“What consumerism really is, at its worst, is getting people to buy things that don’t actually improve their lives.” — Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon

These days, there seems to be something new bulging out of the shadows every time we look around. Bigger screens. Faster processors. More features. The world we live in today is unmistakably innovative, which is good.

But with this presence of ingenuity comes the temptation to drool after things we don’t really need. Things that don’t contribute significant value to our lives or anyone else’s for that matter.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve come to associate the word new with need. And we’ve fallen in love with the dark side of consumerism.

Every ad seems to tug at our hearts just a little more, showcasing that phone with better face recognition, those shoes with better designs, or that car with fancier doors that open vertically (you’ve always dreamed of driving one with your pack of so-called friends you’d come to meet; who could probably care less about you and more about the fact that they’re riding around in a luxuriously expensive automobile).

Here’s the thing: we are all products of our surroundings. There is no escaping that. But for the most part, we’ve merely settled with that reality alone, neglecting to see the other side of the same coin and doing something about it.

Addressing the Issue

You’ve probably heard or seen this word before, either while watching another YouTube video or scrolling down your social media feed. It’s notoriously known as minimalism.

This movement has sparked a strong following as of late. At its core, minimalism targets the compulsive desire to add on or hoard thingamajigs and whatchamacallits that constrict us from living the meaningfully productive lives we were designed to live.

Loads of people nowadays are adopting this title as their new way of life, documenting all the subsequent changes they’ve made along the way. Because of this, there’s a good reason to assume that people are starting to take responsibility for their lifestyles.

Every day, for the past year or so, I’d pulled my planner out and jot down a to-do list for the following day. Sometimes I would even do it for the following week, depending on how busy I was. The tasks were simple, nothing out of the ordinary.

This particular week was different, though.

While taking a break from a few class assignments that needed to be completed, I tabbed over to YouTube. It just so happened that one of the recommended videos was about minimalism and how to be more productive and creative—game-changer!

For the first time in my life, I started looking around at all the gadgets and gizmos, all the “top” purchases of the past sitting dormant in the place I called home. Immediately I felt the urge to do something I never had the guts to do before.

Along with the other imperatives — like read chapter 5 of such-and-such, respond to so-and-so’s email, go for a run — I added: