence you can ignore the materialist messages that are presented to you creatively by marketers.

• The more things we have, the more prone we are to accumulating more.

• Even after having so much, we will be envious of other people and finally be overwhelmed by our possessions.

4. I no longer compare myself with others

How to become instantly unhappy

• Needless comparison with strangers is going to cause instant unhappiness. I once compared myself with a guy whom the girl I loved married. I used to think that his higher income was the cause of my misery but it wasn’t the reason I lost her.

• The grass always seems greener on the other side and it’s worthless to do foolish things to make the grass on your side appear as green as the other side.

Who does Bill Gates compare himself with?

• I have stopped participating in the rat race of accumulating possessions and comparisons.

• After being a minimalist, I am aware that I already have enough that I need and hence I do not need to compare myself with anybody else.

• Comparison never makes a person happy because no matter how rich or accomplished you become, you are always going to find someone who is better, richer or more happier.

Experiences resist comparison

• Experiences resist comparison in the sense that it would take a considerable amount of imagination to compare your yoga class, say to somebody else’s trekking experience.

• People turn to belongings because they can be compared much easily using the obvious price tag or brand names.

• But it is necessary to understand that experiences give us a longer period of happiness and contentment. Experiences don't have to be particularly expensive or rare to be special to you and that is their beauty.

• The joy of the experiences don't fade away after you have revisited them several times, but the joy of belongings does fade after you have used it for some time.

When you stop comparing, you find yourself

• Just like accumulation of possessions there is no end to comparison and just like minimalism puts an end to the excess of belongings, it also puts an end to comparisons.

• Since we no longer have the excess that we used to compare our status with others, we also need to put an end to the comparisons.

• This will shift your focus from who they are to who you are.

5. I stopped worrying about how others see me

Steve Jobs didn’t get nervous

• Creating a uniform by minimizing the wardrobe helps to shift the energy and focus from decking out what to wear to more important creative things that are to be done in life.

• It also has the benefit that we longer need to worry about fashion or if the outfit suits us or not and hence we can stop worrying about how other people see us.

• If you get nervous while stepping into a stylish store, just think about Steve Jobs who wouldn't be nervous in a similar situation.

The real reason it’s hard to dine alone at a restaurant

• Suppose you go to a barbecue all alone. Even though you might be correct that the staff thinks that you have some nerve to do a one-person barbecue, he only thinks that way for 30 seconds tops.

• But since you are focused completely on yourself, you think you are watched all through the dinner. If you put yourself in the place of others, you will realize that no one was ever so concerned about you and its not to do something you like just for the sake of what other people might think of you.

Keeping up appearances only holds us back

• I used to be uncomfortable with the idea of e-books because they couldn’t be stacked on top of another for show and I couldn't use it to convey my worth.

• Letting go of the unread stacks has helped me to discover new topics. It has helped me to focus on the one book at a time that I really love.

Lessons from an unused camera collection

• I used to have a collection of cameras to showcase my creative streak in front of people. I had never loaded the cameras to film or shoot.

• By parting with all my unused cameras I have started caring less about what other people think of me and pursue things that I actually like.

• I can now show any part of my apartment or wallet or backpack to anyone without any shame, I now do as I wish.

6. I’m more engaged with the world around me.

I’m no longer a super introvert

• A positive cycle that began with a tiny swirl turns to a bigger circle as we practice minimalism in our daily lives. We become more confident with regular housekeeping.

• With more awareness of our belongings, we now have more time and energy to meet new people, take on new and creative challenges.

• Things that i couldn't have done as a maximalist and was able to do after i turned a minimalist are scuba diving, regular practice of Zen meditation, yoga, contacting people I wanted to meet, made friends on the internet, started a website, joined twitter, finally moved to a new lace, declared love to a girl and wrote a book.

• In the future, I am going to focus more on studying English, enjoying the outdoors, mountain climbing, surfing and trying to get a motorcycle license.

• Taking action helps with happiness and frees us of the regret of not doing something.

Minimalists can take risks

• The nice things that we have accumulated by working hard at our jobs are actually for show and not for our need.

• When we understand this, then we will be able to get rid of the excess. Having less has the added benefit of you being able to move anywhere very easily.

• You won't be bothered by other people’s opinion of you so you can take up new challenges.

• Minimalists have the courage to take risks because they can survive with very less are aware of the fact.

Experiences can’t be taken from you

• Unlike material possessions that can be accumulated and compared with, experiences cannot be compared and will give us happiness every time we revisit them.

• Hence, people should go for newer experiences and not possessions.

7. I can focus better

I can concentrate on being me

The silent to-do list

• Our possessions speak to us about how we have treated them. If we have neglected an item, then we get guilty thoughts, if we have been putting off cleaning an item then we get thoughts of cleaning it time and again whenever we see it.

