Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and author of the stoic masterpiece The Meditations (AD 171-175), was a life-long, and probably from a modern standpoint, extreme minimalist. His living philosophy can be summarized in this excellent quote:
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius
It’s a mindset, of course, that takes dedication and practice. Nothing is easier in life than to blow salary and wealth on material things in the quest for temporary happiness so often turned into regret and a life filled with clutter and waste.
Real long-lasting happiness is an inside job designed by how we choose to perceive and take action in the world. It’s the classic battle between the glass half empty and half full. If we look at the glass as always being half empty we want more. If we look at it as half full we understand what we need and can appreciate what we have.
After my latest decluttering of the surfshack I felt good about my results but still thought I could do better, going from good to great so to speak. So I went through the shack again with a fine tooth comb and identified stuff that I like but never use.
It’s the toughest category of things to get rid of – the liked, not needed – but also the only path to the next level of minimalism. I gathered these things in a pile on the floor and valiantly bid my last farewells. It was hard, I felt like a real cold-hearted bastard.
But once divested and out of sight I felt light and free again. No past or future in the shack, just lovely presence. Nothing to tie me down either now or later, just useful everyday stuff that all have its dedicated spacious places when not being in use.
I call this state of being Storage Zero. Nothing is stored from the past for future use, everything is either actively being used or mindfully divested, just like Inbox Zero. The purpose is similar, to free up our attention to focus on what really matters.
Clearing out the last clutter has been seismic. There is a huge experiential difference between having a few things stored and Storage Zero. Everything has become easier and faster: from getting dressed, to working, exercising, and making food.
I think this is how we are supposed to live: we own exactly the things we need to do the things we love but not one single thing more. Nothing stored, nothing wasted. It feels like I’ve switched from driving a mindless old minivan to a super fast new Ferrari.
Things you should check out
Work Anywhere: The Nowhere Office is a book about hybrid work, how we got here and where we are heading in the future. Well-written and insightful.
Reductive Genius: Reduction leads to extraordinary focus. Watch Zane Lowe interviewing Rick Rubin at the Shangri-La Studios about how he works and thinks.
Cluttercore: The battle between minimalists (Millennials) and maximalists (Gen-Z) is on according the business magazine Fast Company.
Interesting quotes
“Any half-awake materialist well knows – that which you hold holds you.” – Tom Robbins, American novelist
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer and poet
“Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.” – Edwin Way Teale, American naturalist and photographer
About Fewer Better Things
This newsletter is about how to declutter and simplify our daily lives, only owning the essentials that we frequently use to reconquer wasted time, money, and attention. It’s a for-pay newsletter, with occasional free editions, to stay independent and ad-free.
About Me
I’m an advisor, speaker, and writer on sustainability innovation and technology. Previously I developed and managed digital products in Silicon Valley. Today I live and work in a small surf shack in Southern California, practicing fewer better things.
Create your profile
Only paid subscribers can comment on this post
Check your email
For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.
Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.