The Wealth of Less

A simple life doesn’t have to be a limited life. Simple doesn’t mean a lesser experience, and it definitely doesn’t mean suffering. In my opinion, a simple minimalist life doesn’t mean owning only one pair of shoes, wearing shirts of one color, or not having a lot of paper books around. For me, a simple life is achievable by opting for quality over quantity, with one exception: books.

When we travel, I take fewer items, as I described in my last post about minimalism in code and life. However, my wife and I enjoy nicer hotels and staying in areas with access to things we like, such as good restaurants, bookstores, markets, bars, and more. I prefer to have a few shirts, but those shirts are going to be high quality, durable, and very comfortable to wear. At home we opt for furniture and appliances that we know will last for decades, and although we’ve bought items from IKEA (my current bookshelf), in general we get items with more durable materials and handcrafted quality.

My digital world is cluttered, and this is where my current effort is. I want fewer services, fewer accounts, and to throw away everything else. For example, I’ve been hoarding email addresses since I got my first one from Hotmail — and although I lost access to that one, there are probably 10 more email addresses that I have and up until recently made myself believe I couldn’t do without them. Same goes for subscriptions. I just canceled HBO, Disney Plus, Hulu, and a few other streaming services. If there is a series I really want to watch, I pay for one month, watch it, and then cancel it again. For years I paid hundreds, probably thousands of dollars, to have all these streaming services available to us. In reality we watch only a few, and even then the goal is to have only one.

Work has become a lot simpler and more productive for me too. Last year I wrote about leaving the dual monitor setup to use only a single monitor when working. Right before that I was considering a setup with three monitors, but I am happy to have tested the single monitor setup because it was eye opening to me how much better it was. Now it is a decently sized monitor at 32 inches, but my head and eye movement is minimal, and my focus and productivity have improved because of this. Before this, I kept the team’s chat apps open on one monitor and my code editor on the other, so I was consistently getting distracted by new messages, replies, etc. It was a mistake to use it the way I did, and I am happy to report that a single monitor setup has worked for me in the past year, and I plan on keeping it for as long as I can.

My personal setup is simpler too. Everything related to writing, coding, video, and photography is done with the laptop I am using right now, a MacBook Pro M4. It is an expensive computer, but given my experience with Macs, I know it will last me for a while. The software is simpler too. I am using one app for writing now instead of multiple. Up until recently I was switching between iA Writer, Scrivener, Bear, Word, and Ulysses, until I made up my mind, thought about what I really needed and wanted, and ended up choosing one, Ulysses. I am happy with my decision. I only use one app for email, one app for photo editing, one app for video editing, and mostly one code editor for coding. The idea is to have default apps to do certain things and remove the additional time and distraction when you have to think about what to use and when. It is a bit like the idea of single-purpose devices, but applied to software.

There are many things I want to improve. Just like writing and coding, I want to use only one app for finances, social media, and family communication. Although it is a challenge, it can be done.

On my phone I have fewer apps than at any point since I bought my first smartphone. I only have one social media app on my phone, Instagram, and the reason for that is that I like to use it as many did in the past, to share photos. I use other social media apps, but I limit my use by not having them on my phone, so if I want to use Threads or Twitter, I have to open my laptop and do it there. This helps me stay focused and in the moment when I am out and about. It is no longer just about discipline. Since it isn’t available to you, it is easier to stay focused on the moment and the people around you. As a bonus, I disabled all notifications from my phone, ALL of them, years ago. I have zero, nada. And this, my friends, is probably the reason I don’t feel as stressed or anxious as many other people do.

Living a simple life means living a more intentional life too. When you focus on the person in front of you and on the task at hand, the moment becomes more memorable and enjoyable. Try it. The idea of a smartphone being this multi tool, multi entertainment device sounded great at some point, but I’ve come to find out that it was a lie. Although it is true that you can use your phone for many things such as photography, writing, reading, video, voice recording, email, chat, and a vast variety of entertainment, this is also the reason why it can be a very strong drug that keeps your attention and focus away from living in the moment and paying attention to what’s in front of you. That is a sad position to be in and an addiction we all have to break. Use your phone, but limit it to doing things intentionally, not because a notification or an app’s algorithm fools you into doing it.

Imagine a life where you don’t have to worry about notifications, feel a vibration on your wrist, or hear the annoying but addictive alert sounds from your phone. Imagine a life where you don’t have to choose what shoes to wear on your trip because you brought only one. Imagine an easier time at the airport because you don’t have to check any luggage, which means there is no need to stop at the baggage carousel. You move faster and easier because you are lighter, and your mobility increases.

Imagine a life where you have a desk you work from, and there isn’t anything else but the items you need to do your work. Nothing to distract you or interrupt you. Just you and your work tools, nothing else. This is important. If you want to do a great job you have to focus on it. There is no way around it. A few years ago my wife and I were at a concert listening to Diana Krall at a winery here in Seattle. I remember listening to her voice and the sound of the piano she was playing. It was mesmerizing, and at that moment it occurred to me that she was focused on what she was doing. She was working. Imagine the experience and her performance if she was trying to read notifications, getting distracted with other devices, looking at her phone, instead of being in the moment, playing the piano and singing her song. Performing is her job, and she wouldn’t be any good at it if she were not focused on it. The same applies to all of us. Whatever you do, focus on the task at hand, and you’ll be able to produce the best work you can do.

Living a simple life doesn’t mean living a limited life. The goal is to think hard and find out what it is that we really want. Once you have that answer, do that and eliminate all the things that aren’t necessary to achieve that goal. Do not limit yourself in the things you enjoy, and I hope you don’t enjoy being distracted and all over the place, because if you do, then you do you. I am going to continue to be selective and intentional about everything I do and acquire. Being present is the main goal for me, at work, when I am watching a movie, when I am writing, when I am having coffee, when I am talking to someone, when I am sitting and just doing nothing. That is my goal.

If you achieve a simple life, you’ll live a rich life. Living rich is not about money or even time. There are people who have both and still can’t be present. Imagine the person on vacation, wasting the experience and beautiful moments because they are distracted by their phones. You can have money and time, but if you don’t have the ability to focus on the moment and put your phone away and silence those annoying notifications, then you can’t live a rich life. It doesn’t matter how much money or time you have on hand.

Have a great weekend!