#45: Discard anything that creates visual noise.
The objects I have at home are white, beige, gray, and the colours of wood, pleasing to the eye and in harmony among themselves. The balance is disrupted when I have something in a flashy neon colour or a primary colour that is too bold; they stand out too much and disturb the peaceful atmosphere. A jug of bleach, for example, might have a bright pink cap and a mint-colored body. Household cleaning materials are often flashy, which is probably an attempt to warn people of their possible hazards.
Poisonous creatures are generally garish, sending out visual signals to stay away from them. Their bright colors are not meant to be relaxing. Objects with colors like that enter your field of vision, and hence your awareness, even if you are not particularly paying attention to them. Small articles adorned with colors are certainly cute. But larger items with bold colours will trigger visual fatigue, and then boredom. You won't tire as quickly of objects that are easier on the eyes and less stimulating, and they can generally be used for longer periods of time.
#46: One in, one out.
This is one of the golden rules of minimizing: If you want to buy something, first get rid of something else. Even in the process of minimizing, there will be new items that we need. You can start by getting rid of two or three items when you buy one new item. Once you are down to just your essential possessions, stick with the "one in, one out" rule.
With clothing, you can also predetermine the number of clothes hangers that you have to help you stick to this. You won't be able to increase your clothes collection because you simply won't have anywhere to hang something new.
We should also note that this "one in, one out" rule holds only for items of the same type. For example, if we buy a new jacket, we part with an old jacket. it does not make sense to buy a new microwave oven and throw away an old eraser, right? One in, one out, same kind.
#47. Avoid the Concorde fallacy.
Have you heard of the term "Concorde fallacy"? The development of the Concorde, a supersonic jet, is said to have cost about ￡4 billion. The British and French governments continued to pour money into the project even when it was clear the jet wasn't going to be commercially successful, and it eventually led to about £ 10 billion in losses. Even when we know that the outlook is not very bright, it is hard to stop doing something when you consider the time, effort, and costs that have already gone into development.
This happen to us all the time. I bought a hybrid road and mountain bike for only￡35, and the purchase prompted an interest in cycling. Then I went out and bought a complete tool kit and began reassembling the components. Guess what happened? I though about the ￡35 purchase I started out with and said to myself, "What is another ￡70 when I paid so little at the beginning?" I ended up spending more than ten times the initial amount that I paid. Argh. You can also see this effect when we buy those add-ins or upgrades for our smartphones games. We sometimes do not know when to stop, and we end up wasting too much money and time. Watch out for things that can lead to the Concorde fallacy.
#48: Be quick to admit mistakes. They help you grow.
We have all done it: we go shopping, buy an outfit that looks good on us in the store, take it home and wear it a few times, and then leave it in the closet/wardrobe. We have not gotten our money's worth yet so it is hard to throw it away. or actually, we do not even consider throwing it away. It is still new, after all. Why do we make these shopping mistakes?
Maybe we did not really love the outfit that much, but the shop attendant was very nice. Or it was not a perfect fit but we saw someone else wearing it and it looked great on them. Perhaps it was so cheap, we just had to grab it. Even though the warning signs were already there, we ignored them in favour of the seeming benefits. I still make these types of mistakes.
When we experience shopping mistakes like this, it is better to get rid of the item sooner rather than later. it is not healthy to spend any more time with an item that signals "failure" to you. Instead, let us try to recognize and learn from our mistakes as soon as we can, so we can make a smarter choice the next time around.
#49: Think of buying as renting.
A friend of mine buys a lot of clothes but makes a point of saving all the tags in a bag. he wears his clothes for one season and then he sells them at auction, together with the tags he has saved. With the tags, he can sell his goods (used goods) at better prices, sometimes for more than he bought them for. He tells me that he considers his clothes "rented from the stores," and when it comes time to "return" them, he sells them to someone else.
I think this is quite an intriguing idea. When you treat the clothes that you buy like they are rented, you handle them with more care. Then you can recycle them in better condition, and you won't be letting anything go to waste. if we think our purchases as only temporary possessions, it keeps us humble and allows us to better appreciate them.
#50: Don't buy it because it's cheap. Do not take it because it is free.
When people buy something worth $50 for $20, they generally think they have saved $30 of their money. It is as if they have actually received $30 by buying that particular product. But we never think about the space we need to store that item in our homes. Let us do a little arithmetic with my rent.
