“The more you know, the less you need” – Yvon Chouinard
Chasing more is a broken model. It isn’t working.
More physical possessions beyond a certain point is just more stuff we have to manage. More money beyond a certain point doesn’t necessarily equate to more happiness.
It’s clear, more isn’t always the answer we seek.
That leads us to less. But we need to right size less for our particular situation. Not all of us will be happy with the same baseline. So, we set about getting to our own version of less (or enough) and then we live it. When we do that, we can start to experience some of the following benefits in our lives.
1) Less Stuff weighing us down
Material possessions need managing. They need somewhere to be stored. They can need some degree of regular maintenance. Too much stuff can start to weigh us down.
2) More choices and freedom
Less stuff and clutter in our lives frees us up. We have more freedom and can make choices that support our ideal lifestyle.
3) Less wanting for more and more
Knowing when enough is enough means we get off the hamster wheel of chasing more for the sake of more.
4) More contentedness with what we already have
5) Less regret
Regret is a wasted and toxic emotion. Living with the right sort of less in our lives can mean regret has less reason to raise its ugly head.
6) More gratitude
There’s so much in our lives already that we have to be grateful for. This can pass us by if we don’t make time in our lives for a gratitude habit.
7) Less comparing and attempting to keep up
When we know what is enough for us we worry less about keeping up and comparing. We don’t judge others for wanting more but equally we know we’re happy with enough.
8) More dancing to our own tune
We avoid the herd mentality.
9) Less complexity
Life can get complicated when we have too much in it and too many moving parts.
10) More simplicity
Life becomes simpler when we want for less, compare less and try to keep up less.
11) Less debt
The less we chase more of more, the less likely we are to find ourselves in debt. Being out of debt also gives us more freedom of choice and opportunities in life.
12) More savings
Spending less money on things we don’t really need (or want deep down) can mean more savings.
13) Less stress
We reduce external and internal pressures. We give ourselves some room to breathe.
14) More living
Chasing less material possessions, and having less commitments in our diary we’re not passionate about keeping, means we have time to spend on those things and people that matter most.
15) Less clutter
We get the white space back in our lives.
16) More space
More physical space but also more mental space to breathe, reflect, focus and just be.
17) Less physical possessions
The stuff we own can end up owning us if we’re not careful. Be selective about what and who you let into your life.
18) More life experiences and adventure
Chasing less material possessions leaves room for chasing more life adventures and experiences instead.
19) Less jealousy
The less we compare and try to keep up, the less chance jealousy has of getting a grip in our lives.
20) More happiness
Right sizing less and understanding what enough looks like for us leads us to more happiness. We get to the core of what truly makes our hearts sing and look to fill our lives with it.
21) Less selfishness
The less inclined we are to compare and focus on what we don’t have, the more likely we are to eradicate selfishness from our lives.
22) More sharing and giving back
Having the right sort of less in our lives means we have more space to share and give back to others in some way. This can include acts of kindness and generosity.
Right sizing less to best suit us takes some work. It takes some critical thinking. It takes a heavy dose of honesty about what is truly important to us in life. It may mean reprioritising. It also takes a large degree of action and effort.
We’ve tried chasing more and it’s failed us. Maybe it’s time we made room for less.
Note: For More on Less see Need Less, Live More
Carl writes short books full of big ideas. He is also the proud owner of Frictionless Living which is focused on helping readers live simpler, finding focus and clarity in distracted times.