#028 ✰ Your daily ritual starts tonight
Kinda journaling. But for objects.
Good morning!
I hope this email finds you well and healthy. We are currently locked at home since we recently were in contact with a friend who turned out to be Covid positive. A kind reminder that nope, this thing isn’t over yet (in case it wasn’t obvious enough).
Our mission hasn’t changed: we want to help people free themselves from rampant consumerism, so that they can dedicate more time, money and bandwidth to be and build. 👉 We want to be the tool that empowers your future materialistic decisions.
Out
If I am being honest here, I don’t think there has been a single week (in a long time) when I haven’t thought about buying stuff at least several times. I’m quite ashamed to admit it, but whether it’s for me, the house, my toddler,… I constantly have something in mind. Fortunately I don’t end up buying most of these things. Still, they’d stick in my mind for some time and it’s damn tiring.
1. Navigate the temptations.
I have tried several methods. Waiting at least 48 hours. A week. This helped.
Recently, I came across the BISOU method [🥖🇫🇷], that I found quite complete. It is the acronym for a methodology Marie Lefèvre developed to help us make thoughtful purchase decisions.
When I think about acquiring something, questioning myself goes as follow:
[B] N eed
Identify the why, my why, the deep psychological need behind: is it that I need to feel loved, comforted, safe? Is it a need for change, for self-esteem, to impress somebody? This, is quite an intimate question.
I mmediate
W a i t is my secret weapon. Write down my wish and wait 15 days.
[more about this coming soon in your app ⚡️👇]
S imilar
Look for an existing alternative, at home or borrowing from someone.
O rigin
Consider the raw material used and the manufacturing process (fair? human? ecological?…)
U seful
Identify how this will help my daily life significantly ; how have I managed to do without this until today.
2. Acknowledge the thought. And then let it go.
This is what the voice in my meditation routine with Oak keeps telling me. In a world where temptations are everywhere and algorithms make them so relevant, it is so hard to just be immune and keep going.
Instead of letting ourselves build this unconscious state of never-ending frustrations, going from one purchase to the next shiny wish, we want to help you acknowledge what’s in your mind, note it in your app, and pause for a while. Chance is, in a few hours or days, you’ll know more about your inner intentions. You’ll be able to act consequently. Respond, don’t react. It will bring you peace.
Running wild / Your weekend bonus:
What’s new in the app 📱
📣 A new, daily ritual !
👉 document every day whether you’ve acquired something or not.
One minute a day. Simple, non judgmental questions. And your history over time.
Kinda journaling. But for objects.
Why? Help you get the knowledge, understand your trends, be accountable. How often are you acquiring things? Are they mainly spontaneous or well-thought purchases? Are they mainly gifts / free stuff or purchases? Like me, you might be surprised.
Try it out and share with us any feedback! ⚡️🙏
[Request access here]
•••
What’s next in the app? The Wish. Anything in mind you’d like to acquire in the future? Simply note it down, write your rationale. We’ll help you deal with it.
Why? Is your mind regularly wandering and tempted to acquire X or Y? We are here to give it the space it needs to express its own freewill and judgment.
Releasing our 💡Library !
We’re launching Objet, the Library.
Our goal? Facilitate access to great content on Happiness & Consumerism. Books, articles, podcasts, documentaries, you name it.
We hope this will be of use for your next holiday cocooning, or during any spare hour you may have before that!
This tool is meant to be collaborative, so your content recommendations are more than welcome, too.
In
Posts
Retail Christmas, a testimony about a decade of no-gift-Xmas:
We do it [gifts] when it feels natural, not when a calendar date reminds us (…) It makes receiving unexpected, small personal presents throughout the year that much more meaningful.
Shipping Is Not The Same As Buying, wise daily words by Seth Godin.
Podcast
[39 min] The Big Question, by Michael Williams in a discussion with Sean Hotchkiss. “Why do I own all of this stuff?” Always go back to your why.
Have a lovely evening and weekend ahead.
Take care,
Mathilde 🐞