I’ve always been a music addict. I started playing drums around sixth grade. I always wanted to play them before that and when I finally got a drum set it became all I ever did. At around thirteen I began to buy records, which was a really fun and awesome process. To get to look at the artwork, read the liner notes, the smell… To top it off, the sound is like nothing else.
Buying records was a passion and a hobby for the first two years I did it. After that, it spiraled into something completely different. After one of my bands ended, it really took a toll on me and I entered a depressive state. The only thing I found comfort or joy in at that point was through buying things. Constantly searching for my next “high”.
Yard sales, thrift stores and the local record stores became homes to me. Every cent I had to my name was being thrown into these businesses.
Eventually, buying records was no longer about the music, but all about the hunt and buying more. Music itself lost a lot of meaning to me because of it. I had stopped playing drums for an extensively long period. The biggest factor keeping me away from drumming was the sheer amount of space in my room I had let records dominate.
I fell into a consumerism hole and only worsened my addictions. It’s a hard place to get out of, especially when you are encouraged to buy stuff by advertisements and so many other things that go on in your daily life.
Towards the end of my junior year of high school and my entire senior year of high school was my worse period yet. Ebay became my best friend. That false sense of happiness I would get when clicking that “Buy Now” button..
Disappointment came to me as a musician. Nowhere near enough of my time was devoted to writing music, playing drums, learning other instruments and bettering myself. I lost my passion and energy. Drums were one of the things that made me so happy when I played them every day. I looked forward to coming home and playing away after a long day of school.
After I graduated high school I took some time to record a solo album. My initial thought was that it turned out well but then I realized all the things that could be better when my perfectionist mindset kicked in. After removing it from the internet, I made some slight changes and put it back up. It still was not my best. The whole process of recording and mixing music was something I hadn’t focused on as I spent so much time buying. I have finally made the best version of the album as possible. You can download it free on soundcloud.com/declanpoehler or declanpoehler.bandcamp.com and it is available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes + more.
I told myself and I was told by others that music purchasing was a healthy addiction. It’s not as bad as drugs or alcohol, so it’s good for you, right?
Throughout all my spending in high school and up till now, my excessive purchasing has prevented me from getting a car. This has always been something I have been depressed about. I feel entirely way too far behind my peers. Not being able to go to certain events, not having that young sense of freedom. Getting a car was in my ability, but instead I prioritized a collection/hoard of physical items as opposed to one singular item that would give me incredible experiences. Getting rid of all these things would free up space, time and money that would help me towards my goal of getting a car.
A few times over the past year and a half I had heard about the idea of minimalism. I really took to it but I never got fully invested. Stumbling upon The Minimalists’ Ted Talks, a new prospective entered my head. Heading to ebay, I listed some CDs, but after selling them I ended up just buying again. The whole process of purchasing music had become a destructive habit to me.
Last week, I watched The Minimalists’ documentary with Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. It made me decide to completely dive into a journey in minimalism.
Up to this point, my room was nearly not walk-able. Calling myself an organized collector was my way of hiding from the fact I had been hoarding. To listen to every one of the albums I owned, I would have to listen to at least around three a day.
One of the worst things that my collecting brought on was the ruining of certain friendships and relationships. Of course, my collecting was the only problem but it was the cause of me not spending enough time focusing on issues and making sure I was giving as much as I was taking from people. I was ignoring the closest people around me. The people made me truly happy with the experiences they brought me, not the physical items.
I started listening to The Minimalists’ podcast. It became my new addiction. The episode on relationships hit home for me.
By letting go of things, I would have more time, space and money to do what I wanted.
I messaged my friend Tyler. We had been best friends through middle school but then lost touch in high school until we reconnected after a theater production. My mind remembered how great those middle school days were. Almost every day I came home from school on the bus, got off and went to Tyler’s house. He is a guitarist and we would practice, jam and talk music constantly. I spent many days and nights obsessing over music there. I let Tyler know about my intentions of becoming a minimalist. I asked for his help in taking all the records and such to the record store as I did not have transportation. Discussing with him how collecting had taken over and ruined my life in a way, he was eager to help out. Filling up the car to the brim, including cramping myself into the passenger seat with hundreds of items around me, we headed out. Tyler asked how I managed to acquire this amount of stuff. I just shook my head in disbelief.
After many trips from the car to the record store, piles and piles were all laid out in front of the store counter. These items had been taking up space in my life that they didn’t deserve. It was time to starting living for myself and not my possessions. I wasn’t giving these things attention when someone else could find great joy in them.
A few hours later, the record store called back. They made an offer and I accepted. The cash was just an added bonus for freeing up my future.
The next day, I did something I had always wanted to do: take the bus. I know you’re thinking, “Why on earth is that something that you always wanted to do?” Well the answer to that would be the experience, the freedom and being out on my own. These are things you don’t get much of without a car and especially in a small town of 6,044 people. The ride was liberating and I could feel my mind becoming less cluttered as I was able to sleep a full night for the first time in a long time after seeing my room wasn’t an absolute mess. During the ride, there was an old lady and a middle aged man just talking. No phones, no distractions, just having a conversation about the community. This was so refreshing and made me realize that minimizing my possessions wasn’t the only part of minimalism. My phone and endlessly scrolling has taken up days of my life and prevented me from being me more productive. I set out to use my phone less.
Minimalism makes you simplify ALL areas of your life.
When I got home from the record store, I still felt swamped. I had an Ikea Kallax unit still filled with records. Some were my dad’s which I returned upstairs as I had been selfishly hogging them so he couldn’t get enjoyment from them. This was a terrible thing I had done that I didn’t even question since I wasn’t thinking enough about others. Going through more of the records I realized that most had no value at all to my life anymore. I set up an appointment with another record store owner to pick up these records and make me an offer. Now, I have more money than I have in a long time. That feeling is much greater than any I have gotten from purchasing.
During my collecting, I always complained. I complained about money, time, energy and health. That is purely because I didn’t focus on what my priorities were.
After I got rid of more records, I dismantled the Ikea unit and once it was out I couldn’t believe how big my room was. I had made the purchase of the shelving unit over the summer and it only made me think buying more was ok as I needed to fill every inch of the space.
I was using buying as a coping method for how my life had turned out instead of taking action.
Buying had become my escape, where as before it was more productive and fulfilling things like playing drums. Playing drums develops me more as my own person and helps me reach for my dreams, while buying has no benefits, just temporary relief.
When I demolished everything that was important to me, I knew it was time to end the buying.
As of now, I am in a much better place. The future's looking brighter every day. I am focusing on my priorities and ways to better myself mentally, physically, musically and more.
So much stress in a household is caused by physical items. My family has a room we throw our unwanted stuff. It creates tension and arguments.
Once you let go, you will feel a lot better knowing things are being appreciated.
I felt greedy. There are so many people out there in need who will appreciate the things you donate. Drop off a bag when you can and feel the tinge of happiness it brings you each time.
I am finally on my way to happiness. I can say I would’ve never learned all this so early in my life without becoming a minimalist.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, push away things you think make you happy for things that actually bring you happiness.
Watch the full video version of this post with extra content at youtube.com/declanpoehler