• Things we use regularly, say the TV entices us to use it even more. This is how possessions talk to us. This is why having a lot of possessions can be psychologically draining and concentration improves when we let go of them.

• When we get an overwhelming number of items, I call those lines “silent-to-dos”. Having a lot of menial tasks to be done can leave us unmotivated and lazy.

Giving our important things the space to be important

• Suppose when one has a desk piled up with things, and he begins searching for something that he needs to complete the real-to-do list.

• The overwhelming calls of the silent-to-do list makes us lose track of our priorities. We then start looking for distractions to deviate the stress that has built up.

• With fewer possessions, we have lower silent-to-do calls and then we can work with full concentration on things that are truly important.

Lionel Messi’s minimalism

• Eliminating the excess helps to focus on things that are truly important.

• Soccer star Lionel Messi does this by running short distances in his matches, his average being only 8 kilometers against the average of 10 kilometers.

• Data indicate that he not only jogs to get back into a defensive position, he doesn’t often make an all-out effort to run on offense, either. He saves up the energy for the crucial moments of full force.

Steve Jobs, the perfect minimalist

• Steve Jobs implemented minimalism not just through his clothes but also in his products. Because his aim was to create the best products, he made do with all the old hardware and documents.

• He asked people who weren't important in a meeting to leave. Jobs focused on the idea more than the process by eliminating the unnecessary.

• He made sure that the idea of the designer for the product did not get watered down.

The happiness of flow

• Psychologists speak about the state of being completely immersed in something, people not just forget their problems but also lose track of the passing of time.

• It is the state of happiness that is triggered by flow and can also make the notion of ego or self disappear.

• That level of concentration is possible only when one has reduced all possessions and is different from the consumption of an engrossing movie, it is more like performance of music.

Information minimalism

• Information minimalism is reducing the amount of information that we obtain. It is important because your brains are old hardware that aren't capable of dealing with so much information and hence are bound to freeze.

• Reducing possessions will reduce the number of messages we receive and hence the brain will function easily.

Folding up your antenna

• Studies show that excess intake of information that is not particularly useful to us causes us to perform worse in brain tests.

• Our information receptors are like antennas that need to be folded up in order to avoid accessing excess information in the overstimulating world.

• Companies like Volkwagen and Daimler have taken steps like banning email conversations between employees early morning and late night and deleting emails sent to employees during vacation.

• The key is to reduce the opportunities you have to access information.

Meditation, Zen, and yoga

• Meditation comes naturally to minimalists because when we decrease the number of material possessions, our awareness shifts inwards for inner reflection.

• Meditation became a habit for me after the Zen session with monk Ryunosuke Koike. Meditation helps us to concentrate better, grasp and direct our thoughts.

• It helps in improving the state of mind and hence big companies like Google and Facebook invest heavily into it.

Using minimalism to concentrate on being yourself

• After becoming a minimalist, I have also stopped the haphazard consumption of information that was based on accomplishments of other people.

• I had developed the fear of making mistakes and had started undermining myself.

• I now focus on the voice that is coming from me and have revived myself.

8. I save money and I care more about the environment

Minimalism’s minimal costs

• Minimalism cuts down costs and even helps us gain money in some instances.

• Money spent on housing is reduced since we don't need a big house.

• Selling old housing will bring in money.

• We’re more likely to make long-term purchases and hence save up on unnecessary purchases.

• Being already satisfied, we are less likely to desire for more possessions.

• Stress relief food and drinks costs are reduced because minimalism reduces stress.

• We would be confident in ourselves and hence we wouldn't have to spend to portray an image.

• Higher income and efficiency are guaranteed by adopting minimalism at work.

Will minimalism lead to a collapse of the economy?

• Some people worry that more and more people turning to minimalism will cause the economy to collapse.

• While a cost effective minimalist might be happy with a dinnerware from dollar-store, another material living minimalist might be interested in an exquisite item created by a master craftsman.

• I have started spending more on traveling because I want to experience more.

• Minimalism focuses on avoiding mindless purchases and directs it on things that really matter to us like experiences, people and new initiatives.

• I spend money on transportation to see the people who I want to see. I help crowdfund projects that I think are interesting.

Minimizing our waste

• Minimalism has left me wanting to reduce everything else that isn't essential to live a compact life.

• Small steps like buying a water filtration system instead of water bottles and using sustainable energy using devices like a solar energy lantern help.

• A sustainable approach to the earth’s resources needs to be adopted like the Native Americans who look at the seven generations ahead before making a decision.

• Minimalism automatically translates to a manner of living that is gentler on the environment and is eco-friendly.

9. I am healthier and safer

Minimalists are slim

• Weight loss is an added benefit of minimalism.

