There is no doubt that possessions can be incredibly useful.
A car transports us to work, the grocery store, or a parent’s house. A home gives us a place to rest, grow, and raise a family. Computers and tools offer us the capacity to solve complex problems and accomplish tasks more efficiently.
Physical possessions help us accomplish more.
But that doesn’t mean that owning more helps us accomplish more.
In fact, just the opposite is true. Excess possessions have a way of slowing us down and even wasting our true potential.
Possessions serve a role in our lives by increasing our potential. But too many possessions actually detract from it.
This, for me, is why minimalism is so important. And why I believe it is important for everybody!
Owning excess possessions wastes your potential.
Chasing and accumulating things we don’t need uses up our money, time, energy, and attention.
Think of your closet, as an example. Some clothes are needed, certainly. But too many clothes, crammed in a closet, many of which you haven’t worn in months or years, isn’t just fabric taking up space. It’s money you could have spent elsewhere. It represents time wasted shopping, returning, and deciding what to pick out every morning. Just think, for a minute, of how you could have spent that money instead.
I don’t offer this example to guilt us or make us feel overly negative—I just mean it as one practical example of how excess possessions waste our potential.
And the more we think of the money and time wasted on things we don’t need, the more lost potential we begin to see.
The tech gadget you researched for hours, only to purchase and rarely use. The hobby supplies you bought but never used. The ‘popular fad’ item that has sit unused in your drawers for years. The rooms in your home that nobody enters. The gifts you bought for others that were never used. Even all the toys you bought for your kids that you thought would get played with but never do.
Again, that list isn’t just wasted money; it’s lost opportunity. That time could have been spent on activities that genuinely enrich your life—maybe writing that novel you’ve always wanted to pen, starting a garden, taking a trip with your kids, or supporting a cause you are passionate about.
These are not easy truths to face, especially because we live in a society that often equates material abundance with success. But it is a life-changing realization that invites us to dream bigger dreams for our lives.
Every unused item represents not just clutter but also a diversion of resources from activities and goals that could truly enrich us and align with our values.
This is the cornerstone of minimalism: owning the optimal number of things to make our lives better, more efficient, and more in line with our true selves.
The goal isn’t to live with as little as possible but to make room for what genuinely contributes to our well-being and expands our potential.
Your life is a canvas for limitless potential. But every stroke matters. With every unnecessary item we buy, we trade a bit of our freedom, our focus, our resources, and yes, our potential.
So here’s the challenge for all of us: Remove the pursuit of anything that is distracting you from your greatest values and highest potential. And if an item in your life doesn’t serve a purpose or bring you joy, consider freeing yourself from it.
Start today. Start now. Unburden yourself of the excess and see how much more room you have to grow, to breathe, and to pursue what genuinely matters to you. Reclaim your time, your resources, and your potential. I can’t think of anything more valuable than that.
Thanks for sharing! Such an informative and true knowledge. Really appreciate it.
I try to own few things, but the things I do own are high quality, so I know they’ll last. I’ve had the same Fuji rangefinder style camera for a few years now, and even though there are newer models, my camera is high quality and works beautifully. Less is more, and quality trumps quantity.
For all of August, I didn’t buy a single item that wasn’t necessary (i.e. food, medicine, etc.). In the beginning, it was like getting off sugar during a reset. Then I noticed that I wasn’t on my phone as much. I must have ‘window shopped’ a lot on my phone before this. The realizations continue. Plus, I still haven’t bought anything frivolous. And those pants that I thought I had wanted? With so much time gone by, I don’t even want them anymore. What am doing with my time? Journaling, connecting with old friends, cooking. So thank you!
I work on minimalism every day. We have the Vietnam Vets come to our house at least once a month as we par down our possessions. The hardest part is not buying more stuff to take their place. But it is a work in progress…..You are never done. But it is so nice to see spacious closets now! I was a teacher and had way too many clothes with shoes to match. Good to know someone else is enjoying them now!
Cathy, are the vets a donation group who come take your furniture? I’m decluttering my loved ones home and I’m finding Salvation Army and habitat are not taking furniture currently! So I’m interested in maybe the vets? Thanks!
Cally, I’m not sure if you have a Liberty Thrift near you but it’s worth checking.They take furniture but only if it’s solid wood. They take upholstered chairs but they must be in perfect condition. No mattresses or sofa beds either.
Betsy… Thank you. I will check it out! 💕
Also you might check for a DAV thrift store in your area. Some will do pickups for donations.
Do you have an AmVets or a Purple Hearts organization in your community? Here, we do and they even pick up.
I’ve started something new —- when I put on something from my closet and then decide not to wear it because it’s tight, itchy, frumpy, etc I refuse to hang it back up. It goes to the donate bag immediately. Makes a huge difference as my closet is getting better and better. It’s got more space and is filled with clothes I’ll actually wear! I figure, if I wouldn’t wear this today because it’s not working, what makes me think I’d wear it another day ( when it still wouldn’t be working) ? Lol ridiculous! Got to let it go : D
I’m doing the same thing! My closet is looking better and better.
This is so excellent, thank you!! It sums up perfectly the right mindset for minimalism. The question is not “how many…?” but rather, “is it contributing to my or someone else’s life?” And many things are best used by giving them to someone who will use them. When thinking about buying something, we should consider what contribution it will actually make.
Recently I was considering buying a Lego set for a grandchild. Their mother said, “Please, no. They have so many already that are just as cute (cute when you buy them, not cute when you’re cleaning them up).” So we agreed on a Nature Friend magazine subscription instead. Because THAT will actually contribute more value to the child’s life. ❤️
The right message at EXACTLY the right time.
Thank you!!
This article is so true. The more I let go, the more I attend to what I love most. I love nurturing my plants both inside my home and on my deck. I love creating nurturing, healthy meals. I love the simple moments of nurturing and caring. And the slowing down of those moments.
I wonder how to cultivate the right mental attitude towards buying things, so that you aren’t afraid to buy (like the gadget, the hobby supplies, or the toy) but aren’t afraid to eliminate (if it didn’t work out)? That seems important, but tricky.