Minimalism Is The Hidden Secret To Success
- Brainz Magazine
- Dec 22, 2021
- 11 min read
Written by: Sian Gunney, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
My late father had wisdom older than his years, he would often say “Everything in moderation kid.” It took me 40 years to truly understand this. Time goes by stuck in the wrong mindset.
Nicholas Burroughs the designer from Omaha agrees with this principle in all he does and he defines minimalism in the following way: “Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.” Nicholas Burroughs
We live in a world that sells the concept “never enough” in order to get us to buy “stuff” to fill an illusionary void inside of ourselves. This has a name it’s called the Diderot Effect which that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption which leads you to acquire more new things. As a result, we end up buying things that our previous selves never needed to feel happy or fulfilled. When fearful news story coverage increases on online news and social media, it has a direct correlation to online sales spikes due to the Diderot Effect.
Minimalism for years has been misunderstood as lack of or settling for simplicity over success. We are all noticing that our mental bandwidths are getting overwhelmed, due to information overload and device distraction. It’s increasingly easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole after a simple scroll on Instagram, or bogged down in pointless decision-making, how many options do we really need? We’re faced with a barrage of pointless decisions merely by turning on our phones, computers or TVs. They cause us stress without us realising. Studies have shown that when a mobile notification arrives, our bodies release a stress hormone called cortisol. That mini fight-or-flight response then persists, sometimes for minutes, until we check the notification.
They only serve to waste our time and use up our valuable mental bandwidth with nonsense. Prehistoric humans were far more advanced intellectually than they were originally given credit for. Just think without device and decision fatigue they had time for stillness, contemplation and importantly the right environment to create and innovate. There’s a real reason that leaders in silicon valley, don’t allow their children to have devices or access to social media. Social media is seen as the modern day cigarette , highly addictive and dangerous for your health. On what authority do I speak? Yahoo finance listed me in the top 10 social media experts to watch out for in 2021 and Onalytica listed me as number 48 in the top 100 influencers globally on digital marketing.
“Technology has lowered the barrier for others to share their opinion about what we should be focusing on. It is not just information overload; it is opinion overload.” Greg McKeown Essentialism : The Disciplined pursuit of less
We are constantly looking into a broken mirror on social media to gain external validation and not only is it loud and chaotic it defies logic.
If I had fully embraced a deep understanding of minimalism this article would have just read less is more and ended with this full stop.
However we are all learning and developing and taking the lessons we need to grow.
So let’s talk Minimalism how can this help us become successful (whatever your definition of success is) What the following world leaders have in common is that they all embrace minimalism to eliminate distractions, avoid decision fatigue, to protect their mental bandwidth and to simplify complexity.
I read an article recently about leaving the small fights to the small fighters this resonated with me a lot. I discussed it with groups of friends who said that in particular females tend to self-sabotage their own success by taking things personally, distracting themselves or overthinking about things that aren’t within their control or aligned with their goals.
We all know the what-ifs, the could-bes, the minute details , the fractional things that might make only a 2 percent difference. I always say, “If in doubt cross it out.” However mostly these things only serve to distract you from the real work, the tasks most people avoid or defer that would make 80 percent of the difference.
A friend of mine suggested that men don’t tend to get lost in the decision discussions mulling over fine details in the pursuit of perfectionism. They often choose to filter information to make fast choices. Enabling them to only focus on the top 10% of what matters, on the must do tasks and a clear path ahead. I believe there are some truths in this in terms of gender, but it is not a case for all, as every individual is very unique. Often overwhelmed people reach their window of tolerance quickly and can transfer the energetic overwhelm and decision doubt to others without realising it. This can create an environment that prohibits progress and can feel frustrating.
When you eliminate everything that is unnecessary, there are no details to hide behind. You’re left with just the basics and whether or not you have mastered them to keep driving forward.
Want your app to run faster? Delete every line of code that isn’t essential.
Want to get stronger abs? Stop wasting energy on unrelated exercises.
