5 simple tips for getting rid of the unnecessary

(♥) 

Today's post was written by Henri Junttila, creator of the awesome site Wake Up Cloud. I recently came across Henri's site when he left a comment on mine and I've been such a fan ever since. On Henri's site you can discover your passion in 5 days and get conscious about your life. I was thrilled that he wanted to write a guest post for Positively Present and I certainly wasn't let down when he emailed me his article. Henri's take on letting go is well-written and worth a read (or two!). Enjoy! 

Simplifying your life is easier said than done. It’s almost as if we’re constantly conflicted about which way to go. On one hand we have our need to consume, to look good and to fulfill a desire to buy and hoard. On the other hand, we have our spiritual side, which enjoys the simplicity. It knows that you do not need all this stuff to be happy. I think as we go through life and learn, we start drifting more towards the spiritual side. The longer you live, the more you realize that you do not need all these things in your life. They will never make you happy, because happiness is not external, it’s internal.

I’ve decided to write this article from a slightly different perspective. There are a lot of good articles out there that tell you what you can do to declutter your life, which is why I want to focus on what’s going on in your mind instead. I recently moved from Sweden to Spain, and I’ve noticed a lot of upheaval in my own mind. I’ve simplified and I’ve come to grips with living with less. It can be tough in the beginning, but ultimately it’s extremely freeing.

1. Acknowledge the Need to Look Good

Even though I live in Europe, I stay in touch with a lot of people from both the U.S and Canada. What I’ve heard is that the culture over there is much more geared towards looking good and getting acknowledged for having the latest clothes, gadgets and cars, especially in the U.S.

The same applies in Europe. Some say it isn’t as serious here, but I’d say that it isn’t too far off. Everyone wants to look good. I think it’s an instinctual need that comes from deep within. I have no clue if this has been proven scientifically but that’s what it feels like. We have the need to look good. If you see someone good looking of the opposite sex pass you by, you instinctively do mental checks on how you look. Is your hair right? Do your clothes look good?

2. Think About the True Cost

When you think about buying something, the price you pay is not the true cost. If you already have a laptop that works, should you really buy another one? Sure, it may be old and not as good looking, but does it get the work done? This is the process I go through whenever I buy something new. Buying a car is the perfect example, because not only are you paying for the car, but you also have to pay for future fuel, repair and maintenance.

You also pay mentally, because you will be worried about your new car getting scratched. What if someone steals it? What if it breaks down in a weird place? There are a lot of mental burdens that you have to deal with when you add a new possession to your life.

3. Less Stuff, More Time

Have you been thinking about how you can work less and have more time to do the things you really want to do? I realize that this isn’t as easy as I’m putting out to be, but I also think that if you truly want something, you’ll find a way to make it true. By having fewer things, you will be able to spend less time at work, theoretically. Here are a few things you can eliminate from your life, or just change for something cheaper:

• Kill any subscriptions you absolutely do not need
• Get rid of your cable TV
• Sell your car or trade it for a cheaper and older one
• Move into a smaller apartment
• Stop buying so many damn clothes

 

There are just a few examples of what you can do. I buy new clothes a few times a year. I have a few excellent clothes that I wear frequently and that’s enough for me. I don’t have any subscriptions, no TV, no car and no bike. I am able to eliminate transportation because I work from home and live next door to a supermarket, plus I live very close to the buss and railway station. It’s all about being strategic so you can eliminate as many burdens as possible.

Now, I want to say this again, because I know there will be people objecting to this. I’m lucky because I can work from home and most people can’t do that. Well it took me about 2-3 years to finally start getting anywhere with that, so I’m definitely not lucky. I’ve just decided to work hard. The point I want to get across here is that you can eliminate a lot of things from your life to free up your time and money. Start small. You don’t have to sell your house right away. Be nice to yourself and enjoy the process!

4. Beware of Marketing

Marketing is like a knife. It can be used for both good and evil. When you start learning more about marketing, you start becoming aware of all the tactics that are being used against you. It is all set-up for us to consume as much as possible. I have no problem with marketers. They do what they have to do. Ultimately it is up to you to be responsible for your own actions. You have to know what is going on out there.

 If businesses want to stay profitable, they have to keep selling. Most businesses are now failing because they aren’t customer-oriented. They want to make as much money as possible, which isn’t working, as you may have noticed. The businesses that thrive now are those that take care of their customers, have a good message, have good products and use good, ethical marketing. So you see, it’s not bad at all, but beware that a lot of commercials and ads out there are trying to push your buttons to get you to buy, buy, buy.


 

5. Your Need to Consume

Somewhere deep down I think we have a need to consume and to hoard. I feel it as I walk past restaurants, stores and other small shops. It feels good to buy things, but is this effect created by our society such as advertising and social pressure, or is it something that lies deep within us? Or maybe both? Do we need to consume, like we needed to hoard food a few thousand years ago? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I have the desire to consume. I have discovered that by channeling my desire into other things, I can, for example, buy food and feel good.

Instead of buying the latest gadget, I can go to the store and buy some popcorn, rice and tomato sauce. I know that’s too simple for many, but there are times when I enjoy simplifying every aspect of my life. It feels good. It’s liberating. It makes you realize that you don’t need all this stuff that we are brought up to believe that we need. You can simplify your life. It feels good and allows you more freedom in your life. So what are you waiting for?

