Lately I have been inspired by individuals I know who live their lives on almost nothing. While "meager living" is more difficult to find in this materialistic culture we live in, there are some that either by choice or by the need for survival live much more simply. My sister for example lived on 50 dollars a month while on tour for 2 years, and after visiting her recently I noticed her closet which was probably a 4th the size of my own. I began to wonder as I watch other people live... why do we need so much? Even the amount of food we eat is disgusting. In fact, Americans eat 815 billion calories of food each day, that's roughly 200 billion more than needed and is enough to feed 80 million people. It is estimated that we throw away half of the food we produce in America. Obviously the fattest nation in the world (although Australia is close behind), we are also ranked 2nd to last in overall health. We are actually eating ourselves into an early grave.
And on the spending front, it is no secret we don't live within our means as the average household has $14,500 in credit card debt. And when we use a credit card to purchase something we spend 30% more, in addition it typically ends up costing us 112% more than if we were to use cash. And even with all this spending we are still ranked 7th in highest rates of suicides compared to other countries, so obviously we are not happy. How is it that underdeveloped nations have lower suicide rates and report higher levels of happiness?
So how can a busy 24 year old college student do about all of this? I have always been excited about the idea of living a more simple life. Buying quality and not quantity, using cash to pay for almost everything, eating quality healthy food in smaller portions. Turning off the TV and reading a book. Spending more time with people I love. Getting rid of things I don't use, not throwing them all away away but donating them, or giving them to those in need. A minimalist lifestyle, to me, is more than just living simply, its living happily, sustainably, healthy, and squeezing absolutely every ounce of life I can out of my time.
So for 30 days I will be diving into the radical, and see how I come out on the other side. For 30 days, from today through May 28th, I will be living different areas of a minimalist lifestyle from how I spend my money, what and how I eat, my use of resources, and my use of time.
Money: I will not spend anything during the day that wasn't already planned, whether that be lunch because I forgot to pack it, or a stick of gum... no exceptions. I will also be buying everything with cash, with the exception of gas and sometimes groceries where I use my card to build credit.
Diet: I will be doing a 30 day intensive detox, which cuts out all breads, grains and simple carbs along with all sugar (a few varieties of fruit allowed). And adds all kids of good proteins, fats, and vegetables, along with special supplements for detoxing.
Exercise: How better to exercise with a minimalist perspective than by running barefoot. I will be doing burst training, strength training and incorporating barefoot running 5 days a week. I will record my progress daily.
Resources: I will, over the course of 30 days try on every item of clothing I have and get rid of what I don't wear. I will also be going through all my books (which is a rather ridiculous amount) and selling them online, and going through everything else I own to determine if I really need it.
Time: Time is a resource all of its own. So many of us (myself included) sit idly by and watch life happen while we watch TV, waist valuable time on facebook and doing other activities that count for nothing in the end. I will not be watching any TV unless it is an activity I am doing with friends, or be spending more than 5 minutes on facebook at any given time. I will be spending my time working on my future business, making extra money, spending time with friends and planning some community activities that teach people how to live healthier lives. Overall a much better use of my time.
Feel free to comment on ways you have learned to live minimally
And on the spending front, it is no secret we don't live within our means as the average household has $14,500 in credit card debt. And when we use a credit card to purchase something we spend 30% more, in addition it typically ends up costing us 112% more than if we were to use cash. And even with all this spending we are still ranked 7th in highest rates of suicides compared to other countries, so obviously we are not happy. How is it that underdeveloped nations have lower suicide rates and report higher levels of happiness?
So how can a busy 24 year old college student do about all of this? I have always been excited about the idea of living a more simple life. Buying quality and not quantity, using cash to pay for almost everything, eating quality healthy food in smaller portions. Turning off the TV and reading a book. Spending more time with people I love. Getting rid of things I don't use, not throwing them all away away but donating them, or giving them to those in need. A minimalist lifestyle, to me, is more than just living simply, its living happily, sustainably, healthy, and squeezing absolutely every ounce of life I can out of my time.
So for 30 days I will be diving into the radical, and see how I come out on the other side. For 30 days, from today through May 28th, I will be living different areas of a minimalist lifestyle from how I spend my money, what and how I eat, my use of resources, and my use of time.
Money: I will not spend anything during the day that wasn't already planned, whether that be lunch because I forgot to pack it, or a stick of gum... no exceptions. I will also be buying everything with cash, with the exception of gas and sometimes groceries where I use my card to build credit.
Diet: I will be doing a 30 day intensive detox, which cuts out all breads, grains and simple carbs along with all sugar (a few varieties of fruit allowed). And adds all kids of good proteins, fats, and vegetables, along with special supplements for detoxing.
Exercise: How better to exercise with a minimalist perspective than by running barefoot. I will be doing burst training, strength training and incorporating barefoot running 5 days a week. I will record my progress daily.
Resources: I will, over the course of 30 days try on every item of clothing I have and get rid of what I don't wear. I will also be going through all my books (which is a rather ridiculous amount) and selling them online, and going through everything else I own to determine if I really need it.
Time: Time is a resource all of its own. So many of us (myself included) sit idly by and watch life happen while we watch TV, waist valuable time on facebook and doing other activities that count for nothing in the end. I will not be watching any TV unless it is an activity I am doing with friends, or be spending more than 5 minutes on facebook at any given time. I will be spending my time working on my future business, making extra money, spending time with friends and planning some community activities that teach people how to live healthier lives. Overall a much better use of my time.
Feel free to comment on ways you have learned to live minimally
April 30, 2011 at 4:15 PM
I've actually kicked on the idea of doing pretty much the same thing, focusing more on organization and structure then minimalism (each to their own failing I guess). The obvious result so far has been that I haven't had the organization or structure to actually act on those impulses. Who knows maybe I can siphon some of your energy and finally get something going.
May 1, 2011 at 2:04 AM
Caleb...Siphon away!
I absolutely love organization.... one of those people who can see a room full of chaos and see organized spaces. I have found that with minimalism, by default you are gifted with more organization and structure, which is awesome because I love having everything in order.
Here is something I have learned... there are two main steps to create change. The first is education. You probably won't start exercising or eating right until you lean about the benefits, or maybe the negative effects of NOT exercising etc. After you have convinced yourself that this is something you need to do, the second step is just doing it. Talking that walk... most of the time we are not "changed" until much farther through the process. Some people have to first start doing something before they truly see the benefit. Whatever you do realize you will fail sometimes. The average person sees failure and gives up. Don't be average :)