OK, week one has ended...actually, it is day 10 of the challenge and I am happy to report that I have been able to stick with it thus far. I have bought nothing new for myself for 10 days. Here's a funny thing; one of the first sensations I had upon beginning this challenge was relief. Yes, relief. Without the option to buy, there was no stress about what to but or if to buy, etc. It was like the time I went vegan for 6 weeks (just to try it and see how hard it would be)...suddenly, sitting down at a restaurant for a meal was a lot less stressful because I had very limited options on the menu. I actually found that liberating as opposed to stifling. But that's just me. I think that this sense of relief I have with fewer options is connected to the fact that I am what psychologists call a "maximizer." This term was coined by psychologist Herbert Simon in the 1950s and it describes a person who, in some ways, is lot like a perfectionist in that they need to be assured that their every purchase or decision is the best that can be made. Thus, when faced with a decision (big or small) maximizers tend to consider all the alternatives they can imagine. This, according to Simon, creates a psychologically daunting task, which can become even more daunting as the number of options increases. The alternative to maximizing is to be a satisficer (now try saying that word quickly 10 times in a row!). A satisficer has criteria and standards, but a satisficer is not worried about the possibility that there might be something better out there. Another psychologist, Barry Schwartz, recently wrote a book entitled "The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less." If you want to read a bit more about maximizers and satisficers, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice
Along the same line of thought I'd like to mention a book that I read a few years ago entitled "The Progress Paradox - How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse" by Gregg Easterbrook. In the book, Easterbrook, drawing upon three decades of research, explores the perplexing and fascinating phenomenon that while almost all aspects of Western life have vastly improved in the last century, each new generation of men and women are actually reporting feeling less and less happy and satisfied with their lives. What's up with that? In one part of the book which I marked for some later reflection (like here :o), Easterbrook points out the following: "As ever more material things become available and fail to make us happy [I assume he means in the long term], material abundance may even have the perverse effect of instilling unhappiness - because it will never be possible to have everything that economics can create." And man, can economics create A LOT! So where does that leave us...you and me...the peons of this capitalistic society that we live in? Constantly craving, drooling over, and longing for something, just like Pavlov's dogs.
So at the end of week one, I am thrilled to report that even thought I did step into several stores and look at 'stuff', the drooling action was minimal, and the spending action was nil. And in fact, I am feeling a new found appreciation for the things I already possess...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
January 31....
Today is the last day of January...effectively, the day before 'the big day'...I have removed credit cards from my wallet (a small precautionary measure). This move alone fills me with a small sense of panic. I mean, what if I am out and about and suddenly 'need' something?? Or, what if there is some sort of emergency that absolutely necessitates a credit card transaction to save the day?? Suffice it to say that I am working on psyching myself up mentally for this next three months. Today I am observing, with a small dose of amusement, how I am mentally going through a checklist of 'stuff' that perhaps I 'need' and should therefore rush out and buy today, since as of tomorrow that will be a no-no....ah the tangled webs we weave....
Anyway, last night I did a google search to see how many other people out there may be doing the same thing as I am. Guess what? There are plenty. It seems I am not alone; nor am I on the 'cutting edge' of enlightened though (but I think I knew that already). This is a good thing. The more people that are sick of all of this consumption, the more the momentum to not mindlessly consume as much will build.
Switching to the practicalities of what I am doing, allow me to tell you about the 'rules and restrictions' that I am planning on following for the next three months. Many of my friends have inquired about what exactly 'stuff' refers to. One very concerned friend asked me if this ban included alcohol (ha ha)...no, it doesn't...but I don't drink much anyway, so it is not really an issue for me. By 'stuff' I am referring to all non-consumables (e.g. clothes, shoes, furnishings, housewares like dishes, etc.) and items that are consumable but are not absolutely necessary (e.g. shampoo, soap, deodorant, lipstick, etc.). The other thing I want to include here is downloadable music that I have to pay for (a-hem...I am sure we ALL pay for our downloaded music, right?). If I desperately want to add to the collection of 2867 songs already on my iPod, I will need to find 'alternate means'. But I am going to try to stay away from accumulating more music. So what is allowed? Food products are a go. Fuel for my car is a go. Pet food and treats are a go. Entertainment and gym memberships, etc., are a go. Even gifts for others are a go. And my monthly audio book download (which I DO pay for) will continue to be a go. A small pleasure. I think you get the picture. Basically, as I said in my last post, this is a personal challenge, the point of which is to see how it feels to try to be satisfied with less...or rather, with what already IS.
