Minimalism is about paring back your possessions to meaningful, essential things. It's about obtaining and retaining things that give you joy and enhance your life. It is about being intentional about everything you own or purchase - and freeing up time and money to do the most important things. (One of my favourite blogs is Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker).
Minimalism encourages you to determine what you value most and to devote energy to it. You have choices. You can go against the status quo.
And this is precisely how minimalism can help you avoid a mid-life crisis. I’m talking about the mid-life crisis where you begin to wonder: ‘Is this all there is to life?’ ‘What am I doing with my life?’, ‘What is the point of my job?’, ‘Am I making a real difference?’, “What do I have to show for my life of hard work?’
The jury is still out on whether a mid-life crisis is real, avoidable or unavoidable*. However, you can see your ‘mid-life’ as an opportunity for growth and reinvention, or as a time of reflection on your unmet goals and expectations.**
So, let’s take a positive approach and look at it as an opportunity for growth—and let’s see how minimalism can assist with the growth process.
Minimalism encourages you to forget about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. It is about looking inward and shining a light on your own values. Your personal values highlight what is truly important to you. Do you most value Love? Family? Independence? Achievement? Recognition? Loyalty? Travel? Adventure? Passion? Spirituality? Religion? Wealth? Altruism? Knowledge? Health?
Defining your values is the first step. Then examining the match (or mismatch!) between your values and your life is the second step. Finally, the third step involves intentionally living your life so that your day-to-day life and long-term direction reflect your values. Not living your values is a sure path to unhappiness (and the dreaded mid-life crisis).
Have you ever taken the time to think through your personal values? A ranked list of personal values gives you a sense of control over your life and helps you make choices. Limiting the list to your top five or six values ensures you have focused on what is most important to you.
Minimalism highlights that every action is a choice. A choice about what is most important. A choice that reflects your values. Yes, a promotion may come with more money and more status. It may also come with more hours in the office, and potentially more travel. Which would mean less time at home with your family. And less time to devote to your hobbies and social activities. How does that choice align with your values? Yes, that shiny new car may look fabulous for a short time and you may be the envy of all your friends—but is the extra money (and therefore work) worth the temporary bling and status? (Your values will determine whether the answer is yes or no!)
Your personal values can also assist you to determine what you want from your career. Do you highly value Creativity? Does your work give you an opportunity to exercise your creativity? What other creative outlets do you have?
Do you highly value Recognition and Acknowledgment from others? How does this influence your career choices? What about Autonomy? Achievement? Family? Relationships? Competence? How do each of these values influence your career choices? How do your values align with your current work?
Your values will also help determine which work you will find most meaningful. Dr Simon Albrecht, an internationally renowned expert on employee engagement***, defines meaningful work as when “people feel they make a positive, important, and useful contribution to a worthwhile purpose through their work”. What does ‘useful' look like to you? What does ‘worthwhile’ look like to you? This will differ according to your values.
So, take the plunge now. Make a list of your top 5 values—and then see how they are aligned with your life now—and what it might look like in the future. Many of us wait until retirement to do that which we value most. Work out what is most important to you—and make sure your life reflects that now!
Erin Landells is a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach and the author of Find my niche, available through our online shop as well as online bookstores including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Booktopia and as an ebook through Itunes.
*Evidence for a mid-life crisis is mixed—but there is significant evidence that it is a real phenomenon
**Evidence that we can take a growth and reinvention approach, or a regret and remorse approach: http://www.idealessaywriters.com/essay/what-is-midlife-crisis-and-who-is-affected-by-it-more-men-or-women/
*** Dr Simon Albrecht, Handbook of Employee Engagement: http://www.elgaronline.com/view/9781848448216.xml
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