I have to admit, lately I’ve found myself on a de-cluttering kick. I’ve been trying to figure out what triggered this new hobby – and my subsequent new weekend ritual of taking bags of stuff to HousingWorks in Tribeca.
When I think about it, it really boils down to wanting a simpler life. With less stuff, comes more time, more freedom, and more space. It’s about having more opportunity to surround yourself with the things and people that matter, creating less physical and mental distractions, and exercising restraint against the ever present addiction we have to consumption as a society. I think that our homes and how we live are a projection of how we approach the rest of our lives. If we don’t recycle and are wasteful at home, it’s likely that we are wasteful with other resources, such as at the office or in relationships. If we aren’t organized and live in a physical space that’s in disarray, then likely our minds are in that state as well – not so great for decision making.
I always joke that one day when I just decide I’m all done with the Internet, I’m going to move to some secluded place and become a writer – one who writes everything on legal pads and mails manuscripts in the actual mail. There’s something so satisfying about a simple life – a life that feels so far from what it’s like to live in NYC.
I stumbled upon this TED Talk by Graham Hill (creator of www.treehugger.com) that is completely in line with my new focus on living a simpler life with less. It’s quite short, and definitely worth a watch:
Although the three main points in the talk are focused on how to simplify your physical space, I think they can also be applied to so many other parts of our lives. So, this week, challenge yourself to find ways to live with less.