I want less stuff

More is not better. I want less stuff. I’m forever telling anyone unfortunate enough to come within earshot that “it’s not about more, it’s about better”.

Confession: I’m a closet product designer at heart. Always have been, but am a slow enough learner to really only be realizing it the past few years. Apparently, everyone  else around me has always know, and assumed I did too.

Slow learner aside, it hit me yesterday whilst here in Belize that 90% of our purchases are fear based. Or “Fix it” based. And a fix is the same as a fear – a fix just means something is “wrong”. All this applies, even down to the most essential “stuff” ala the George Carlin bit from years back.

Don’t think so? Try on a few examples…

Fleece because afraid I might be cold. These yoga pants because I’m afraid the cotton ones will be uncomfortable. A flashlight because I’m afraid I might need it to see. This spatula, because I’m afraid of putting my hand in hot oil. (I didn’t say the fears weren’t valid!) Hairspray, because my hair will be in my eyes otherwise. etc… etc…

All true though. And also, valid. It’s navigating our world.

At the same time, everyone knows the joy of the perfect product – the bag with all the pockets in just the right places, the hammock that doesn’t leave marks on your skin that you can actually doze off in and is portable, the jeans that fit just right, the e-book that you can carry 100 books around without breaking your back.

So with that in mind, I’m back to It’s Not About More, It’s About Better.

I’m kicking around the idea of starting another blog (*gasp*), along those lines— products that are mo’ betta. Multi functional. So we can stop buying 8 spatulas to find the one perfect one that we could’ve bought in the first place.

Something to chew on.

But for now – from lovely Belize in a mediation garden (the only place with wi-fi), my battery is at 10 minutes left. I need a mo’ betta battery.