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What Do I Do With All My Stuff | Season 2 Episode 2

There may be enjoyment in spending and owning new things, but there is also enjoyment in living a minimal, downsized life. Becoming a mindful consumer is a struggle for most of us because the economy drives us to have an accumulation mindset. We always feel the need to purchase new things and enjoy several convenient ways to shop. However, it is time we rethink our sentiments and intentions as consumers.

In this episode, Seek Go Create host Tim Winders talks about his personal experiences and insights on downsizing his things and finding joy in minimal living. He shares his own process in downsizing and gives out some tips for those who want to get started on their journey.

Tune in to this episode to learn how to downsize your things and discover the wonders it can bring to your life.

3 Reasons to Listen:

Learn more about the process of downsizing and how to do it.
Discover the reasons behind the behavior of accumulating things and why the consumer accumulation culture is flourishing.
Find out how downsizing your things can be a tough but fulfilling and liberating choice.

Resources

Joshua Becker’s books on minimalism
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Episode Details

Episode Highlights

[00:55] What Tim Means by Accumulating Things

Many homes are full of things that have accumulated over the years. Even garages are used for storage.
Our homes are filled up with so much stuff we refuse to discard.
The storage warehouse industry has become massive because of our demand for extra storage space.
Some people are starting to recognize that there is an issue in accumulating, storing, and getting rid of things.
Tim was forced to downsize when he moved homes and realized that all the stuff he needed to store or move was an issue for him.

[05:33] Downsizing as a Real Estate Investor

Tim had his share of personal experiences when it comes to clearing out rented properties.
He recounted one instance wherein he had a client who got evicted from the property for not paying and then was left with massive amounts of things to clear out.
After having to clear out the said property, he started to think, “Do I really need all of this stuff?”

“If everybody went to these minimalist or essentialist mindsets, we could see the economy grind to a halt.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[10:36] How We Ended Up Accumulating Things

Humans have this “depression-era mindset” wherein we fear we’re never going to get things again or that we might lose them during an economic downturn.
We have difficulty parting with things even though they are broken already because we think we can fix it.
We are also attuned to the mindset of “You never know when you might need it.”
Lastly, we hold onto things because we think they will have value someday.

“There is a strong current that is basically forcing people to accumulate, accumulate, accumulate. And if you’re going to swim upstream, you have to think differently, act differently, and have the mindset to stop accumulating.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[18:17] The Marketing Machine

We are forced or highly encouraged to accumulate things by the marketing world.
There are tracking mechanisms or algorithms online that get to know us and our needs better, and they end up showing up on our screens or feed.
They are feeding our “fear of missing out” mindset to their advantage.
This has created a consumer accumulation culture.

[24:15] Tim’s Process of Downsizing

It takes compassion, understanding, and patience to downsize.
It took a few years for Tim to downsize, and he went through stages.
He would do it chunk by chunk and ask himself questions to assess which to keep and which to get rid of.
The first step is to begin and look at the junk drawer or closet. Opt for things you have control over that might not need the decision of another person.
The second step is deciding what to do with the things that have been discarded. Some options are to donate, throw away, or put them in a garage sale.

“It causes some tension, it can cause a few arguments, and it takes some compassion, understating, and patience. So just be fully aware of that.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[30:41] Tips on Downsizing

Offer extra furniture to friends and family.
Digitize family pictures and store them in a cloud or hard drive.
Get the process started. It will be a blessing to your family down the road, say, when you pass away.

[34:10] Questions to Ask When Downsizing

How much is it worth?
What is the cost of storing it?
How much does it cost to replace it?

“At least get the process started because it’s going to be a blessing to your family down the road.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[36:16] Takeaways from Downsizing

It is a tough process, but it is worth it.
For Tim, it is liberating and enjoyable.
He’s become more mindful when purchasing things.
Ask yourself, “Does this bring me joy? Is it something that I really enjoy having?”
Know if an item is a blessing or a burden.

“One of the things we noticed was just how liberating it was just to get rid of things and how much it has simplified our lives and how easier it is.” - Click Here To Tweet This

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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim