How Essentialism Not Minimalism Helps Reduce Burnout
Live, have things that serve your needs, purge, and donate the rest.
For the longest time, I dreamed of being a minimalist—someone who would have only a few things and discard the rest. Walking into a living room with a couch, a table, a TV, and not much else seemed to be perfect.
The environment I was in was not conducive to my desire for minimalism.
Minimalists are often described as having dishes, very few clothes, and only the basics. In Toronto's more miniature condo landscape, this style of living aligns with the housing affordability in this ever-growing city.
I read Greg McKeown's Essentialism a few years ago, which altered my perspective on things and experiences.
Where minimalism requires limited items, essentialism requires items essential to your desired lifestyle.
I used to have a huge DVD and CD collection. I also have many comic books, baseball and hockey cards, memorabilia, etc.
Most of those items have been sold and/or donated. I stream my music, and when I watch movies or TV, I use streaming services or OTA (no cable!).
My books are mostly ebook flavor, although I receive a couple dozen books yearly to read/review by the author and/or publisher. Great gig!
Now, my life consists of things essential to accomplishing what I want and choose to do.
I don’t need to rent a storage locker. I don’t have a basement full of things I haven’t touched in months/years. People fail to realize they are spending money to store things they don’t use. You’re paying utilities on a larger property to have rooms that don’t get used and to store things that may have been of use to you before but no longer are.
Much like purging activities from your life every six months, you should periodically go through your belongings and see what you’re no longer using. Donate those things to someone else.
When you have the things in your life that are essential to your goals, you can help reduce your burnout because you won’t suffer from the clutter or financial challenges of storing all of those things.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need help determining what is essential to you. I'm happy to chat!
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Books:
Burnout Proof: https://amzn.to/37prw48
The Great Resignation & Quiet Quitting: https://amzn.to/3JgeusB
Baby Boomer Burnout: https://amzn.to/3Yei4rf
369 Days: How To Survive A Year of Worst-Case Scenarios: https://amzn.to/38Zd807
Burnout: How You Entered The Path To Burnout: https://amzn.to/2GQWFyZ