In my case, the monthly rent for my apartment is about $470 for twenty square meters, which comes to abut $21 per square meter. If the item I bought above for about $14 was a one-square-meter dresser, the $21 I thought I saved would be cancelled out right away by the space it took up. It is dangerous to buy something just because it is cheap. Buy to add value to your life, not because it is cheap or good bargain.
Even something free can be risky. You are bound to be aware of something once you own it, and that alone requires space in our brains. Time and effort will also be needed to manage and care for whatever the item might be. So as it turns out, that "free" item will cost you. Remembering that can help us avoid accumulating too many things just because they happen to be cheap or free.
#51: If it is not a "hell, yes!" it is a "no."
When we think about discarding something, sometimes we get stuck weighing its pros and cons. Consider this, though: When we go back and forth like this it is because we think that the two choices have equal value. We're not trying to decide between a gift of $10 or $100, for example ― we're deciding between $1 or $1.05.
If that is about the extent of the difference we're facing, we might as well be brave and say "goodbye" to the item. If you are thinking about reducing the number of things you own, then I recommend discarding something as soon as you start wondering whether or not to do so.
There is a phrase I like that goes, "If it is not a 'hell, yes!' it is a 'no.'" When we ask ourselves, "Should I get rid of this?" we can turn that around: "If it is not a 'hell, no!" it is 'yes.'" It will help us discard everything except the things we absolutely cannot part with. And we will be able to manage just fine.
#52. The things we really need will always find their way back to us.
Most of us are afraid that if we throw something away, we may never see it again. But we will never be able to get rid of anything if we start worrying about things like that. Today, we can find almost anything online. A book that's out of print and hard to find at used-book stores can be bought through Amazon.com, and there are auction sites where you can look for the most unique items.
Chances are, you are not ever going to miss something so much that you become depressed or filled with regret. And if something like that did actually happen, you'd always be able to get hold of it once more. You will be able to read a book that you want to read again, and someone out there will always have that item that you need to see again. if you miss it so badly that you cannot sleep at night, you can always beg its current owner to return it or ask the retailer to send you another one. There are very things that will become completely out of reach.
#53. Keep the gratitude.
We part with items that we have received as gifts. We part with items that used to belong to someone who passed away. We part with items that we cannot really make good use of. At those moments, it is the feelings of gratitude we should be embracing.
Someone gave you something, but you do not need it. Though we may not particularly think about it, we will always harbour some type of small resentment about it somewhere in our hearts. But hanging on to that item despite that resentment is disrespectful to the giver and a waste of your energy.
I think it is much more beautiful to focus on your gratitude toward that person as you say a final "goodbye" to what they gave you. That strong sense of appreciation will remain etched inside us, even after the item is gone, and that is what is really important.
#54. Discard things can be wasteful. But the guilt that keeps you from minimizing is the true waste.
I agree that it is a waste to discard something that can still be used. I do not like simply throwing things into the trash can myself, and I try to let go of my things in such a way that they might be of use to someone else.
The real waste, though, is the psychological damage that you accrue from hanging on to things you do not use or need.
You feel guilty when you look at items that someone gave you as gifts, or that you purchased but never get around to using. They might still be usable, and it would be a waste to throw them away. by keeping these items, though, you guarantee that you will continue to feel this way today, tomorrow, and beyond. Now, I think that is a true waste.
#55. The things we say goodbye to are the things we will remember forever.
I have scanned every letter I have received and have thrown away all the originals. Among them, there is something that I will never be able to forget. it is a train route guide that my mother wrote for me by hand. I left my hometown in Kagawa Prefecture when I enrolled at a university in Tokyo. My mother's guide spelled out which trains to transfer to once I arrived at Haneda Airport so I could get on the monorail train, then the Yamanote Line, then the Seibu Shinjuku Line, and so forth. I do not have a very good sense of direction, and we did not have smartphones back then. I wonder how my mother felt as she watched me leave for Tokyo?
I'd forgotten that I still had this handwritten train route guide; it has been buried in the mountains of letters that I'd been keeping. It was only when the time came to throw it all away The I realised how valuable it had been tome. As we know, throwing things away does not necessarily mean throwing away our memories/ In truth, sometimes the act of saying goodbye is what actually ensures that those memories will remain with us forever.
15 more tips for the next stage of your minimalist journey. Click here.
