The Start of Something Small

How much do I really need?

That is a question I have been having over the past few months, and one that I do not have an answer to.

My family and I have been on a journey of 'minimalism' over the past 18 months.  The journey was prompted by me being stressed out, overwhelmed, and feeling like I didn't have enough time for anything.  I started diving into books about efficiency, time management, and simplification.  There were a few that were extremely helpful:

• The Power of Less, by Leo Babauta   (www.zenhabits.net)
• Simplify, by Joshua Becker  (www.becomingminimalist.com)
• Getting Things Done, by David Allen 
• Inside Out Simplicity, by Joshua Becker
• Be More With Less, by Courtney Carver  (www.bemorewithless.com)
• The Minimalists (www.themins.com)

While we have been getting rid of a lot of stuff over the past year (and reaping tremendous benefits from having less stuff), part of the challenge is having less stuff come in.

Thus this blog, for a challenge for the year.  I am testing the idea that, right now, I have all that I need to live for one year.  Therefore...

I am not buying stuff for one entire year.

At first, the idea seemed a bit extreme.  But over the past 18 months, I have been getting rid of stuff like it was all covered in Ebola.  The more that I have thought about it, the more embarrassed I get that I don't know how much I need to survive, much less thrive.  For example:

• How much do I need to eat each day?
• How many clothes do I need to have?
• How much exercise do I need?
• How much time should I be spending on work?

There are a myriad of other questions that could be inserted here, but I think you get the idea.

So, over the next year, an experiment in not buying things and trying to figure out how much I really need...