Is less indeed more?
WALKING ALONG BUDONI BEACH ON A LATE AFTERNOON IN FALL IN SARDINIA, 2022
It started to dawn on me at some point, while ambitiously trying to cram as much life as possible into a day, that the only way to have more time is to do less. As the mindfulness and stress-reduction pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn, points out in "Full Catastrophe Living":
“Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.”
By doing less with clearer attention, we lighten the load and experience things with more focus. We choose to be less available, not picking up the phone every time it rings. We don't frantically network with everyone we meet, allowing us to give undivided attention when we do connect.
By doing less, we choose what we want to spend our time on, deliberately saying no to many things so we can say yes to what matters most. Henry David Thoreau, the essayist and philosopher who lived a life of voluntary simplicity at Walden Pond for two years, ponders on limited time and energy :
“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.” ... "The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.”
It seems that no amount of working, exercising, shopping, gambling, binge eating, cumpulsive sexual roving, binge-watching TV, alcohol, opiates, or partying will free us from the anxiety we try to burry under these distracting activities.
During my fast-paced life in New York, burning the candle at both ends, I ran and rollerbladed countless kilometers along the Hudson River, desperately trying to shake off the restless anxiety that haunted my over-scheduled days.
The non-stop action strategy works—until it doesn't. And when we reach that breaking point, we're forced to explore the layers we've been afraid to peel back, to examine what lies beneath all this frantic activity. Surprisingly though, we might discover unexpected treasures lurking in the quiet spaces we've been avoiding.
The French writer Sylvain Tesson lived in a cabin in Siberia for six months, journaling his experiences in "Consolations of the Forest". During this time, he embraced solitude and nature, reflecting on his thoughts and struggles while living off the land near Lake Baikal. Tesson observed that for anyone who steps out of the societal rhythm they know:
“Cast up once again on the shore , he understands that he will not escape and, at peace, discovers that limitations bring joy.”
Questioning the number of things and experiences we have in life can seriously clear the view. As Cal Newport points out in "Digital Minimalism", adopting too many non-essential digital activities and tools can outweigh the minor benefits they individually offer:
“The cumulative cost of the non-crucial things we clutter our lives with is often much heavier than the small benefits each piece promises."
In our increasingly digital world, editing the incoming data that bombards our senses can be challenging. It takes effort to block out the limitless options presented by algorithms that target us with precision.
It appears to be worth the effort though to strive for less, as non-stop input eventually dulls our senses. It’s comparable to the way too much fast food lulls us into a state of passiveness, killing the engine to be creative when we are hastily over-fed with questionable nourishment.
When communicating, the margin for error seems smaller, proportional to keeping it simple. Saying less sometimes being more as the saying goes. While saying nothing at all sometimes having the strongest impact.
I love the smart and simple packaging of the Japanese triangle shaped onigiri rice snack that can be bought in many kiosks throughout its home country. Impressing with a minimum of packaging material, that´s integrated into the process of opening, holding, and eating it.
It seems in general, that the simple approach often is the most efficient solution while being the most comprehensible, as we creatively live, work and design.
The margin for unflattering results regarding an outfit seems to be smaller to the degree we manage to keep the variety of items down. Avoiding the route of the clothes wearing us, rather than us wearing our clothes.
It can be inspiringly attractive when a person effortlessly wears the simplest outfit with an air of confidence, regardless of its actual price. This idea aligns with Lynne Twist's perspective in 'The Soul of Money':
“No matter how much or how little money you have flowing through your life, when you direct that flow with soulful purpose, you feel wealthy. You feel vibrant and alive when you use your money in a way that represents you, not just as a response to the market economy, but also as an expression of who you are.”
Ironically, friends frequently declare a vacation as relaxing due to the simplicity of a lifestyle upon returning to a life of non-stop business and consumerism. Making me wonder if we can take more from these discoveries than the mere interruption of our otherwise overloaded every-day life.
It's an interesting experiment to declutter mentally, practically, and physically. Not seeing every place or exhibit, not knowing about every trend while not joining every meeting or party.
It's about checking in with ourselves to discern between habitual actions and those that bring us genuine joy. Questioning what we want to experience versus what we might just be doing because most people are doing it.
As the time we have in a day and life is limited, the only way to have more space for what counts seems to be about choosing to focus on less. Steve Jobs reminds us that being innovative is about carefully choosing which opportunities to pursue by filtering out distractions:
"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things."
Doing less usually comes with the challenge of going against the motion of the crowd. However, it comes with the gift of living with more meaningful exchanges and deeper awareness as we fine-tune our antennas for what aligns with our inner north. And most beautifully, taking in fewer experiences and encounters with less haste cultivates enjoying them more.
Have you asked yourself:
Do you often feel like you don’t have enough time in your day?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the constant noise and distractions around you?
What is one thing you could let go of right now to lighten your load?