The objects I have at home are white, beige, gray, and the colours of wood, pleasing to the eye and in harmony among themselves. The balance is disrupted when I have something in a flashy neon colour or a primary colour that is too bold; they stand out too much and disturb the peaceful atmosphere. A jug of bleach, for example, might have a bright pink cap and a mint-colored body. Household cleaning materials are often flashy, which is probably an attempt to warn people of their possible hazards.
Poisonous creatures are generally garish, sending out visual signals to stay away from them. Their bright colors are not meant to be relaxing. Objects with colors like that enter your field of vision, and hence your awareness, even if you are not particularly paying attention to them. Small articles adorned with colors are certainly cute. But larger items with bold colours will trigger visual fatigue, and then boredom. You won't tire as quickly of objects that are easier on the eyes and less stimulating, and they can generally be used for longer periods of time.
#46: One in, one out.
This is one of the golden rules of minimizing: If you want to buy something, first get rid of something else. Even in the process of minimizing, there will be new items that we need. You can start by getting rid of two or three items when you buy one new item. Once you are down to just your essential possessions, stick with the "one in, one out" rule.
With clothing, you can also predetermine the number of clothes hangers that you have to help you stick to this. You won't be able to increase your clothes collection because you simply won't have anywhere to hang something new.
We should also note that this "one in, one out" rule holds only for items of the same type. For example, if we buy a new jacket, we part with an old jacket. it does not make sense to buy a new microwave oven and throw away an old eraser, right? One in, one out, same kind.
#47. Avoid the Concorde fallacy.
Have you heard of the term "Concorde fallacy"? The development of the Concorde, a supersonic jet, is said to have cost about ￡4 billion. The British and French governments continued to pour money into the project even when it was clear the jet wasn't going to be commercially successful, and it eventually led to about £ 10 billion in losses. Even when we know that the outlook is not very bright, it is hard to stop doing something when you consider the time, effort, and costs that have already gone into development.
This happen to us all the time. I bought a hybrid road and mountain bike for only￡35, and the purchase prompted an interest in cycling. Then I went out and bought a complete tool kit and began reassembling the components. Guess what happened? I though about the ￡35 purchase I started out with and said to myself, "What is another ￡70 when I paid so little at the beginning?" I ended up spending more than ten times the initial amount that I paid. Argh. You can also see this effect when we buy those add-ins or upgrades for our smartphones games. We sometimes do not know when to stop, and we end up wasting too much money and time. Watch out for things that can lead to the Concorde fallacy.
#48: Be quick to admit mistakes. They help you grow.
We have all done it: we go shopping, buy an outfit that looks good on us in the store, take it home and wear it a few times, and then leave it in the closet/wardrobe. We have not gotten our money's worth yet so it is hard to throw it away. or actually, we do not even consider throwing it away. It is still new, after all. Why do we make these shopping mistakes?
Maybe we did not really love the outfit that much, but the shop attendant was very nice. Or it was not a perfect fit but we saw someone else wearing it and it looked great on them. Perhaps it was so cheap, we just had to grab it. Even though the warning signs were already there, we ignored them in favour of the seeming benefits. I still make these types of mistakes.
When we experience shopping mistakes like this, it is better to get rid of the item sooner rather than later. it is not healthy to spend any more time with an item that signals "failure" to you. Instead, let us try to recognize and learn from our mistakes as soon as we can, so we can make a smarter choice the next time around.
#49: Think of buying as renting.
A friend of mine buys a lot of clothes but makes a point of saving all the tags in a bag. he wears his clothes for one season and then he sells them at auction, together with the tags he has saved. With the tags, he can sell his goods (used goods) at better prices, sometimes for more than he bought them for. He tells me that he considers his clothes "rented from the stores," and when it comes time to "return" them, he sells them to someone else.
I think this is quite an intriguing idea. When you treat the clothes that you buy like they are rented, you handle them with more care. Then you can recycle them in better condition, and you won't be letting anything go to waste. if we think our purchases as only temporary possessions, it keeps us humble and allows us to better appreciate them.
#50: Don't buy it because it's cheap. Do not take it because it is free.
When people buy something worth $50 for $20, they generally think they have saved $30 of their money. It is as if they have actually received $30 by buying that particular product. But we never think about the space we need to store that item in our homes. Let us do a little arithmetic with my rent.
