A topic that is certainly in our face all the time here in the Western World is consumerism. The perpetual allure for new and shiny things is a real challenge to ignore, trying to differentiate between "needs" and "wants". No matter how resistant I can be (and usually I'm pretty good at ignoring the sales hype) it is exceptionally difficult to stop a "want" item looking like a "need" item. This then leads to a caving in, and then the inevitable guilt/shame afterward for having been bested by the advertisement machine - owning a new item that doesn't fulfil the hopes that I had placed on it before purchase.

My two children and my wife all have birthdays around this time of year; and as it is also starting to lead up to Christmas (I think the "lead up" to Christmas starts in July these days!) the marketing is fierce. You know that they are putting in a big effort to sell when you enter the store and have to duck under multiple signs advertising "massive" discounts. It is even worse over the last 10 years with the explosion of internet shopping, being bombarded with personalised (thanks for listening in Apple/Google etc) ads any time you open your social media or email accounts. How do we resist all this?!

I like the some of the tips from The Minimalists theminimalists.com. I got introduced to these gentlemen via a documentary (I think a Netflix special), but their brand incorporates books, podcasts and more. While there are many examples given, the core principle these men (and many of their followers) have chosen to live by is to live as minimally as possible - clothes, shoes, transport, food and so on. Initially practitioners of this lifestyle would go through everything that they own (and subsequently everything they purchase) and ask two questions: Does this item serve a purpose for me? Does this item bring me pleasure? If the answer is a no to both questions, it's gone.

While I wouldn't always agree with how ruthless they can be, it does offer a simple way to declutter and more importantly reduce consumption. This doesn't mean having to be cheap either - having a small number of quality goods that last a long period (I'm thinking R.M. Williams or maybe Levi's) rather than many articles that each have the same purpose (whether expensive or not). It means much less clutter and space taken up and could mean more time and money to direct to other meaningful pursuits.

The key is assigning each possession a purpose. This is the same for objects you already own and what you might be shopping for. What is the point of piling up goods for them just to sit there? I can't drive multiple cars or wear multiple suits all at once. Every parent will relate to what I've observed in my own kids - loving the excitement of the new shiny toy they have just opened for 10 minutes and then losing that thrill quickly, needing to open the next present/get the next treat etc. This is the kids version of the dopamine addiction that we all have if we aren't careful; and what the retailers manipulate and rely on to keep us buying cheap goods for premium prices. A whole industry that preys on our weakness (and not the only industry), short circuiting our brain chemistry (see Dr Andrew Huberman on hubermanlab.com).

Practice assigning purpose to your purchases. Whatever the item, it has to be serving a useful function on a regular basis, or bringing some genuine (hopefully lasting) pleasure. Don't get addicted to the dopamine hit, but make it meaningful each time you do buy something new.

"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?" Eccl 5 v 11

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Prov 23 v 4 - 5

"Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?" Jer 22 v15a