The Art of Minimalism
Why I'm going back to living out of a suitcase
Gm gents.
After 3 years of living out of a suitcase, I settled down back in the US (but not for long)
Ample space, storage, and online shopping opportunities. I finally have stuff again.
This was what I was most excited about when getting ready to move back to the US. To finally be able to buy stuff.
Things. Goodies. Gadgets. Gear. All the material goods that make our world go round.
I spent the last year and a half buying just about nothing. The nearest shopping center was an hour and a half away. The nearest supermarket was 45 minutes away.
I completely checked out from consumerism. So I wanted a taste of what it was like again
At first it was nice. Two-Day shipping. Online shopping. Something I hadn’t experienced in ages. I went in.
I made up for lost time: Clothes, kitchen equipment, sparring gear. But the luster wore off.
The enjoyment soon turned to annoyance. Every item I bought just created more clutter. I had to fold more clothes, clean more dishes, keep track of all the stuff.
This is the reality of material goods. Every item we buy takes up mental real-estate in our brain. We’re subconsciously thinking about our stuff:
Where is it?
What state is it in?
Should I use it or not?
This causes unconscious decision fatigue. It takes away energy and focus that could otherwise be applied to pondering, building, thinking about the bigger picture.
Stuff is a distraction. Consumerism is a hamster wheel forced on you by the powers at play.
Society is run off of consumerism:
You make money working for corporations
Corporations convince you to buy stuff
You need more money to buy stuff
You continue working for corporations so you can buy more stuff
They’re influencing you at every corner. You must get off the hamster wheel
Consumerism and the Fall of Man:
I see it far too often. Guys who just 300 years ago would be raiding villages on horseback are now trapped on this consumer hamster wheel. They get a studio apartment and fill it with plants, gadgets, TikTok Shop gimmicks.
Most modern conveniences are meant to distract you of your true purpose. To keep you docile and subordinate:
Sports
Shopping
Video games
24/7 news
Spend some time without these conveniences and see where it leads you. Energy that would otherwise go towards creation ends up going toward consumption
Consumerism Destroys Deep Thought
Since being inundated with stuff again. My focus has been fragmented. I think less about ideas and more about things. So I’m going back to living from a suitcase
I have one suitcase and one duffel bag. I put all of my belongings in there and put the rest in storage. I am removing myself from the consumerism game
The Gateway to Minimalism
I used to be a “stuff” guy. Almost a hoarder. This was common where I grew up and the “barter system” mindset my parents grew up in wore off on me.
But one year while packing up for college, I had a near-breakdown over how much stuff I had. Horrible experience.
So horrible I vowed to get rid of all my shit. I dove deep into the art of minimalism.
Reverse Retail Therapy:
I practiced reverse retail therapy: Every time I experienced overwhelm, I’d get rid of something instead of buying something new.
I spent an entire year eating out of one bowl, cooking out of one wok, using one pair of chopsticks.
This was the year that everything turned around for me. Where my brain went from chaos to cohesion. This was what I needed to perform at my best
I was light, limber, mobile. I had no things tying me down. This is what enabled me to move abroad with little to no friction.
You may not realize it, but the reason you’re not making the leap is because you’re tied down by stuff. Your car, your matress, your sofa.
Its easier to stay in your existing situation, even if its eating away at you every day. Too much friction.
The things you own end up owning you
So after a short sting of buying things. I now realize that things only lead to clutter. I’m going back to minimalism. Everything I own has purpose and necessity.
This paradoxically makes me value things more. Because I have less stuff, every item holds meaning and purpose.
I also hold a strict no spilled milk policy. I’m entirely okay with leaving or losing everything I own.
Falling back into minimalism has not only freed up my time, its freed up my headspace. I feel lighter. My thoughts are no longer tethered to taking care of my things.
If you haven’t gone through a minimalist phase, nows a great time to do so. But you don’t have to get rid of everything. Start with Minimalism Lite:
Minimalism Lite:
Put everything you own in storage boxes
Anytime you need to use something, pull it out from storage and place somewhere in your house
If you don’t use something for longer than one month, but it back in the box
You’ll curate an entirely Purposeful environment
Everything has a purpose, everything has a place. This exercise is often whats needed to break your relationship with your things (it’s Stockholm Syndrome btw)
One in, One Out Policy:
Adopt a net-neutral policy with things: Every time you buy something, you must get rid of something.
Your sense of self should not be predicated on the things you own. You should be able to get rid of everything without losing any sense of your identity.
Take all that time, money, and energy you spend on things and put it towards bettering yourself:
More experiences
More pondering
More experimentation
Prioritize the things that nobody can take away from you: Your health, your education, your character.
Or don’t. It’s your life.
Yours Truly,
-Noah Ryan
That is a great way of reminding me what truly counts. I hate visual clutter, annoys the shit out of me. I'm a work in progress. Thank you for bringing it to my face - again ;)