There are two types of pursuits in life: those that can be completed and those that will never be finished.
For example, my desire to be a good parent will likely, never be completed. I will contine to grow and improve in this area over the course of my life as the seasons change. Likewise, my desire to be a faithful spouse, a good friend, and a contributing member of society around me.
On the other hand, there are some accomplishments fully completed. I graduated college. I ran a marathon. I wrote a book. I started a business. These desires represent completed goals.
This is a simple reality, but there is irreplaceable joy and opportunity for those who can accurately distinguish between the two. When we continue to pour resources into completed projects, we miss opportunity to direct those resources towards goals that continue.
Unfortunately, in a society built on constant and ever-increasing consumerism, there are countless voices arguing for us to confuse the two.
Consider this, when was the last time you looked at the clothes in your closet and thought, “Yup, that’s enough. I have accumulated enough. I’m done with this pursuit. It is complete.”
Perhaps never, right? This is because the world has told us we will never be finished buying clothes. Even if you have enough in your closet to last you the next 12 months, marketers will continue to convince you that you are not done—that the pursuit of fashionable fabric must continue.
For this reason, we rarely see the pursuit of physical possessions as a desire that can be completed or fully finished. Even if we have accumulated enough, there is still a “better” that we should continue to invest resources in pursuing.
So we look at our existing furniture and think how nice it would be to upgrade this chair or that rug. We desire a larger home, a newer car, a bigger paycheck, a stainless steel fridge, or granite countertop. No matter what we already possess, we seem to always desire more.
Buying things has become a pursuit with no finish line. (tweet that)
But take a look around. Is it possible there’s enough clothing already in your closet? Is there enough furniture already in your house? Is your home sufficient for you and your family? Do your kitchen appliances already meet your needs? Is your car sufficient to get you from Point A to Point B?
And if you already own enough clothing, furniture, or housing, maybe you can begin to see that pursuit as completed.
The next time you have a desire to buy something you don’t need, say to yourself, “Nope. I’m done buying clothes. I already have enough. I have met this desire and I am moving on to something else.”
There is a profound joy and opportunity that accompanies this realization because it allows us to redirect our finite resources towards more important pursuits—those that may never be fully completed.
If I spend less money and time and energy pursuing new clothes, expensive furniture, and more square footage, I have more money and time and energy to spend on being a good father, a faithful husband, and a contributing member of society.
And isn’t that the goal? To excel at the things in life that matter most and to remove those that don’t?
Tyson Popplestone says
I wonder if our pursuit of the constant ‘upgrades’ and desire for ‘more’ (money, status, fame, comfort etc) is due to us being uncertain of what we’re longing for/what we’re passionate about.
In November last year I was sitting at a cafe in Kathmandu, Nepal after learning this lesson the hard way. Not necessarily with physical items, but with how I’d used my time over the last year.
I wanted to achieve something ‘big’ as it was something that I (and my culture) would be impressed with.
I had spent over a month in the Himalayas training for an attempt to climb Mt Everest in April of this year. Long story short, I was required to climb two mountains in order to qualify for the big climb this year. All was going well until the morning of the second climb where I was struck down with food poisoning. It automatically ruled me out of climbing for the day, and stopped my chances of climbing Everest with that company this year.
The problem was, I’d spent the last 18 months training, raising funds and learning all I could about Everest, all for the dream to fall short because of something I’d eaten. The hardest part for me to face was not that the dream was over but that in the process of training for the climb, I had put my true passions (family, friends, writing) on hold.
I’d spent so much time focusing on something I really wasn’t passionate about.
Around this time, I had come across Stephen Covey’s book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. In this great book Covey talks about clarifying our major passions (our essential) and focusing our time and energy towards that (a lesson I’d heard, even knew, but hadn’t applied as well as I could.)
Since that point I’ve recommitted to living in line my passions (faith, family, healthy, communication, contribution and adventure) and realizing that everything else is excess.
It’s been an incredible lesson.
I had been caught up in the pursuit of ‘more’ and lost sight of what was ‘enough’.
As I read this post I kept thinking about how I’d like to use my time towards reaching goals that, whether or not they’re something that can be completed or not, is directly in line with my passions.
Thanks again for a great post.
Tyson
Tiffany says
Love this. I really enjoy reading your posts and love your frame of view. Personally, I am very good about being “completed” with most possessions except clothing! For some reason I really struggle to just be “done.” I think it’s because my needs keep changing…pregnancy, postpartum, new body after said pregnancies, running around with little kids, aging and acquiring a new modesty/style. I’m trying to focus on having enough for the current “stage” because I know it will change again!
Sarah Rose says
I’m hearing you on this Tiffany! I also love clothes & having fun with them, this post has got me thinking…
Ebah Morphy says
what an interesting read! Ever since i joined the minimalism movement, i ve learnt to question that buying desire that frequently rears its head every time the adverts and sales peope calls..soon after reading this,i realised also i have not been channeling enough of my resources on project that will never be complete.now i know better and more.realising one dont need more physical things isnt enough.putting the extra resources into pursuit of uncompletable projects is part of the whle picture..keep it up mr Josh.
treen says
The clothing-as-completed makes me laugh because as the mother of five children (I am not a minimalist in having children – ha ha), I am ALWAYS dealing with clothes. I would LOVE to have that checked off the list, but these durned kids won’t quit growing so fast! Just spent 80 bucks the other day on SOCKS!
A phrase that I’ve adopted is “at capacity.” When our neighbors were moving and wanted to give us a lot of their stuff so they wouldn’t have to pack it, I declined by saying that our home is “at capacity.” We already have a lot of stuff as a large family who homeschools, and I have no desire to shoehorn more objects into a house that is already comfortably furnished. Any more would become claustrophobic.
DeAnna says
Oh my gosh! “At capacity” I love it! I am going to start using this. My family loves to give and give and give my kids stuff. I can now politely say that we are at capacity. We just downsized from 2500 sq feet to 1900 sq. feet. We truly can’t take in anymore stuff.
Sarah Rose says
Ha ha, wise move, I often feel we’re at capacity, particularly as my 3 yr old spreads out stuff around the house so well- so much is ‘on display’.
Karissa says
I think you and your (female) readers would like Kendra’s blog http://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com Your last line is so similar to her tagline: Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.
Sarah Rose says
Thanks for sharing Karissa, I love the Tagline!
Karolina says
In the last two years I learned that more isn’t always better. And I try to only replace the broken ‘things’ but I have never realized how buying ‘new and better’ things can spiral down to buying with no end.
This post makes me rethink what I really want and why. Like I wanted to buy a new tablet because mine is a few years old and getting pretty slow. But it’s still doing it’s job so why would I replace it?
Thank you, this way of thinking will make my life a bit easier.
Claire says
This is a great post. Must share it. I’m one of those people who lives to tick things off lists, so I’m getting a real kick out of the idea of setting my consumption to ‘completed’. Tick!
Jennifer says
Totally!
Jane says
Great post.
It is a nice feeling to be satisfied with my wardrobe and satisfied with my home. Less stress and more money too!
Thank you minimalism.
Helen Duyvestyn says
Great post – Thank you,
Emma - a simple living journey says
In this season I feel like my life is full of incomplete goals. The washing basket is never quite empty, the house never quite clean. I have come to embrace the rhythm of these things over the years. Children always just a little raggedly. ;)
If I spent my time trying to complete these things I would never actually rest, hang out with the kids, sit and watch a movie. So I have embraced good enough.
It is a stark contrast to what the world presents and expects. The polished home, the trendy looking kids, the amazing diversity of foods set upon the table.
But it is enough, and enough is all we really need. To have enough, to be present. These are the good things in life.
xx