When More is Less: Cutting the Clutter

“To be free, to be happy and fruitful, can only be attained through sacrifice of many common but overestimated things.” -Robert Henry

Excerpt from The Four Hour Work Week – Mini-Retirements

I know the son of one deca-millionaire, a personal friend of Bill Gates, who now manages private investments and ranches.  He has accumulated an assortment of beautiful homes over the last decade, each with full-time cooks, servants, cleaners, and support staff.  How does he feel about having a home in each time zone? It’s a pain the ass!  He feels like he’s working for his staff, who spend more time in his homes than he does.

Extended travel is the perfect excuse to reverse the damage of years of consuming as much as you can afford.  It’s time to get rid of clutter disguised as necessities before you drag a five-piece Samsonite set around the world.  That is hell on earth.

Let’s face it, though:  There are tons of things in your home and life that you don’t use, need, or even particularly want.  They just came into your life as impulsive flotsam and jetsam and never found a good exit.  Whether you’re aware of it or not, this clutter creates indecision and distractions, consuming attention and making unfettered happiness a real chore.  It is impossible to realize how distracting all the crap is – whether porcelain dolls, sports cars, or ragged T-shirts-until you get rid of it.

Have you recently taken a mini-retirement?  Share with us any success “de-clutter” story.

More to come next month on how Timothy Ferris de-cluttered.