Minimalism

I live in a tiny SRO apartment.

I eat mostly canned foods.

Generally, I like to abide by the principle that simpler is better.

It’s not that I can’t afford a more spacious apartment, or that I can’t afford non-canned foods. It’s just that I’ve taken a hard look at what having more space is like and decided for myself that more space is not necessarily better. And that canned foods are a convenient and shelf-stable way to enjoy nutritious meals.

I believe there is elegance in simplicity, and I try to apply this mantra to my daily life.

Minimalism, in my opinion, is about identifying the point of diminishing returns, and then finding a good place to stop chasing the added benefits. So, start with the basics, and then ask yourself how much more can be gained through additional effort, and then deciding what an appropriate stopping point would be.

For me, that meant starting with the smallest apartment I could find, and then asking myself if I really would benefit from having additional space or amenities. After 6 months of trying this out, I’ve found that the answer is no, I don’t think I would really benefit that much from having more space.

Minimalism, I believe, is also an exercise in creativity. When you start small and optimize for simplicity, you find yourself getting creative with the solutions, to try to squeeze out every last ounce of utility from what you’ve got.

I’ve found that living in such a small apartment encouraged me to be more creative with finding ways to make the optimal use of the space. For example, I was finding ways to maximize use of the walls (through wall hooks), making use of every last nook and cranny in the apartment, and just in general being as efficient as possible with the space that I have.

To me, adding more space is the “easy” solution. If you find yourself running low on space, the easy solution is to get more space. But large apartments and living spaces are not necessarily better. Mo’ space, mo’ problems, right? When you have more space, you have to spend more time cleaning and maintaining that space. Your rent and upkeep costs will be higher. Heating and cooling the space becomes less efficient. You have to figure out how to effectively furnish or decorate the larger space.

And where do you stop? You can always have more space, if that’s what you’re optimizing for. But having more space isn’t exactly free, both in terms of the money and the added time commitment.

Of course, if you have certain requirements for space, like having guests over, or if you are raising kids, then 99 square feet may not be enough. But the point is to start with as little space as possible, and then ask yourself what you would really stand to gain by adding more space, and if there are some ways to leverage creative solutions to avoid having to add more space, which could complicate the situation and result in higher upkeep.

To be a minimalist is to commit to a life of doing more with less. It’s about coming up with creative solutions in an attempt to keep things simple. It’s about the power of simplicity to help people lead more efficient and meaningful lives. And this is how I strive to live my life.