• It is said that when things that have been stuck around you start moving, your life force also starts to flow and you become slim.

• It can also be because we stop stress eating. Having fewer things to soak up our energy automatically reduces our stress.

Gaining a clear awareness of our desire to eat

• Minimalism brings us an awareness of not only the things that we really need but also to senses like hunger.

• We can be satisfied without having to eat huge amounts of food.

• A diet method in Japan literally means moving around in a restless manner to use up the calories.

• I used to be overweight and I think I've simply lost a lot of weight by walking around in my comparatively empty apartment.

The danger of things in a natural disaster

• Houses that collapse in an earthquake also kill the resident but this doesn't happen with cardboard houses of poor people.

• Bulky big possessions crash down during an earthquake and can prove fatal to the people.

• Since I had lesser possessions, objects did not come flying at me in the tokyo earthquake in May 2014 and that gave me a disorienting sense of security.

• Saving important memories like pictures digitally saves them from a natural calamity.

We don't even need forty seconds to get ready

• With fewer possessions I can move anywhere without needing to worry about keepsakes in my apartment. I can buy all the things anywhere again.

• I have a carry-on case with all the belongings and a minimal change of clothing to head out in an emergency. My interpersonal relationships are deeper

• An example in the book series by the Arbinger Institute describes a cycle of justification and blaming. The husband sees a load of laundry that is to be done. When he decided not to do it after a momentary thought of doing it, he betrayed the feeling of consideration for his wife. He justifies his inaction by thinking that he’s busier than his unthankful wife. The wife will definitely complain about the husband’s inaction before finally doing the job herself.

• One of the conclusions of the book is to not treat people inconsiderately like objects.

• Minimalism frees up our time and reduces stress that can help us take actions for the good of others and hence, improve our relations.

Fewer possessions mean fewer disputes

• Fewer possessions make doing housework easy and enjoyable.

• Parting with excess possessions leads to fewer arguments in the house because there are now fewer things to trigger frustration and friction.

• More material possessions suck up more energy and we start blaming them who aren’t eager to help with the housework.

The advantages of a small home

• There are lesser chances of crime because the residents are aware of everything in their homes.

• People who study in the living rooms are less likely to consider other people as a distraction.

• There are more chances of running into each other in a small home and hence you cannot avoid facing the problem

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My “family+TV” theory

• We find it difficult to talk to relatives when we meet after a long time and hence turning on the TV helps us find something to talk about.

• In my minimalist apartment, there is no TV that we can watch together. I don't have a couch or a floor plan to discuss.

• All we can do is sip tea and chat just like a tea ceremony.

The secret to a happy marriage

• In a minimalist’s house, there is nothing to distract and hence people really focus on each other while talking.

• Having fewer possessions frees up the time otherwise spent on possessions for talking to each other and that is the secret to a happy marriage.

People are just human beings

• Parting with my possessions has brought me self-awareness and changed my perspective of other people.

• I have recognised people as just human beings without any ranking based on having or not having a lot of talent or riches.

What if you had a hundred friends?

• I had a friend at work who told me that he had a hundred friends and on every birthday, they’d all show up to celebrate with a bottle of wine.

• Those hundred friends also wanted to celebrate with him and hence, he had a party about once every 3 days. What if you had just a few, true friends?

• There’s a saying that having three close friends and meeting up with one on every weekend leads to a satisfying month.

• Minimizing superficial relations help to give time and attention to the true ones but one should not get carried away with minimizing our relationships.

The island where people live longest

• People tend to live longer when they have a strong sense of happiness that comes from valued relationships.

• Sardinia is an Italian island where people live the longest lives. It's a village where interpersonal relations are smooth and people live close so they can get together whenever they want.

• The Okinawa village in Japan is also known for the resident's longevity and they have a culture where everyone you meet is a brother or sister and people have a sense of community.

Mirror neurons and built-in kindness

• When we serve others and that makes them happy, we tend to forget about the trouble that we may have gone through.

• Mirror neurons make us feel like we are experiencing something just by watching actions being taken by another person.

• The act of seeing an emotional scene or people help one another might fill us with empathy and joy respectively.

• Thus, we can also feel happy by taking actions. We’re basically equipped to empathize with others because we feel happy when we do so.

• By becoming a minimalist, we have more time and energy to devote to our interpersonal relations and serving others thus making us happy.

10. I can savor the present moment

I don't think about the future

• When we get rid of the excess based on what we don't need ‘today’, and not based on ‘future’, we develop a mind that doesn't worry about the future. Trying to wash dishes that aren’t even dirty yet

• Before becoming a minimalist, I was constantly worried about washing tomorrow’s dishes that aren't even dirty yet, that are the worries of the future.

• By becoming a minimalist, I realized that I could part with something that I don't need ‘now’ and buy it later in future when I actually need it. Just like that, in life I can worry about things when I actually have to face them.

Goodbye past things, goodbye old me

• Similarly, I no longer own anything that I used in the past.

• I have left my old identity by parting with my old possessions and I no longer tie my identity to things.

You can only experience the now

• We can only predict the immediate future about taking action the next minute, but we cannot predict how we will feel looking at an item a year from now.

• Even if we could predict the future, we cannot experience it, just like, we cannot experience any event in the past in the exact same manner as it were when it was true.

• Thus, only the present exists and we can experience ‘now’.

A person who keeps sighing forever

• People who are sighing in the present, will sigh forever because when the future comes, it will become the present.

• By parting with my possessions that I’d been keeping for the past or the future, I can only think about the present.

• Future is unseen and will be faced when it comes. All we need to do is experience the now.

11. I feel true gratitude

The gratitude that comes from having few possessions

• Having fewer possessions fills you with gratitude for the things that you have.

• Buying more and more things and focusing on what we don't have blocks our gratitude. Only gratitude can compete with boredom

• Appreciating what we have can help us free from the cycle of familiarity that leads to boredom.

The Five Reflections chant

• The five reflections mentioned below are a way to keep a check on our conduct on a daily basis:

1. Reflect upon how the food has come before you—how the food might have been grown, how it was prepared, and how it was brought to you as your meal.

2. Reflect upon your virtues and conduct. Are you worthy of the meal?

3. Focus only on the meal in front of you without rushing through it and without thinking any other thoughts.

4. Eat not from a gourmet perspective, weighing whether the meal is tasty, but simply to support your life.

5. Eat so you are able to pursue the objectives that you would like to achieve.

• Saying these chants before the meal help one to be grateful for it and appreciate it.

Gratitude is not a method

• Gratitude cannot be practiced as a method.

• Gratitude is a part of happiness. According to a book by Mitsuro Sato called Kamisama tono Oshaberi, We can truly feel gratitude only when we are in a happy situation.

Feeling gratitude right now

• We can combine the present with an affirmative perspective filled with gratitude.

• We can try to feel happy in the situation that we are in by focussing on the good things and hence feel gratitude for the present situation.

• For example, even if I am in the middle of a commute in a very busy bus, I can feel happy about the wonderful invention that is the bus pass. I can be happy about the fact that I can work and I am not sick.

12. ‘Feeling’ Happy instead of ‘Becoming’ Happy

Letting go of what happiness should be

• The societally accepted manner of life to be happy is to get a stable life, start a family and have kids.

• A branch of psychology reveals that 50 percent of our happiness is genetically determined, 10 percent by life circumstances and situations, and the remaining 40 percent by our daily actions.

Genetics determine 50 percent of our happiness

• Fifty percent of our happiness settles at a certain level and that level is determined by our genetics.

• For example, some kids are simply quick to smile at the outset, they do not have to force themselves to be that way.

The environment determines only 10 percent of our happiness

• Our levels of happiness improve dramatically if we can secure minimal standards of safety and procure food and a place to sleep that can be bought with money.

• But any improvement after that will have little impact on our happiness because we get used to the conditions.

• A major event is perceived as a stimulus when it first occurs but most of us soon accept our new circumstances and adjust.

Our actions determine 40 percent of our happiness

• Subjects in a research are asked directly if they are happy. The neurotransmitters released are used to assess happiness of the individual in that moment.

• But it isn't possible to take the measurements throughout a person’s life to tell if the results hold for a long time.

• Happiness and the sense of contentment needs to be declared by ourselves in the moment. A person in a difficult situation might be happy if he feels that he is happy.

You don’t ‘become’ happy

• Many people think that once they achieve some criteria, they will be able to ‘become’ happy.

• But happiness isn't a medal given away to someone who crosses the finish line of the happiness marathon.

• It isn't possible to ‘become’ happy because every achievement can make one happy for a moment but soon one will get used to it.

• Even after very major changes, people get used to the new situation or things and cannot predict how they will feel in the future.

‘Feeling’ happy instead of ‘becoming’ happy

• It is possible for us to always be happy because it is only in the present that you can truly experience it.

• A person who is unhappy in the present moment cannot plan to be happy in the future, because once that time comes it will be another ‘now’. Minimalism maximized the 40 percent of happiness I get from my happiness

• Becoming a minimalist shifts the focus from our environment, that constitutes for only 10 percent of our happiness, to free up time and energy that can be used to change our actions, that make up 40 percent of our happiness.

• Being a minimalist frees up time and helps one enjoy the simplicity of life without getting overwhelmed.

• It also shifts the focus from fussing over past traumas and worrying about the uncertain future to the present moment.

• It makes me feel gratitude for possessions I own and has made me realize the most important thing for me is my people and me.