Less is More for Some

How to live smart with less

Guest post written by Kevin Jezek

Before you go thinking that I have a grudge against the modern world or
technology, progress or anything else along those lines, I don’t! I’m not advocating for a “monk” lifestyle either where you give up everything you own and live with sheep on a hillside in Scotland. Unless, of course, this is what makes you happy (if it does I support you 100% and hope you write about it)!

I’m most certainly not writing as a expert, authority, or coach in a minimalist lifestyle. I truly believe that everyone has a different purpose and path they walk in this life. Some people’s path require more tools to get down. In this regard, every individual must first discover their path in order to properly
prepare a toolbox that fits their lifestyle. This rambling you have stumbled into is just a short glimpse into me trying to gather up all the things I really need and eliminate any others that I can do with out.

The famous Ötzi “the Iceman” was a human who lived during the copper age. He was found with only these few things:
— 1 cloak
— 1 belt
— 1 pair of pants
— 1 pair of shoes
— 1 loincloth
— 1 shirt
— 1 coat
— 1 hat
— 1 ax
— 1 knife
— 1 bow
— 14 arrows, a couple other tools, and a medical kit

Fast forward to today and the rest of this article would be spent listing the
things your average modern human possess. If you’re reading this at home do a little experiment with me, look around the room and take it all in. Everything that is in your field of view. What do you see? How much stuff? I’m writing this in my aunt’s living room and I see 6 umbrellas (I have never once seen her or anyone ever use them), food trays in the
corner, 3 fans, a bunch of fake plants and more and more.

Now ask yourself how much of the stuff around here do I really need?

I have begun to separate my worldly goods into two categories. First category is NEED: What items do I absolutely have to have? I have very basic needs so I have a very small needs list. It consists of all toiletries, clothes, medications, and first aid. Step one for any reader who is getting overwhelmed with the amount of things in there life is to identify the absolute NEEDS of your life, the things you really can’t function and live without. A computer or tablet and phone is something that most modern people need just to work. Always keep in mind that minimalism does not mean that you have to give up technology and comfort. It’s simply identifying the things around you that have no meaning or use for you.

Second category is things that you enjoy. This is the place people have the
hardest time with, I think. It makes us feel good when we buy something new but that new feeling is not permanent. Craving and purchasing the newest iPhone or the latest gadget is like a drug to which we get addicted. Again, I am a promoter of everything new and useful in your life. However, before I buy something I ask myself a couple things. Do I have something similar that does the same thing? Will this item serve multiple functions? Will I actually
use this after the high of the new buy wears off? Many times I have bought things that I was absolutely certain I needed and would use all the time. If I had a nickel!

The hardest thing to do is get rid of something you have paid money for. Once you pay for it it triggers something in your brain that almost makes it impossible to get rid of. I paid for it so I need to keep it! Easier to never buy it. I have found an alternative to this. Again, not scientific, just my own observation: Make as much of the things you want to buy as you can (I understand this is not possible for all people or all things but if you can I recommend it!). This would include things like decorations (picture frames, wall hangings, anything like that) as well as furniture. I once made a four post princess style bed frame for a girlfriend. She was always going on about how much she had always wanted one with curtains and all. So one day when she was at work, I got the supplies and made it. Nothing fancy, simply four 4x4 corners with rails connecting each one, little bit of paint and rods to set the curtains on, and I was done. All in less than 100 bucks and five hours of my time. However the reaction she had when she got home and saw that for the first time still gives me goosebumps and we are not even together anymore.

Something made from the heart will always be cherished and appreciated way more than something bought. I also find making things gives you a better understanding of how it works and how it can be used. But also, and more importantly, we as humans like sharing things we create with other people. The key here being it makes the objects easier to part with, while giving the added benefit of meaning more to whomever received the object. Win-win!

If you have been reading about the minimalistic lifestyle and thinking about giving it a try, I completely recommend it. But before you go giving up everything you own, do some real soul searching. Think about why you want to do this. Think about what does the stuff in your life “represent”. I find people get too comfortable with their stuff. And losing it feels uncomfortable as hell until, like a bad break-up, you get over that too. Everyone is different and only you can truly find the right combination of tools for your toolbox.

Kevin Jezek was born on September 13th 1988, in Tacoma Washington. He grew up in Federal Way, Washington where he attended Federal Way High School. He started commercial salmon fishing in the summer on my uncle’s boat in Alaska when he was 14. High school dropout (with GED). Has had held a variety of jobs, such as working with crab, salmon, cod, fishing, construction, heavy equipment operator, landfill, aircraft maintenance, plumbing, electrical, gardening and more. Kevin is an open-minded, deep thinking, loner who likes people.
“ I’m going through life looking to collect experiences not things. Your mind is either your strongest asset or your Achilles heel depending on how you use it!”