4 Reasons Why I Became a Minimalist

It was October 2018, and I had the best year of my life regarding income, career and achievements.

I was one of the top Recruiters for the global firm I worked for, and I had a lucrative video editing side hustle that earned me a solid 2nd income while juggling being a parent and a husband.

We finally bought our place after years of renting, and for the first time in my life, I bought a brand new car for the family.

Life was great until I noticed something.

I was consuming more and more things that I didn’t need. It seemed like the more money I earned, the more I felt I needed to get rewarded for all my hard work.

It was weird to catch myself spending more money since I have more disposable income.

Then one night, I watched something on Netflix called “Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things.”

It was at this point that my journey to Minimalism started.

Stuff Everywhere

I remember looking around our home right after I watched that documentary. I didn’t realise I had so much personal stuff at home.

Having a young child with toys everywhere didn’t help, but seeing that I have more stuff than my wife made me feel somewhat uneasy.

A majority of the stuff I owned were clothes, tech gadgets and little things that didn’t need to be there (multiple water bottles with different colours and designs)

Why do I own so much stuff?

The advancement of online marketing strategies caused my habit of impulse buying to go to the next level can’t be the sole reason for all the junk I have at home.

I read an article on the scientific study of compulsive shopping. According to research, the dopamine hit I get from my brain when making a purchase that was causing me to buy stuff again and again.

“My biggest aha moment was when I realised that I wasn’t going to get happier by consuming more”

Once I found out my aha moment, I took action by either selling or donating each thing I owned that no longer brings value to my life.

Rather than fall into the trap of advanced marketing tactics on social media, I became more intentional with my spending by asking simple questions before hitting the buy button.

I explain the questions in detail in one of my posts below.

Photo by Shutterstock.com

Caring About What Others Think

Recently we bought new furniture to complement the new home we just bought. It was expensive furniture, but we knew it would last us a long time.

Once the new apartment had all the furniture we needed, we invited our closest family friends for a dinner party.

They commented on our furniture’s beauty and even asked where we bought it from.

I’m not going to lie. It did feel good to get that compliment.

That feeling, though, only lasted for a few moments.

I realised that millions of people worldwide would work extremely hard to get to a level of social status so that they can get approval from their friends or family.

But rather than chasing that approval of others through the accumulation of stuff, can we somehow get that feeling through gratitude?

“ The truth is, you can skip the pursuit of happiness altogether and just be happy” — The Minimalists

Chasing Money

When I started my career in Recruitment, I wanted to earn big dollars. I had my sights on getting to 6 figures.

More money meant more options, more security and more stuff.

The problem with this sort of mindset is that it was stressful. Once I got my salary raise, I wanted more. The more I earned, the more I spent.

“It’s as if the goal post of earning more just keeps getting further and further.”

The money I brought home came with added stress and debt. I was working long hours, which affected my health.

When I lost my 6-figure job, I had to re-evaluate my life and ask what matters to me more.

I had to draw the line of what salary was enough for my family and me rather than having the mindset of accumulating more consistently.

We don’t need a lot as long as we focus on being mindful of our spending habits and aggressively invest a significant portion of our pay for the future.

Instead of focusing on earning more, I focused on growth and contribution.

Growth by learning skills and understanding certain philosophies. Contribution by sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Photo by Shutterstock.com

The Real Value of Time

At my career’s peak, I worked extra hours on weekdays. I would also spend hours working at night and on the weekends on my side hustle.

Although I had extra money to spend on things and fancy getaways, it didn’t leave much quality time with my family.

Then one day, my Dad was taken straight to the hospital. He suffered from internal bleeding in the head. The doctors weren’t sure what caused it, but we knew it had something to do with his stress at work.

You see, he went to work for a global investment bank that was known to have a toxic environment. During his working years, he had to work harder because the company didn’t provide any extra help on my Dad’s project.

He worked long hours and sometimes even worked on the weekends at the age of 65.

Thankfully, he survived the surgery. It was, however, a sign from the universe that I shouldn’t be following in his footsteps.

Our time on this earth is too precious to be slaving away to earn more money.

Nowadays, I work for a company that values balance while I pursue an activity that lets me be creative while helping others with my stories (Thanks, Medium)

Final thoughts

Although I’m only a few years in on my Minimalism journey, I could see my life transformed for the better.

I own less stuff which helps with my mental well-being and bank account. I spend more time with my family, especially my 6-year-old daughter. I now focus on growth and contribution rather than chasing the all-mighty dollar.

If you’re curious about Minimalism, then I highly recommend watching the Netflix documentary. It might just change your life like it did mine.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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