Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Brian Gardner of No Sidebar.
There’s a memorable scene from Hamilton—the wildly successful Broadway musical depicting the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. It goes like this: It is 1776 and General George Washington and the Continental Army are about to be driven out of New York City by 32,000 British troops who have landed in New York harbor. It is the first battle of the Revolutionary War and much is at stake. Overwhelmed, overworked and overextended, an exasperated Washington concedes he is “outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, and outplanned.”
Can you relate? For you, it might be the War of More. Every day, its armies land on our doorstep, checkbook, calendar, digital devices, or whatever.
Or maybe it’s a different battle you face. We are regularly:
- Outgunned by a desire to “keep up with the Joneses.”
- Outmanned by a cultural myth that being busy is a badge of honor.
- Outnumbered by FOMO (fear of missing out). We say yes to things we should say no to, and social media notifications dictate what’s important.
- Outplanned by advertising firms that constantly whisper “more, more, more.” More house car, clothes, stuff, status (and stress).
However, Washington is smart enough to know what he needs. He quickly snaps to it and announces: “We gotta make an all-out stand … and I’m gonna need a right-hand man.” For Washington, Alexander Hamilton is that right-hand man. As Washington’s chief aide, Hamilton clears the clutter, noise, and distractions so the Commander in Chief can focus on what matters most—winning the war.
Take a Stand
Like Washington did, we too can take a stand and maximize the principles of minimalism to counter-attack with “less.” And when we do, it is amazing to discover how little we actually need to be happier, more content, and less stressed.
Minimalism is our right-hand man (or woman). We won’t win without taking full advantage of it. To quote my friend, Joshua Becker: “At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost all aspects of your life.”
There are multiple battlefronts upon which we can wage this war. The strategy will be unique for each of us based on personal circumstances. For some, it may be decluttering a house or simplifying a wardrobe. For others, it is a journey to live debt-free. What counts is that we pick a place to start, and as Joshua hints, stay intentional.
Here are three battlefronts I’ve recently waged or am in the thick of right now:
Calendar: Start with the Big Rocks
In his book First Things First, the late Dr. Stephen Covey made the notion of “Big Rocks” famous. Big Rocks are the things that are most important to us: A project we’d want to accomplish, more time with family, getting fit, an education, finances—you name it.
His point is this: Unless you prioritize them on your calendar, you’ll be hard-pressed to accomplish them. As virtual mentor Michael Hyatt says, “what gets scheduled, is what gets done.”
Screen Time: Set Limits & Examples
There’s a ton of content warning parents about the dangers of too much screen time for kids. It damages our brain, triggers addictive behavior, inhibits social skills, and takes eyeballs away from meaningful connection. But what about adults? We’re just as bad. When our eyeballs are constantly glued to our phones, tablets, gaming devices, or televisions, what are we modeling for the ones we love?
I recently heard a quote that landed for me when I apply it to screen time: “Our kids will hear what we say, but they’ll believe what we do.” Here are some simple strategies on limiting screen time and setting examples.
House: Less is More
The square footage of my house, its amenities, or our zip code aren’t that important to me. What matters most to me is that our home is a warm, inviting place where I can grow closer to my family and friends. If we’re honest and humble, most of us can manage just fine living in a smaller home that meets our needs but doesn’t break the bank or add undue stress. We are actively making changes in our life to account for this.
According to personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, the average new single-family home comes in at nearly 2,700 square feet. Most people today would say “meh” to 2,700 square feet. But, consider this: In 1950, the average home size was less than 1,000 square feet. And most families were much bigger back then. They did just fine. So can we.
There are financial and emotional advantages to moving into a smaller home: Less time, money and stress spent on upkeep and paying the mortgage or rising property taxes. More time and money to grow closer to those you love and do the things you love.
Washington lost that first battle in New York. But he persevered to win the war. So, I encourage you to take a stand. Call in Minimalism as your right-hand man. Pick a battle to fight. Stay intentional. And, once you’ve won that battle—go after another. Before long, the tide will turn and you’ll claim what you’ve been fighting for.
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No Sidebar is a collaborative blog about minimalism, simple living, and happiness. You can sign up for their free weekly newsletter for inspiration and encouragement in your journey toward a simpler life.