Want more people to read this article? Write less and stay on point
Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, innovative tech leaders across the globe are wearing the same few things think Steve Jobs black polo neck jumpers, eating the same few things Zuckerberg often goes for smoked meats, Zuck said he doesn’t like to waste time on small decisions, these individuals also try to work in the same few places like Branson feeling his most relaxed working from Necker Island.
We all remember when Elon Musk, announced in May of 2020 that he is “selling almost all physical possessions and he will no longer own any properties.
To show that minimalism has long been the secret to success see the below list.
Albert Einstein – For Einstein that meant he owned very few pieces of clothing, gave away most of his money, and couch-surfed whenever he travelled somewhere
Philosopher, poet and writer Henry David Thoreau is another great example. Thoreau often wrote about the benefits of living a simple life; giving up luxuries in order to quiet the mind. “Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.”
Roman Emperor in the 2nd century A.D Marcus Aurelius who was best known for his meditations on Stoic philosophy, which supported living in rather extreme minimalism. He was quoted as saying ”Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking”
Western Philosopher Socrates agreed that the best way to live was in pursuit of virtue instead of seeking material wealth. “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
Leonardo Da Vinci used to feed all his friends the poor and the rich and was known for saying “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Singer and songwriter Jane Siberry embraced a freedom of being a purist on tour with two bags, a guitar, and a laptop and lists all her music for free for fans
Mad Men actor Vincent Kartheiser doesn’t own a car and at one point didn’t even own a toilet. He loves living a frugal life which is a rarity for his Hollywood career
The former NY city lawyer Michael Bloomberg is devoted to a minimalist lifestyle and refuses to own any more than six pairs of shoes at a time
I notice it a lot with clients the more they seem to have acquired and accumulated the unhappier they are rather than the other way around.
So rather than buying more in an attempt to find happiness outside of ourselves, is decluttering our belongings and lives the way forward? When life stops adding up we need to start subtracting things. We are meant to love people and use things and often people get this the wrong way around.
Minimalism can be very beneficial for your happiness, stress management and finances it also helps with improving your focus and quality productivity, as I've experienced myself. I have embraced fewer things but higher quality. Few true friends that I have wonderfully rich, deep relationships with where we both love and care for each other. The same with clients fewer that make me feel good with projects aligned to my values and a working experience and energy exchange that doesn’t negatively impact my own life goals. The same with all aspects of my life from my clothes to my socialising high quality but few options. Just as regularly as I say no to things I also choose to remove social media apps from my phone and no longer feel the need to reply to every message or email in real time or in some cases at all.
Some of us have inherited traits of overcomplicating and cluttering life for ourselves rather than making it easier. Often we can try to recreate periods of stress and overwhelm from previous trauma without being conscious that we keep doing this. There’s a darker side to our obsessions with the doing and being ‘busy’ and saying to others I’m just so busy as if it’s a bragging point. The most successful people I know are not ‘busy being busy.’ “Feeling the need to be 'busy' all the time is a trauma response and fear-based distraction from what you'd be forced to acknowledge and feel if you slowed down.” Maxine Carter
We need to unlearn these behaviours and this takes time and the ability to be okay with disappointing people and not apologising or over explaining when you do. It’s important to understand that when you say no to others ,you say yes to yourself.
Clutter starts with your diet and I define diets as everything you consume. It’s what you watch, What you listen to, What you read, The people you spend most of your time with, The people you follow both online and offline. Be mindful of the things you allow in your body and mind, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Many people don’t succeed in life because of attachment and trauma bonds to both people and behaviours. Sadly they are not willing to let go of what is making them ill and they get stuck on a cycle of behaviour that stays on repeat.
To live a different type of life, we must make different choices. Chaotic and disorderly can be words to describe how many people choose to live without any self-awareness. A cluttered home can be a stressful and unhappy home. A cluttered life can be a stressful and an unhappy life. A recent psychology study showed a direct link to procrastination on decisions and general dissatisfaction, linked to clutter be that things or activities where mind-space and bandwidth are impacted negatively .
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that clutter can negatively impact mental well-being, particularly among women. Clutter can also induce a physiological response, including increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. All of human suffering comes from attachment the inability to let go of what no longer serves you.
