Contents of Before you buy

You can have a 22 session before making a decision for or against buying or introducing a new thing into your space.

Some of the principles that help in deciding action are applicable here. But this “before you buy” think is very specific to buying decisions.

A calm person should not suffer buyer’s remorse.

On buyer’s remorse

Our main concern here to avoid buyer’s remorse and long-term self-hurt, wastage, or needless accumulation is much less about “resources invested” and more about ‘compatibility with goals’.

I’m proposing 7 questions we must sincerely answer, based on which we may go ahead with a purchase or humbly and happily decline.

Before you buy ask

  1. What’s the purpose of this thing?
  2. Is this purpose lofty to you and others? Lofty in terms of character and spirit. Is it a good thing? Is it happy?
  3. Lofty, yeah, but may not fit your own purpose in life. So, does it fit your overarching purpose in life?
  4. Do you have a place for this thing? Is the timing right for you to get it? This won’t be an easy “yes” or “no”; you’ll do a bit of work thinking through why the time may be right or not.
  5. If question-groups 1 through 4 are satisfied, can you then list like 7 ways this thing can benefit you - what can you do with it? Can you live with it happy?
  6. Negate your desire a little bit - what can you do without it? Can you live without it?
  7. Up the ante on the negation just a tad - what if you can’t have it, say you can’t afford this thing, what do you do?

I hope you see that these are serious questions, which is why only a session like 22 can help toward getting satisfactory answers.

You’ll be the happier after

Taking out 22 to do this, perhaps a couple 22’s for big purchase decisions, you’ll have sufficient time to calm the heightened “anticipation of the enjoyment that [could] accompany using [even just owning] the [thing].” Thus, you’ll be empowered with an informed decision, responding instead of merely reacting.

In a life of calm and minimalism, it’s a joy to look around you each time and be pleased with your enough.