Resolution Reset

Previously I defined minessentialism as the combination of “minimalism” and “essentialism”. I also wrote about my bibliomania in which I have collected far more books than I will ever have the time to read. I have a similar problem with bookmarking online articles and queuing videos for later consumption.

Recently I have been fighting an addiction to YouTube Shorts. I installed a third-party browser extension to block Shorts from showing whenever I went into YouTube. I almost immediately uninstalled the extension, however, after everything in my YouTube “Watch later” list disappeared, possibly due to a buggy interaction.

I was not too disappointed about the accidental deletion of thousands of videos from my “Watch later” list. I am actually kind of relieved that it was reset since it felt like the list had become an unwanted burden. In a way, it was kind of like a digital detox for my future self.

I have decided it is time for me to do another purge of things that consume both my space and time. That stack of unread magazines is going into recycling. I am canceling streaming services. Instead of traveling during my upcoming vacation, I am going to stay home and work on some personal goals.

I am resolving to do better in the future. I shall postpone purchases of items such as books or sailboats until I have the space and time for them. I shall abstain from frivolous time sinks such as computer games and short-form content unless I am on the treadmill. I shall be wary of taking on recurring commitments.

My new motto:

Stick to the minessentials.