“People turn physical objects into magic talismans that connect them to memories (and) better times in their lives,” says Regina Leeds, author of “One Year to an Organised Life” (Da Capo Press, 2007).
To earn more do less. Raise your prices and work for better quality clients who respect your boundaries and your time and only keep those who don’t leave you feeling drained of energy outside of your scheduled working time. This helps you to earn more by doing less. Spend less and live more, choose quality experiences over things.
Don’t suffer your possessions, choose them, embrace the capsule wardrobe theory and pare down your clothes with exquisite essentials. Buy and keep only things you find truly beautiful. Eat well , with simple quality of the right amount of food ,eat slowly and delicately. Enrich your life with rituals so you treasure these moments where you are choosing to feed your body and your mind. It is the quality time you spend with the special few that matters. Most people rush around in an emotional fog, they perform empty gestures, lack confidence and most of the time they feel unworthy.
In order to build deeper higher quality relationships in life we must first build a loving high quality relationship with ourselves. This starts with less but higher quality and apply it to everything we choose to keep close in our lives. “Self-love…is not so vile as self-neglecting.” William Shakespeare
The less things you have to focus on the clearer the mind and heart will be and the easier the path ahead. You can live intentionally with clarity knowing where you want to go, as all the clutter and distractions have been moved. The less clutter the easier every choice is, does it align with the life I’m building? If in doubt cross it out. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no!
The greatest minds know that minimalism is a hidden secret to success. They don’t succumb to the marketing for the masses. They do not enter the race to the bottom that so many people run year on year and call it competing. When it is just a hunger to be liked or show off to feel enough, its actually just being sold to and cluttering the path to personal and professional progress. As Greg Mckeown writes in his book about Essentialism, “you cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” It is about making the wisest possible investment of our time in order to always operate at our highest point of contribution, by doing only what is really essential.
As Dominique Loreau describes the need for resolve in her book called L’art de la Simplicite. “I understood the need for caution too : consumerism, inertia (both physical and mental), and negativity are waiting to ensnare us whenever our determination falters.”
The world’s leading individuals practice self-discipline so they do not get pulled back into the ‘ordinary’ mediocre needs and wants that prevent people reaching their true potential. They are not afraid to stand out and do not value popularity over progress. They understand that your real home is not the house you live in but the stillness and peace you have mastered in your mind and heart.
Minimalism helps us to problem solve with ease, it helps us to be creative and innovate and build something that will outlive us, a legacy.
There is always time to reflect, you too could curate a happier more successful life by embracing minimalism and practicing essentialism.
Sian Gunney, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sian Gunney is a Success Strategist listed on Yahoo Finance in the Top 10 Social Media experts to watch in 2021. Also listed as 48 in the top 100 influencers worldwide on digital marketing by Onalytica. Sian has won social media marketing awards for innovation and results for brand campaigns such as Chrysler and Dominos Pizza.
As a dedicated, versatile creator, Sian designs and executes meaningful strategies bridging content and commerce across platforms and people. Sian specializes in strategy that focuses on Brand, Digital Marketing, and PR.
Sian is a disruptor. She works with clients to lead change, not be led, supporting them to self-disrupt, refocus, and reposition to stay ahead.
Over a decade of working with some of the biggest brands from Britvic, Virgin Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn to building brands such as Skinade, Biocol Labs and working with celebrities from celebrity gifting to high tier personal brand management to business development with their commercial entities from Karren Brady CBE to Joe Calzaghe MBE, CBE
Everyone that comes to Sian is looking for some kind of transformation, and she excels with this, as you can see from her case studies from over the last 15 years in business.
Sian is highly selective and only works with those she truly believes in and who reciprocate that belief as the high-quality results in business come from high-quality relationships.
None of us are here by accident. We all have a unique purpose and value. Sian's path is to help others to level up and realize their untapped potential. Sian is innately in tune both spiritually and professionally, and she operates between the worlds of art with creativity and science with strategy. With increased visibility and support comes sovereign opportunities for Sian's clients and the people she holds close.
Sian's adventurous soul is willing to suspend fear and move intentionally towards her goals by helping others build their dreams. Sian loves opening doors for others.
