Identifying what is most important.
When writing down a list of values and priorities in life, most people would probably put relationships on that list. What relationships are most important and who do you love, care for, and invest time in? Most people would agree that we love the people in our lives more than physical things.
Evaluating how time is spent.
The most real way to see if we are living out our most treasured values is to see if those values align with daily activities. Write down your schedule for the day, week, or month and see where the hours are spent. It will become clear which things are actually taking priority. This is a great exercise to see if we’re truly living out our values, and to adjust when it’s time to shift focus.
‘Stuff’ takes up time.
It takes time to work for the money to buy stuff. Precious hours in the day can be spent buying more stuff to put in our homes. And the more we have in our houses, closets, and garages, the longer it takes to maintain everything. Cleaning, repairing, and eventually replacing all of these items also requires time… and the cycle continues. In addition, stuff drains our time through shopping, organizing, and paying off debt. Preoccupation with stuff and worry about possessions can steal our time and energy in the form of worry, comparison, envy, or greed.
By minimizing the number of things in the home, we free up more space in our lives to invest in what is most valued. Stop running after the accumulation of more things and discover more time for the people who are most important to you.
Relationships take time.
It takes a lot to build solid relationships. It requires intentionality to truly invest in people by having a real connection. And it takes a conscious effort to have meaningful conversations. This is something that definitely eats into the calendar and list of things to do. However, it is so fulfilling to prioritize these relationships over physical things.
Simplicity helps us to prioritize.
Think of minimalism as a tool to help focus on what is important in life. Move towards whatever is held most dear, and whatever is worthy of a true commitment—that is what simple living can help you achieve. Reduce the things you own in order to have an increased capacity to invest in others. You’ll spend less waking hours attaining things, and have more availability to be with the people you love. It is possible to actually find more in less; when physical things cease to be a distraction, then there is more space for relationship, connection, and family.
Discover the joy of having less stuff, and more space for the people in your life.
