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mnmlist: paring down
One of the things I love about minimalism is that it doesn’t end. You don’t get to a minimum of things and say, “I’m done.”
It’s a constant paring down. And that’s a good thing.
Why would you want to keep doing it, instead of just completing the process? Because the process of paring down is really the process of asking yourself, “What’s important?”
We tend to forget what’s important in the din and tumult of daily life. We need a mindfulness bell to bring us back to the essentials, and paring down is that bell for me.
There are numerous examples of paring down — I whittle down my clothing collection, for example, on a regular basis. I will look at a room and remove unnecessary objects. I’ll clear out programs on my computer I don’t use.
On Zen Habits, I pare down the design regularly. A couple years ago, the site was considered an example of clean design, but since then I’ve removed most elements.
Recently I removed numerous links in the sidebar and footer, and then removed photos. It was like breathing out a sigh of relief, to be able to let go of photos. No one seemed to mind — I didn’t get any comments. I love it when paring down is met with the approval of silence. As on mnmlist, I’m removing almost everything but the article, which is the only thing that’s important.
Paring down has been a beautiful way to hone in on the essentials, to be mindful each day of those essentials. I think that’s a necessary thing these days.
mnmlist: paring ideas
As minimalists, we often talk about paring down possessions, and sometimes paring down what we do. But what about what we think?
Is there any use in paring down thinking? I’ve found myself doing this over time, in many areas.
My ideas about exercise have been simplified over the years. I used to worry about the ideal mileage, percentage of increase in mileage, intervals, reps and sets, weights and progression, lifts, workouts, programs … it was very complicated. But as I’ve learned more about fitness, I’ve dropped most of those ideas. I now know that none of that matters much, as I’ve let go of specific fitness goals. Now I just try to move on most days, and have fun doing it. I’ve dropped ideas about schedules, about programs, about loads and goals. I’m left with the simplest of ideas.
Same applies to diet. I used to worry about not eating grains, or soy, or processed foods, or fruits, or chemicals. Should I eat quinoa or steel-cut oats or amaranth or chia seeds or bulgur wheat or buckwheat? I used to count calories. Now I just try to eat real plant foods most of the time, and am mindful of my eating. It’s simpler this way.
About writing: I worried about structure and voice and style and terseness and grammar and schedules and tools and reading the best authors and the snowflake method and editing and much more. Now I just write when I’m inspired, and I let it flow.
About work: I worried about productivity and goals and action items and meetings and paperwork and the Pareto principle and the perfect desk and the perfect computer setup. Now I use simple tools, and do what I’m excited about.
The same is true of anything I’ve done. About finances, I just spend less than I earn, and have my bills paid automatically. About my site, I just write and publish and forget about comments and ads and stats and social networking. About my social life, I just meet with a friend and try to be present. I could go on all day, but you get the point.
When we start out with something, we usually will try everything. But as we learn, we can pare down ideas that we find out don’t matter. We’re left with the essentials.
mnmlist: Featurecreep & grandparents
There are things we think we need these days that are absolutely not needs. They are luxuries that, over time, we have grown to be accustomed to and rely upon.
It’s incredible how much people rely on these things, actually, and have come to think they’re necessary.
But they’re not. Consider your grandparents — did they have these luxuries? Did they survive without them? Were they fairly happy without them?
Only after we’ve grown used to these things do we think they’re necessary, but that’s because we’ve bought into the marketing. These things are no longer luxuries — they’re required.
If our grandparents could live without them, and be happy, so can we.
Some things our grandparents lived without, that are really not necessary:
- microwave
- dishwasher
- SUV
- Luxury car
- food processor
- smart phone
- iPad or other tablet
- flat-screen TV
- refrigerators with ice makers (or perhaps refrigeration at all)
- air conditioning
- central heating
- dryers
- Roombas
- hair dryers
- workout machines
- Kindle
- toaster oven
That’s just a start.
I would argue that the computer is the one exception. It is incredibly empowering. The rest are less necessary.
I’m not arguing that you should never get any of these devices. I’m only offering a reminder that it’s not absolutely necessary, and most can be eliminated.
