Life | Sea Of Ghosts

For the last few years I’ve been writing a list of resolutions that I hope to achieve (some realistic, others more idealistic) in the following year. I make my list in a book and then put it away; at the end of the year I pull the list out and see how many I can cross off. Each year I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I am able to cross almost everything off my lists.

I wrote a few months back about how my future no longer had certainty and for the most part this still rings true. It didn’t stop me from crossing many things off my list for 2011 – but there were changes in my life during the year that has vastly changed how I will be making resolutions for 2012. No longer content with small goals on a long list, I really want to embrace changing my entire lifestyle in 2012 to one of considered minimalism.

After a particularly inspiring conversation with a friend, I realised that I was hanging on to a lot of things I don’t need because of some twisted form of nostalgia. This nostalgia directly conflicts with my productivity; it is literally holding me back. I walked away from that conversation with a new agenda – the ”anti-accumulation of meaningless stuff”. But the agenda is more than simply not bringing new stuff I don’t need into my life; there is also an urgent necessity to get rid of what I’m still holding on to.

The easiest way to begin a minimalist lifestyle is by taming what’s tangible. To purge is to cleanse, a feeling wrought with satisfaction in control. To be in control is to be productive, to be cleansed is to be open to infinite possibilities. With this in mind I intend to start by throwing away the material things I do not need or extract extraordinary joy from owning, and finding better ways to store what is left so there is less visual clutter.

When it comes to my wardrobe, I don’t have a “I mix high street with high fashion” philosophy; it encourages over-indulgence. I simply shop wherever I can find what I need. This agenda is about being discerning, not discriminating.

I recently wrote about true love – the objective that one should not settle for less than exactly what they want. There is a saying that one should only ever surround themselves with things that are either functional or beautiful. In a well-edited wardrobe each item should be both functional and beautiful. This concept sits in perfect harmony with my new agenda – I will no longer be a slave to filling gaps just for the sake of it.

As I stated earlier, I intend to apply this agenda across many facets of my life, not just my wardrobe. On a consumer level I’ve already begun investing in other items of better quality from bedding to shampoo and conditioner; and throwing away all the poor quality substitutes I’ve been hoarding. On an emotional level I’m making an effort to spend more time with people who delight and inspire me, and less time stressing about the little things.

Through the “anti-accumulation of meaningless stuff” I resolve to make 2012 my year of possibilities and productivity.

What is your new year’s resolution?