Month 1: 🌟Welcome to the Lesser Consumption Journey 🌟
Consumption Temptations Tally
Our daily, mental reminder to tally the wasted brain space on unnecessary materialistic things that distract from the meaningful moments of life.
“We can decide that this is not the way that we want to live and move it in a different direction”
— Marketing Executive from Buy Now
Confidence I Can Avoid Consuming This Month
Almost zero. I love materials!
As a Virgo and an earth sign, I’ve learned to let go of the shame around enjoying earthly things, but that doesn’t make this challenge any easier.
My partner, a Taurus, also loves high-quality goods. While I’m drawn to frequent, lower-cost purchases (thanks, “Buy Now” culture), he tends to fixate on thoughtfully curated buys.
Together, we’ll practice resisting the urge to over-consume and rethink what truly adds value to our lives. I don’t expect this to be easy.
Will Lesser Consumption Lead to Inner Work?
Welcome to the start of a 9-month experiment I’m calling “lesser consumption.” Inspired by Cait Flanders’ 365 Days of Less, this journey is about rethinking our habits and rewiring the mind to consume less. My ultimate goal is to strengthen the Psyche Butterfly value of “Community First” by creating space for deeper connections within myself first, then others. I’ve already tackled the physical side of things with the 16-week Space Refresh, tidying over 1,467 items and creating a simplified home. But the real challenge begins now: understanding why we consume and resisting the urge to refill the space we’ve cleared to focus on what truly matters.
Let me be clear! Simplicity does not come naturally to me.
My friends and family could tell you that I always go for the most colorful, over-the-top option. A full schedule? I’ll try to do it all. A buffet? I’m sampling everything. My wardrobe? I’m never matching and likely wearing too much jewelry. Simplicity isn’t my default, which is why I’m probably the last person you’d expect to (attempt to) lead a conversation on consuming less. But maybe that’s what makes this journey relatable. I’ve made every mistake in the book when it comes to over-committing and over-consuming. This project is as much about laughing at our own chaos as it is about finding clarity.
The 16-week Space Refresh taught me that simplifying isn’t just about tidying objects; it’s about creating mental space. I believe that when your environment is in order, it’s easier to focus on inner work.
With my home set up to serve me, I’m now refraining from buying anything beyond essentials:
Toiletries
Transportation
Food
Gifts for Others
My husband and I have even created a simple system to keep ourselves accountable: a list on the fridge where we tally each time we’re tempted to buy something outside these categories. The idea is to bring awareness to those moments of temptation and shift our energy toward inner work to ask ourselves why we feel those urges.
To be clear, this is not about minimalism.
Life isn’t black and white, and I’m not aiming for a stark, monochrome aesthetic. My colorful, slightly chaotic self would be out of place in a minimalist world. Instead, this is about finding a middle ground that feels sustainable and meaningful.
If this sounds daunting, trust me, I get it. But if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the urge to consume or exhausted by the endless checklists of life, maybe this challenge is for you too. Start small, simplify your space, and join me when you’re ready. Together, we’ll tackle the hard stuff, one reflection at a time.
Here’s to consuming less, connecting more, and seeing where this experiment takes us. Until next month, cheers to the journey!
Deep Dive
month 1 Influences
Watch “Buy Now” non Netflix