Anyway, last night I did a google search to see how many other people out there may be doing the same thing as I am. Guess what? There are plenty. It seems I am not alone; nor am I on the 'cutting edge' of enlightened though (but I think I knew that already). This is a good thing. The more people that are sick of all of this consumption, the more the momentum to not mindlessly consume as much will build.
Switching to the practicalities of what I am doing, allow me to tell you about the 'rules and restrictions' that I am planning on following for the next three months. Many of my friends have inquired about what exactly 'stuff' refers to. One very concerned friend asked me if this ban included alcohol (ha ha)...no, it doesn't...but I don't drink much anyway, so it is not really an issue for me. By 'stuff' I am referring to all non-consumables (e.g. clothes, shoes, furnishings, housewares like dishes, etc.) and items that are consumable but are not absolutely necessary (e.g. shampoo, soap, deodorant, lipstick, etc.). The other thing I want to include here is downloadable music that I have to pay for (a-hem...I am sure we ALL pay for our downloaded music, right?). If I desperately want to add to the collection of 2867 songs already on my iPod, I will need to find 'alternate means'. But I am going to try to stay away from accumulating more music. So what is allowed? Food products are a go. Fuel for my car is a go. Pet food and treats are a go. Entertainment and gym memberships, etc., are a go. Even gifts for others are a go. And my monthly audio book download (which I DO pay for) will continue to be a go. A small pleasure. I think you get the picture. Basically, as I said in my last post, this is a personal challenge, the point of which is to see how it feels to try to be satisfied with less...or rather, with what already IS.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Starting NOW...
Here I go...As of February 1, 2010 I am embarking (finally!!) on a self-imposed ban on shopping for 90 days. That's right, no more new clothes, shoes, makeup products, nick knacks for the house, books, Cd's, technological devices...basically, no more new STUFF...for 3 months.
Allow me to begin by telling you a tiny bit about myself and a lot about why I am doing this...
I am a 37 year old woman. I live in Vancouver, Canada, a beautiful and thriving cosmopolitan city. I am a professional and earn a good income. This challenge is NOT about 'saving money', though that undoubtedly will be a side bonus. Rather, this is about challenging myself to disengage from the power of the media and advertising, as well as from the ever present pressure to keep up with the Jones'.
Like most women, I enjoy buying new clothes and shoes and cosmetic products. Like most people, I am easily seduced by advertisements for 'new and improved' this or that, whether it be shampoo or a new Apple product. In fact, often, the seductive power of the advertising messages that are so pervasive in our culture get the better of me and thrust me into an intense and obsessive "I need..." mode. You probably know how it feels...you have, say, a perfectly good ipod...the 80 gig Classic, for example. But suddenly you see an elegant ad for the latest and greatest ipod...the 160 gig, or the new nano with its sleek design and bright colours. And suddenly, you NEED to have it. It doesn't really matter that your 80 gig ipod is more than satisfactory and holds a @#%$^-load of pictures and music. That is not enough...damn it, your life is not going to be complete until you have that new ipod. And you will create any excuse to get it into your hot little hands. Like, you tell yourself that perhaps you actually will begin to download and store movies on your ipod, even though you have never really had an interest in doing any of this. You also tell yourself, "Hey, I work, I slave for someone, I DESERVE it!" Does this scenario sound familiar?
Over the past five years I have become increasingly aware of how influenced we as a culture are by the messages of advertisers and the corporations that need to constantly be producing something bigger and better in order to up their profits to satisfy their shareholders. The truth is that in this abundant culture we are drowning in stuff, in options, and in the choices and decisions that we need to make because of all of the stuff in our lives. And believe it or not, this is actually stressful. No, I am not referring only to my own experience, though I fully admit that standing in front of a literal wall of toothpaste brands and types at the drug store leaves me feeling a bit paralyzed. There is actual psychological research that shows that having too much choice is actually bad for you. It creates stress, as my toothpaste example shows. It overwhelms us and we become paralyzed. It is actually bad for business...but that's another story.
Basically, I am sick of it. I am sick of how in control of us the media is. I am sick of how I am never quite satisfied with what I have NOW...all of which is more than sufficient and adequate. I am sick of feeling like a puppet. Perhaps part of this is also a quest for me to get more in touch with what is truly important and sufficient for me. This is not to say that I am looking to begin living like a bum, without a care for how my environment looks or what my clothes say about me. No. I suppose it is simply that I cannot shake the feeling that I am somehow brainwashed...that there are things seemingly beyond my control that drive me to 'consume'. The time to explore this phenomenon has arrived. This blog will be my memoir of this challenge. It will also, hopefully, through those that follow it, serve as my place of accountability.
Allow me to begin by telling you a tiny bit about myself and a lot about why I am doing this...
I am a 37 year old woman. I live in Vancouver, Canada, a beautiful and thriving cosmopolitan city. I am a professional and earn a good income. This challenge is NOT about 'saving money', though that undoubtedly will be a side bonus. Rather, this is about challenging myself to disengage from the power of the media and advertising, as well as from the ever present pressure to keep up with the Jones'.
Like most women, I enjoy buying new clothes and shoes and cosmetic products. Like most people, I am easily seduced by advertisements for 'new and improved' this or that, whether it be shampoo or a new Apple product. In fact, often, the seductive power of the advertising messages that are so pervasive in our culture get the better of me and thrust me into an intense and obsessive "I need..." mode. You probably know how it feels...you have, say, a perfectly good ipod...the 80 gig Classic, for example. But suddenly you see an elegant ad for the latest and greatest ipod...the 160 gig, or the new nano with its sleek design and bright colours. And suddenly, you NEED to have it. It doesn't really matter that your 80 gig ipod is more than satisfactory and holds a @#%$^-load of pictures and music. That is not enough...damn it, your life is not going to be complete until you have that new ipod. And you will create any excuse to get it into your hot little hands. Like, you tell yourself that perhaps you actually will begin to download and store movies on your ipod, even though you have never really had an interest in doing any of this. You also tell yourself, "Hey, I work, I slave for someone, I DESERVE it!" Does this scenario sound familiar?
Over the past five years I have become increasingly aware of how influenced we as a culture are by the messages of advertisers and the corporations that need to constantly be producing something bigger and better in order to up their profits to satisfy their shareholders. The truth is that in this abundant culture we are drowning in stuff, in options, and in the choices and decisions that we need to make because of all of the stuff in our lives. And believe it or not, this is actually stressful. No, I am not referring only to my own experience, though I fully admit that standing in front of a literal wall of toothpaste brands and types at the drug store leaves me feeling a bit paralyzed. There is actual psychological research that shows that having too much choice is actually bad for you. It creates stress, as my toothpaste example shows. It overwhelms us and we become paralyzed. It is actually bad for business...but that's another story.
Basically, I am sick of it. I am sick of how in control of us the media is. I am sick of how I am never quite satisfied with what I have NOW...all of which is more than sufficient and adequate. I am sick of feeling like a puppet. Perhaps part of this is also a quest for me to get more in touch with what is truly important and sufficient for me. This is not to say that I am looking to begin living like a bum, without a care for how my environment looks or what my clothes say about me. No. I suppose it is simply that I cannot shake the feeling that I am somehow brainwashed...that there are things seemingly beyond my control that drive me to 'consume'. The time to explore this phenomenon has arrived. This blog will be my memoir of this challenge. It will also, hopefully, through those that follow it, serve as my place of accountability.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
