When I moved out of my San Francisco pad in March 2014 I decided to go full out on fewer better things, the journey I had begun a decade early during a short sabbatical from Silicon Valley.
I could have continued the rat race for more stuff but decided to explore a new, more personal path. After all, technology had made everything accessible to anyone and to keep chasing stuff felt old.
Inventing a new lifestyle
No, I was envisioning a new type of life, richer in time, attention, and creative energy, and with a focus on personal growth and self-realization. I realized I didn’t need more stuff but a better, higher quality living.
I was in an unique position to start anew, to reinvent myself, and to explore a simpler and more meaningful lifestyle. I was in the process of divorcing, not just my partner at the time but also the lifestyle of more.
I was now single and free to do whatever I wanted. The first thought was to find a new pad because that is “what you do”. But I wasn’t into doing what you’re supposed to do, never been, so instead I decided to reinvent my life.
From light to lighter
I did have a few things left from my old life, like a few boxes and some sports equipment but I was fairly light-weight in relative terms. And over time, I was going to become even lighter, only owning the fewer better things.
Since I was traveling two weeks per month – fully paid by clients – I didn’t see any reasons to rent an expensive place in San Francisco when I was hardly ever there. Instead I decided to become nomadic; store a few boxes and travel light.
I did this for five years while I was slowly phasing out stuff (wearing out, donating, selling, or gifting) that I neither liked nor used that often and replaced them with better quality gear from sustainable brands.
Survive and thrive with less
I learned during this time that I could survive, even thrive with less, much less than I thought was even possible. A great pair of jeans for example, made by my friends at Hiut Denim in Wales, could easily replace owning multiple jeans.
It was just about putting in the effort and find the really great gear that was well made and that I planned to use frequently. Instead of buying several jeans that felt okay, I was searching for the best jeans ever made and to wear them all the time.