Intellectually appreciating a concept is one thing and experientially living the concept is totally another thing.
The recent times of lockdown has made me think about one such concept that i have been dabbling for over 3 years now. It is about minimalism.
I am big fan of zero cognitive load. On that light I eased my wardrobe to just one type of clothing, very few colors and brought it to just one shelf from seven. I want it to become just 10 pieces but seems a little far away. Still working on that.
I skipped breakfast all together and started having my first meal as lunch. In all honesty that is the best decision I ever took and it launched my body into intermittent fasting with out me knowing about these things.
While I have been working around the concept of minimalism for the past 3 years, the virus came like a jolt and changed everything from its roots in just 3 months. Here are some things which became minimal forcefully.
I didn't step out of house so I hardly drove around and consumed gas. I haven't filled the tank in 60 days. My general consumption is a full tank (40 L) every week.
I hardly used any of my Guccis and Burberrys.
I didn't wear any of my expensive watches.
I didn't spend any on recreational eating and entertainment.
I didn't buy any new clothing at all.
The only spend is on fruits, veggies and groceries.
I get to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner at home with kids and family every single time.
I get to prune my garden every single day.
I am forced to clean and declutter home every other day.
Here are my insights from this experience.
Minimal spend = maximal savings
minimal eating (clean & healthy) = maximal health and wellness
minimal chemicals = maximal skin health
minimal time on other things = maximal quality time with family
minimal travel = maximal deep work
I finally understood what is minimalism in its true sense. In many ways i am thankful to the virus, which allowed me to pause and reflect. If we just go by what is needed, we will all have beautiful lives and a beautiful planet. Everything that we do for others can take a back seat.
The minimalism in material has created maximalism in life!
