On a Diet of Fewer Better Things

How reduction is the secret to simpler, richer, and happier living

After the tsunami swells the forecast is for sunny days and rolling waves. A wetsuit and a surfboard will be all I need. Photo: Per Håkansson.

When we hear the word diet today we usually think food and restrictions. It could be eating less to loose weight or eating specific kinds of foods for health or other reasons. It’s giving something up that we have become used to, and in many cases, feel entitled too, for a possible positive change in the unknown future.

But the origin of the word really derives from the Greek word diaitasthan, meaning “to lead one’s life” and when first adopted by the English language in the thirteenth century it came to mean “way of life” – daily habits to live a healthy and prosperous life.

Today we have access to anything we could possible want from the palm of our hands and that can be quite overwhelming. The simple “one-click” shopping has made any buying process very convenient through speed and access but also a huge time, money, and attention waster. Since the phone is always in most people’s pockets it calls for our constant attention¹ through sounds and vibrations that we have learned to respond to urgently as our lives dependent on it (which they rarely do).

I’ve chosen to use the word diet in the positive context of designing a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable living across all categories: food, people, content, work, exercise, travels, thoughts, money, time, and attention. I believe that modern diet is about making intentional choices, creating positive habits, and simplifying to free up time, money, and attention for what’s really meaningful.