More Downsizing to Simplify and Enhance Life, Part 3

Maximizing life by minimizing non-material possessions and concepts

Pictured (ChatGPT): A Simpler Way of Living—in Four Sayings

• What we really need is to realize how little we really need.

• Happiness is not about more. It’s about less.

• Simplicity is not about deprivation, but about creating space for living.

• The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.

Recap and Update

In a multi-part downsizing series, this post continues addressing issues most people in “developed countries” experience when accumulating and managing abundant possessions. Understanding the relationship of this post’s contents will be more comprehensible if having read the previous two posts (Part 1 and Part 2).

Downsizing personal possessions is a relevant topic for all humans to consider. And it’s particularly relevant for us senior citizens, who over long lifetimes have acquired more stuff than needed for functioning well. We wonder how and why did we ever accumulate so much stuff.

Well, we increasingly understand how we got this way: we’ve been naïvely complicit participants in observing the goals and aspirations of a worldview founded primarily on the concept that all material growth is a positive goal for humankind. But now we realize the wrongness of this constant-growth narrative.

As Bettye and I continue discovering, downsizing is a more complexly nuanced operation than normally perceived. Downsizing not only applies to material possessions, but also to other areas of life, including some covered herein. One lesson we’ve learned over our lifetimes is that downsizing possessions and other aspects of our lives deserves ongoing attention.

Earlier posts address this topic in various ways, but the main reason for downsizing is simply this: everything we seek and accept into our care presents a responsibility requiring varying degrees of time and effort. In sum, the demands on our thought processes and resulting behavior are affected by everything we touch, ponder, use, and ultimately dispose.

Downsizing and Managing Everything in Our Care

A question for guiding a downsizing strategy, might be this: If our goal is to attain a better way of life, including a hopefully resilient and sustainable future, what should we intentionally reduce, and what should we intentionally increase? Downsizing should not be considered as a negative act but rather a positive process that removes obstacles and eliminates excess in order to create capacity for what matters most in life.

The things we adopt into our care may be other than physical objects, especially in this increasingly technologically oriented age. Up to this point we’ve focused mostly on physical possessions. But what about non-material things that also require our time and energy?

For instance, a printed receipt may be saved for book keeping until later trashed or recycled. In contrast, items retained in a digital format must be stored electronically for future attention. Over time, the growth of digital data can eventually exceed storage limits and may negatively affect computer functioning.

I learned a shocking lesson about data storage when the university began closing university email accounts of former students and faculty in 2024. As a long-term faculty member, my umn.edu address was among the first assigned, meaning that digital data began accumulating when computers were available to faculty. If my memory is accurate, standard use of computers and email service occurred in the early 1990s. Just imagine the amount of data stored—and, in my case, never deleted! The burdensome changeover to a g-mail account involved—among other actions—deleting a huge amount of data accumulated over 30-plus years.

Even now, the amount of data stored on my desktop computer (plus the “cloud”) represents an overwhelming abundance of research information and writings, including published works and reference materials (documents, images, videos, music, slideshows), some intended for future writings, but overlooked and forgotten. Occasionally, when searching for specific information, I rediscover documents I’ve created and totally forgotten. I often wonder: “Did I really write this?”

I had never thought of myself as a collector (of anything)—until the reality hit me: I am a collector! I’ve long collected information on topics of interest. Throughout my professional vocal-music career materials related to voice pedagogy, song repertoire, and performance. But since retiring in 2007 the bulk of information collected has focused on socioecological issues; generally, the relationship of humans within Nature’s ecosphere.

Whether aware of it or not, most humans seem to have a special interest in collecting something: Tangible items –-tools, books, music, photos, recordings, stamps, coins, toys, clothes, properties, land; Digital media—video game achievements, playlists, or digital photos; and Experiences—visiting specific places, specific concerts and sports events, etc. Research indicates that up to 40% of people actively maintain collections. Although collected items vary widely, the underlying psychological and neurobiological drive seems universal.

Almost all smart-phone owners use their devise’s camera application to take photos of special-interest subjects—people, animals, nature scenes, events, activities, and so on. I intentionally limit the number of photos taken, and when viewing the most recent ones delete duplicates, mistakes, or any deemed unessential. Yet, I have a growing collection that will eventually swell beyond my capacity to manage them. Just imagine the vast numbers of digital photos persons born at the beginning of this century will have to manage in coming decades.

I think you’ll agree that we modern humans are wedded to our electronic devices, especially computers and smart phones, both of which function as time-and-energy-sucking vampires. Limiting time spent requires intentional downsizing practices.

