Minimalism

Mark Manson on owning less: he could fit everything he owned into a small suitcase, despite running a profitable online business, and argues most people don't need nearly as much as they think.

How he got there

Broke after graduating, he sold most of his things and moved onto a friend's sofa. It felt painful, yet three-quarters of what he kept sat unopened in boxes for six months.
Moving home, he couldn't afford to ship his belongings, so he sold more: bike, games console, a prized poker set, weights. It felt like failure at the time.
Packing for months abroad, he agonised over "essentials" and then barely used half of them.

At every step, getting rid of things hurt, but once they were gone he never missed any of them (except his guitar). He can barely remember what he used to own.

Why owning less helps

Identity investment

Advertising teaches us to build our identity around brands and possessions ("a Mac person", "a Ford guy"). One friend spent his early twenties perfecting his flat to impress guests instead of going out and meeting them, and calls it a miserable period. Basing your identity on things outside yourself weakens self-esteem.

Loss aversion

People feel losing something far more strongly than they enjoy having it. So we spend more effort protecting possessions than the pleasure they give us is worth. Being attached to fewer things means less of that stress.

What research says

Experiences make us happier than possessions, and relationships matter more than things. Owning less:

frees time and money for experiences and people;
makes you build your identity on behaviour and attitude, not objects;
removes the stress of holding on to stuff;
saves money.

What you could let go of, from easiest to hardest

Most of the storage cupboard, attic or garage. If you haven't used it in three months and won't in the next three, let it go.
CDs and DVDs: digitise them, and sell the discs.
Video games: fun occasionally, but a huge sink of time, money and social life for many young men.
The TV: watch what you want on a computer, and watch sport with others at a bar.
Books: switch to an e-reader (the hardest one for him).
Clothes: a few shirts and T-shirts, two pairs of jeans, smart trousers, shorts, trainers, dress shoes, a coat, a jacket, a jumper. Most people rarely wear most of their wardrobe; donate the rest.
Furniture: shed what you don't use and you may need a home half the size, in a much better location.
The car: in a city with good public transport, you may not need one at all.