Minimalism means something different to everyone. For me, it means having only the things you need. Applying this concept has really changed how I feel about what “stuff” does to your life, not for it. This started with “Goodbye, things” by Fumio Sasaki.
The cover really does give you an insight into what ultra-minimalism looks like, where you only have a handful of possessions. I don’t desire to shrink my stuff to such a low number. But what I am desiring to accomplish is to discover what makes me happy, and throw out all the rest. For example, I have about ten pairs of headphones which I’ve collected during my musical endeavours. I’ve asked myself: Which of these are most important? I have three or four pairs suitable for exercise, three or four suitable for music production, and another few with specific functions (such as wireless on-ear headphones, or noise-cancelling headphones for travelling).
I’ve looked at keeping three pairs:
- Apple AirPods (most functional wireless and multi-purpose for phone calls, public transport, health and fitness, with a low profile)
- Audio Technica in-ear studio monitors (highest quality with the lowest profile, doesn’t take up much room without compromising on quality)
- Beyerdynamic over-ear studio headphones (best option I have for music production if I need)
The other pairs aren’t necessary. It’s always nice to have, for example, noise-cancelling headphones for international travel, but when I went to Japan in 2017 I used only the AirPods and found they did a good enough job at distracting me from in-flight noise, and for the first time helped me fall asleep on an aircraft! On a ten hour flight, sleeping for 6 of those hours was really helpful. I may have slept with the noise-cancelling headphones, but they would have taken up more room in my luggage, which in-turn may have hindered the travel I had planned.
The initial impact of minimalism has seen me reduce my spending (so I can save for Japan), focus on owning only the things most important to me which are high profile, which in turn is simplifying my life.
I highly recommend this book, because it’s completely changed what I want out of life. Maybe it’ll do the same for you.