I agree with critics who describe the social-media platform as a notoriously addictive digital technology. As this topic is gaining wider media coverage, we’re learning of concerns raised, especially for children and teenagers. Cited risks include mental health, neurological impacts, additive usage, and the special vulnerability of teen girls.

Most of my online socializing is spent on Facebook, normally limited to around 30 minutes daily. I’ve found that, since joining around 2010, the once easy to use platform has grown increasingly more complicated, thus more frustrating and aggravating. The unsolicited videos, friend recommendations, commercial postings and ads by unsolicited organizations and individuals have increased exponentially. When scrolling, friends’ postings appear at a rate of one to every four or more non-solicited posts.

As for “friends”, I’ve stopped accepting anyone I don’t know (past or present), who post too frequently, hold strong opposing worldviews, or appear as promoting something to accumulate as many “followers” or “customers” as possible. Sadly, since a small portion of my Facebook friends are aging, it’s not unusual to lose contact due to health issues or death. In sum, I strongly advise limiting scrolling time on social media!

Downsizing also applies to other areas of life, such as work projects, recreational and entertainment activities, and even volunteering commitments. Any activity that demands one’s time and energy and produces undue stress, physically and/or psycho-emotionally, is a candidate for downsizing.

It’s hard for us older folks to overlook the need to downsize the constant flow of communications arriving via text, email, and “snail mail”. Downsizing the numerous requests for donations to worthy socio-political and ecological charities is particularly challenging. Our strategy involves unsubscribing, deleting, and blocking unwanted digital contacts. As for snail-mail donation requests, most are recycled unopened. Once we’ve made an annual donation to a non-profit organization it’s done for the year, with no monthly donations to monitor.

As a whole, the information age in which we’re living is driven by a highly complex techno-industrial economic system and complicated mode of living that demands an inordinate amount of time and life energy. Over the past 10,000 years we’ve gradually transitioned from our ancestral evolution as hunter-gatherers who faced many dangers, but also enjoyed slower and simpler lives.

Today, we modern humans may not worry about fighting or fleeing from wild predatory animals, but we have plenty of modern dangers to face, chiefly the fear of nuclear destruction, climate-change disruptions, and potentially the extinction of life on Earth. So, yes, individually and collectively, we have a plethora of possible options and motivations for pursuing constructive downsizing strategies.

Downsizing Roundup of Physical Possessions

The preceding section focuses on downsizing time and energy associated with non-material (digital) usage of physical electronic technological devises. This section returns to focusing more on the downsizing of physical possessions covered in the previous two posts.

In following the advice of professional downsizers, the first step involves eliminating unwanted items and curating possessions according to how their beauty and utility serve to please and enhance life. An overall worthy goal is to enjoy a freer life, unencumbered by excessive, unnecessary stuff. A problem most people face is determining whether or not a specific item might be needed at some future point.

Younger generations might not find the downsizing goals of senior citizens relevant or interesting. My view is that, regardless of a person’s age. the wise admonition to travel lightly through life is worth heeding. The guiding concept is simple. When any object or thought passes through your hands or mind, ask yourself: Do I really want to spend time and energy dealing with this at some future point?

Traveling lightly through life is especially relevant when it comes to the size and weight of some possessions, especially furniture. In our home we’ve tried to keep furniture sizes small and weight levels light. Other than our auto and home’s stationary appliances, our heaviest possession has been our baby-grand piano, a very heavy and difficult object to move.

Recommendation: Only serious musicians should consider owning a grand piano. Moreover, think carefully about purchasing any large and heavy furnishings, including bulky sofas and chairs, king-sized beds, dressers, and chests. Collapsible, light furniture makes practical sense, especially for anyone whose lifestyle requires frequent relocations.

Wrap Up

The more I think about the downsizing concept, the more niches I discover. But since our time is limited, perhaps it’s time to limit this post to a normal sized one (under 2,000 words).

The next post will focus more on macro-downsizing operations that all human groups—families, organizations, corporations, governments, etc.—must consider undertaking, assuming our species is serious about maintaining any semblance of socio-ecological stability. Our current trajectory of constant economic growth—in all sectors, including human population, consumption of natural materials, and toxic waste products—will not create a resilient and sustainable existence on planet Earth.

For these reasons, I hope you agree that downsizing strategies provide a safe, sane, and effective strategy in creating a livable future for all of Earth’s lifeforms.

Until the next time, think small and less!

Clif (with Bettye Ware, reader/editor/partner)