In my case, the monthly rent for my apartment is about $470 for twenty square meters, which comes to abut $21 per square meter. If the item I bought above for about $14 was a one-square-meter dresser, the $21 I thought I saved would be cancelled out right away by the space it took up. It is dangerous to buy something just because it is cheap. Buy to add value to your life, not because it is cheap or good bargain.
Even something free can be risky. You are bound to be aware of something once you own it, and that alone requires space in our brains. Time and effort will also be needed to manage and care for whatever the item might be. So as it turns out, that "free" item will cost you. Remembering that can help us avoid accumulating too many things just because they happen to be cheap or free.
#51: If it is not a "hell, yes!" it is a "no."
When we think about discarding something, sometimes we get stuck weighing its pros and cons. Consider this, though: When we go back and forth like this it is because we think that the two choices have equal value. We're not trying to decide between a gift of $10 or $100, for example ― we're deciding between $1 or $1.05.
If that is about the extent of the difference we're facing, we might as well be brave and say "goodbye" to the item. If you are thinking about reducing the number of things you own, then I recommend discarding something as soon as you start wondering whether or not to do so.
There is a phrase I like that goes, "If it is not a 'hell, yes!' it is a 'no.'" When we ask ourselves, "Should I get rid of this?" we can turn that around: "If it is not a 'hell, no!" it is 'yes.'" It will help us discard everything except the things we absolutely cannot part with. And we will be able to manage just fine.
#52. The things we really need will always find their way back to us.
Most of us are afraid that if we throw something away, we may never see it again. But we will never be able to get rid of anything if we start worrying about things like that. Today, we can find almost anything online. A book that's out of print and hard to find at used-book stores can be bought through Amazon.com, and there are auction sites where you can look for the most unique items.
Chances are, you are not ever going to miss something so much that you become depressed or filled with regret. And if something like that did actually happen, you'd always be able to get hold of it once more. You will be able to read a book that you want to read again, and someone out there will always have that item that you need to see again. if you miss it so badly that you cannot sleep at night, you can always beg its current owner to return it or ask the retailer to send you another one. There are very things that will become completely out of reach.
#53. Keep the gratitude.
We part with items that we have received as gifts. We part with items that used to belong to someone who passed away. We part with items that we cannot really make good use of. At those moments, it is the feelings of gratitude we should be embracing.
Someone gave you something, but you do not need it. Though we may not particularly think about it, we will always harbour some type of small resentment about it somewhere in our hearts. But hanging on to that item despite that resentment is disrespectful to the giver and a waste of your energy.
I think it is much more beautiful to focus on your gratitude toward that person as you say a final "goodbye" to what they gave you. That strong sense of appreciation will remain etched inside us, even after the item is gone, and that is what is really important.
#54. Discard things can be wasteful. But the guilt that keeps you from minimizing is the true waste.
I agree that it is a waste to discard something that can still be used. I do not like simply throwing things into the trash can myself, and I try to let go of my things in such a way that they might be of use to someone else.
The real waste, though, is the psychological damage that you accrue from hanging on to things you do not use or need.
You feel guilty when you look at items that someone gave you as gifts, or that you purchased but never get around to using. They might still be usable, and it would be a waste to throw them away. by keeping these items, though, you guarantee that you will continue to feel this way today, tomorrow, and beyond. Now, I think that is a true waste.
#55. The things we say goodbye to are the things we will remember forever.
I have scanned every letter I have received and have thrown away all the originals. Among them, there is something that I will never be able to forget. it is a train route guide that my mother wrote for me by hand. I left my hometown in Kagawa Prefecture when I enrolled at a university in Tokyo. My mother's guide spelled out which trains to transfer to once I arrived at Haneda Airport so I could get on the monorail train, then the Yamanote Line, then the Seibu Shinjuku Line, and so forth. I do not have a very good sense of direction, and we did not have smartphones back then. I wonder how my mother felt as she watched me leave for Tokyo?
I'd forgotten that I still had this handwritten train route guide; it has been buried in the mountains of letters that I'd been keeping. It was only when the time came to throw it all away The I realised how valuable it had been tome. As we know, throwing things away does not necessarily mean throwing away our memories/ In truth, sometimes the act of saying goodbye is what actually ensures that those memories will remain with us forever.
15 more tips for the next stage of your minimalist journey. Click here.
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