Henri Junttila is a lifestyle superhero and the father of the Wake Up Cloud, a blog about self improvement for conscious people. Be sure to check out his free Discover Your Passion in 5 Days e-course for tips on how to find what you truly love to do in life. 

Comments

[Eduard @ People Skills Decoded]

That first one really put a smile on my face. Because I can think of a lot of people who invest most of their time, energy and money creating a trendy image of them. Image is important, but so is content, so is actually being productive. This is why I think they're overdoing it.

Eduard

PS: changed my blog name, as you can see.

[positively present]

Eduard - That one also put a smile on my face too. Henri really hit on some good points in this post. Thanks for letting me know about the blog name change!

[Sid Savara]

I've become more and more aware of marketing over these past few years - I've been noticing how the advertisers really use a calculated approach to tug at our emotions and make us feel like we need something...

Something that we didn't even know existed until 10 seconds ago ;)

[positively present]

Sid - That's a great way of putting it. We're being sold things we didn't even know about and suddenly we NEED to have them. Once you start to become aware of it though, it's a lot easier to resist!

[Syd]

I think that the US is obsessed with looking good, having things, and generally not being happy with anything--either looks or things. Everywhere there is a range of consumption of some sort. Maybe the recession will be the great leveler and bring things back to the idea that less really is more.

[positively present]

Syd - I agree. It really is an obsession at times. Interesting take on what the recession might do...

[Penelope]

Love this post, definitely taking what you said on board!
Just wondering whether you would have any advice on coping with unrequited love for me?
Thanks very much for your blog by the way! I read it everyday. I'm starting to see life through a positive lense and changing into a better me.

- Love Penelope.

[Maria Brophy]

Henri, I love this topic. I've been cutting back on things for the past few years. It's hard to control the urge to consume, especially living in Southern California. But I've taken pride in not following the sheep and instead living with less stuff by doing these things:
1-turned off cable 5 yrs ago (no tv now
2-stay in a small home
3-keep my old 1997 ca
4-buy only what I need.

Buying less allows me to take long vacations overseas, have less stress and less financial obligations. It's better for the planet, too!

[Greg Blencoe]

Henri,

While I have always been somewhat of a minimalist, lately I have really focused on eliminating unnecessary things in my life. And it has definitely made me happier.

I think this is the most important sentence in your entire post:

"They will never make you happy, because happiness is not external, it’s internal."

This is SO true.

Those who are currently trying to seek happiness through buying things should consider meditating every day. Through meditation, the feeling of completeness, unconditional love, being "centered", etc. can help fill some of the void that causes us to look outside of ourselves for happiness.

[Topi]

I think my family is the only one I know that doesn't have cable tv, and yet, we never run out of things to watch on free to air tv...

Possessions rarely bring true happiness. In fact, I think clearing out my wardrobe and giving away the clothes I don't need feels better than buying them in the first place.

And, I'd rather have lunch with a friend or family member than receive a gift from them, although a lovely friend just bought me a coffee and a bunch of flowers and I couldn't be happier!

[J.D. Meier]

I always like how letting go frees you up. It's like the backpack story in Up in the Air.

[Henri @ Wake Up Cloud]

@ Eduard - I agree. It's amazing how much time people spend on their "image". I have to admit that I tend to think about it as well, but I won't go out of my way to buy lots of stuff to make me look good.

@ Sid - It's interesting to see how the marketing affects you and in what ways. It really tells you a lot about yourself.

@ Syd - I've never been to the U.S but I hear it's worse there than here in Europe. We can all live simply and there's plenty to go around for everyone on the planet. Hoepfully that time comes soon :)

@ Penelope - You mean you love yourself too much? There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe you can find other ways to spend money on yourself that doesn't mean accumulating more stuff. My 2 cents.

@ Maria - Glad to see you here, Maria :) We talked a bit about this on our call and I think you're rocking with simplifying your life. You seem very happy so you're definitely doing something right. I have never owned a car, I don't own a TV, share a small apartment with Ingela and I buy only what I need. Feels good!

@ Greg - You're completely right. It can be easy to get drawn into the whole buy buy buy mindset that is running rampant everywhere, but when you unplug, you realize that you can live simply and be happy.

@ Topi - I've never been a big clothes buyer person, so I've always liked having a few amount of clothes that I really like wearing and getting rid of anything unnecessary. It feels so good that something you don't use can be given away to someone else who really needs it. You're right on!

@ J.D - Yeah I resonated with the backpacking story in Up in the Air in several places. Practical minimalism for the win! :)

[Mike aka Find Inspiration]

I love this topic and have recently written about it as well. I stumbled across a photo that has written on the ground in chalk - "Give all your shit away and start living".

The current nature of our society just nails us with advertising and products that make things easier and faster. So the they get purchased by people that think they need them - when I think a lot of it is laziness and an addiction to "stuff".

Awesome post. I really enjoy the articles on this site. It's great...

[positively present]

Mike - Thanks so much for your comment. I'm glad to hear you enjoy Positively Present! :) Henri's article was a great one and I'm glad I had the opportunity to share it here. Thanks again for sharing your insights.

[Nea]

#5 is one that I've really had to work on. I've been guilty many times of shopping in order to silence pain, boredom, frustration, or other emotions. It was wasteful and it ultimately just added mounds of crap on top of crap.

[positively present]

Nea - I definitely have some trouble with shopping as well so I'm glad you could relate to this. Thanks for posting a comment on Henri's post!