Ian Sims says
Josh,
Many thanks for leading the way of reducing to what we need, rather then what we think we want.
I changed from a large house and home workshop to a small unit of 90 square meters, and don’t miss the old house with all the maintenance it needed. I ride a recumbent trike rather than driving a car. Yesterday when our small electric mower packed up I thought that it would be much easier and quicker to buy a new one, and throw the old one away. However I managed to pull it apart despite the hidden and tamper proof screws, and fixed it, making it better than it was originally. Certainly gave me more satisfaction than buying a new machine :-)
However I think there is a LOT more to the idea of being minimalist than meets the eye, and would like to explore this with you and your readers. I have had the view for a long time that our insatiable need for more possessions is driven by what used to be a very common practice, in our society, that of taking the baby away from the mother just after birth, and placing it a crib. Thus that immense and overwhelming need for the mother was implanted at the most vulnerable stage of the person’s life and is extremely difficult to remove. We feel a deep seated need – an emptiness, and try to fill it with possessions . Hopefully as more children are allowed to be in direct contact with their mothers until they no longer require them, there will be less attachment to possessions.
However I believe that we suffer from very long reaching effects of this separation policy which has influenced all aspect of our lives and is unfortunately driven by our politicians who have some of the largest collections of stuff possibly imaginable, and are addicted to collecting more. Furthermore there is a firmly entrenched view that unless the economy is growing, that is manufacturers are selling more and more stuff, people are going to loose their jobs, and we will have a depression where everyone looses.
So I guess my question is, is it enough that we shed our accumulated stuff and stop buying more than we need? Do we need to do something about changing the forces that are causing people to over produce and over consume at the expense of other on the planet who are dying of starvation? If so How?
Ian Sims
Bridget Sullivan says
I have clothes to get rid of and some kids toys yet I hsvent taken them anywhere bcs. I want to make sure I take them to the place that will use most of hem. There are 3 different places I could take them.
Bhadra mehta says
I feel minimalism need not be a desperate bid to chuck out everything…let it be a mindful exercise of giving away things at the right time to people who are in need of it.Let us be generous and donate with dignity to the receiver.Its also about using all our things periodically and looking after them systematically so that it lasts longer and is useful to the end of its life.
Vince says
Funny, when I go into other peoples houses, I sometimes think to myself… I would pitch this, I would pitch that! lol
Judy says
I’ve been getting rid of clutter quite a bit and it feels great! I dropped off 3 trash bags yesterday at Goodwill. I like having space in my home. Not every nook and cranny has to be filled. It does get easier. I find the “one room at a time” plan works best for me.
Recently I delt with the hard stuff— letting go of things that were gifts from friends—etc. I am so glad I did. It’s ok to do so.
Nene says
I started this thrilling new journey of my life last year. I find it Interesting because it gives me a different perspective of what life, success, and happiness are as compared to what I used to fallaciously perceive them. Before, I thought that life is having all the things that I need and like whether they are needed or not and ended up having bulky of junk belongings. Now, I have been trying to limit myself to what is necessary whether they be an activities, things, plans, or decision making. I used to view success as amassing fortune and fame. Today, I believe that success is about being contented, grateful, and happy for what I currently have. Unexpectedly, the more I indulge myself into these new lifestyles and mindsets, the more I feel this amazing sense of happiness inside and out.
Grace says
The biggest barrier for me is the deeply ingrained value system that you have to be more. Americans are so fixated on what we do for a living, and letting go of that value system and self judgement has been difficult. I’m tired of defining myself.
nene says
I think, you just have to gradually change your perspective in life.
Sean says
Great read! Jist what was needed to charge the batteries. So practical, and love the Hamilton analogy ?! Thanks for Sharing, and keep up the good work. Many are being changed, for the better, by it.
Arlene says
I am working on this everyday. I feel better and more relax.
Jodie Utter says
I love this analogy, it brings to mind for me that even if you’re all in and minimalism is your intended path, there are barriers and obstacles and setbacks to deal with, but that doesn’t mean we’re about to fail each time we encounter difficulty. This also reminds me of marriage or any relationship; a happy marriage cannot just be achieved and then you’re done. It takes constant work, daily action, continual renewal of commitment and intent. Marriage and minimalism are my two focal points right now and the effort is more than worth the results I’m getting.