“Being intentional and being consistent are the key ingredients for success in anything you do.”
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“I Could Never Give Up”
Words by Leo Babauta
I’ve found that when I talk about simplifying or minimalism in general, people are generally positive… but when you get down to specifics, they’re not always so enthusiastic.
When I talk about giving up unnecessary shopping or clothes or shoes, many people balk. When I talk about giving up a car, or getting a smaller home, or not drinking sugary coffee drinks, or giving up junk food… I always hear a lot of people who say, “I’d love to be a minimalist, but I could never give up my ____.” (You can fill in the blank.)
I thought the same thing, many times, when I’d hear about other people making changes. “I could never give that up,” I thought to myself.
I was wrong.
I said I could never give up my hamburgers or fried chicken, but now I’m a vegetarian.
I said I could never give up my cable TV, but I’ve been without it for 6 or 7 years now.
I said I could never give up my cigarettes, but I’ve been tobacco-free for nearly 5 years.
I said I could never give up my sweets, and now I only have a few bites now and then.
I said I could never give up my car, but I barely drive now and am going car-free next month.
I said I could never give up packaged foods, but now I almost only eat real food, unpackaged.
I said I could never give up my coffee, but I recently have.
I said I could never give up my running shoes, but now I run barefoot.
I said I could never get down to a handful of clothes, but I have.
I said I could never give up TV altogether, but I am.
If you think you could never do something… stop saying it. You just might surprise yourself.
Mindful Subtraction
Words by Carl Phillips
Our culture celebrates the idea of adding. Chasing more. Doing more. Consuming more. Achieving more.
‘More of more’ is the universal rallying cry.
Often, a step in the opposite direction will serve us better.
Instead of mindlessly chasing more, we can mindfully subtract.
Eliminating those things that do not serve us, those that wear us down.
Reducing our needs. Only bringing new into our lives if it truly adds joy.
Reducing spend on material things so we can free up money for adventures and experiences.
Living within our means. Living with a healthy buffer between incomings and outgoings.
Reducing stress and the need to ‘keep up’.
Subtraction leads us to simplicity. Simplicity leads us to intentionality.
Subtraction has power. We remove the excess. We focus on the things, and people, that matter most to us.
Mindful subtraction is not about frugality or making our lives sparse. On the contrary, it’s about making space for what matters most.
Subtract and you will get more from less.
A Little More of Less
A few other articles we think you might enjoy…
→ My Motivation Behind Digital Minimalism by Julian Huhn
→ Since Google Asked… by Manu Moreale
→ 14 Lessons Learned from Fearless Mastery by Leo Babauta
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