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Key Question: How Much Is Enough?


Photo by Mr. Kris

Every Wednesday is Simplicity Day on Zen Habits.

When I published the Simple Living Manifesto last week, I mentioned the concept of “enough”. It’s one of the most important concepts in simplifying your life, and in frugality.

We often want more than we have now. More money, more gadgets, better furniture, a better house, a better car, more clothes, more shoes, more success.

And what happens when we get more? We aren’t satisfied, because there are new ads for new iPods, for new laptops, for new iPhones, for new cars, for new clothes. We have to have those. It’s impossible to satisfy that hunger for more, because our culture is not satisfied with what we have, but is geared to wanting more. It’s consumerism, and it’s the official religion of the industrialized world.

That sounds preachy, so let’s move beyond that: ask yourself how much is enough, how much do you need in order to be satisfied? I submit that the answer is that we already have enough — possibly more than enough.

What does “enough” mean?
Enough doesn’t mean the just bare necessities of life. That would be food, water, shelter and clothing. It could be a house with a bed, a table, a chair, a place for food storage and preparation, a toilet, perhaps a shower. That’s not really enough.

Enough means having enough to live, and enough to be happy, and enough to thrive. For me, as I get extreme happiness from writing and blogging, I would need a computer. Perhaps I could use the public library’s computer, but in any case “enough” would include some access to a computer.

For others, enough would mean the need for tools such as a notebook and pens, musical instruments, video technology, or a camera. Enough would also mean food beyond just survival food — food that makes us happy, but not so much food that we are being excessive and gorging ourselves.

Enough could include cars, if those are necessary, but for some people it wouldn’t necessarily mean owning a car, especially if they don’t have kids and live close enough to the things they need, such as a grocery store or work.

Enough could include watching DVDs, if that makes you happy. It could mean an iPod, if you need that to be happy.

How to find “enough” and apply it to life
Consider the following when thinking about the concept of enough, and how it applies to your life:

1. What are the main things that make you happy? Are they material things, or are they people, or activities? Knowing the answer to this question can give you some insight into what material things you actually need beyond the bare necessities, in order to be happy.

2. What do you need to thrive? You don’t want to just survive, you want to thrive. You want to be good at what you do, and do what you love. You want to be passionate about the things you do, and be successful at them. What do you need in order to do that? How many tools or material things do you need to thrive?

3. What do you need to survive at a comfortable level? You need to survive, of course, but you probably don’t want to be miserable as you survive. A comfortable bed is probably important (although I’ve had great success with a futon, so a “comfortable bed” doesn’t have to be an expensive one), but how many extra trimmings does that bed need in order to be comfortable? How nice do the sheets need to be? Examine your ideas of comfort and then see what’s really necessary for that comfort. Sometimes you’ll realize that only a minimum of things are needed for real comfort.

4. What do you have beyond those things needed for survival, comfort, happiness, and thriving? Take a look around you, and think about everything in your home. How much of it goes beyond these things that make up the concept of “enough”? Do you really need them, or do they go beyond enough?

5. What do you desire that goes beyond enough — beyond what’s needed for survival, comfort, happiness, and thriving? We all want things we don’t have. What are they, and are they needed to have “enough”? Why do you want them? Can you be happy, comfortable, and thriving without them? And if so, how can you give up your desire for those things?

6. If you didn’t want to have more than enough, could you work less? Do you really need all the income you bring in, or is much of it to support a lifestyle that includes more than enough? For example, you might have expensive cars when only one cheap, used car is enough. Or no car at all. Or you might have an expensive home when it’s really more than enough. Or credit card debt from too many trips, too much shopping, too much eating out. If you didn’t spend all that money, and didn’t always want more than enough, perhaps you wouldn’t need as much income. There are almost certainly people living happily and comfortably on a lower income than yours.

7. If you worked less, could you be happy with enough, and happier doing other things? If you didn’t have to work, you might be happy with just enough. And you might enjoy working less. It’s something to think about, anyway. Also think about what you would do if you didn’t have to work.

Credit: I am indebted to Your Money or Your Life, and to an article by Vicki Robin (co-author of YMOYL) called, “How Much Is Enough?“

See also:

Comments (32)

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Skellie Says:

September 12th, 2007, 5:13 am

I think you’ve raised a very important idea. The thing that keeps people working untenable hours, forgetting to do the things they love, is that there is no ‘enough’ point for them. Perhaps a solution is to work out a fixed ‘enough’ point, and make sure you stick to it, possible dividing it into certain areas: enough travel, enough money, enough things… etc. Just a thought.

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Benoit Says:

September 12th, 2007, 6:53 am

Another way to look at this, retrospectively, is to see how many things we bought and are not using day in, day out… CDs listened once, books bought years ago and not read, gadgets still in their boxes. This should help to define by contrast what is enough.

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B Says:

September 12th, 2007, 6:55 am

Thank-you for another excellent post!

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Paula Says:

September 12th, 2007, 6:57 am

I personally have been restling with this! I find I have more than enough and look back to a time when I had less and more appreciation. I feel that life is a trade off…..too much attention in one area means less attention in another. It’s all about balance!

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Justin Davey Says:

September 12th, 2007, 8:08 am

Many people don’t realize until it’s far to late that serving others, moving outside of yourself on a daily basis, will bring greater happiness to them (in fact, joy is more suitable word) than any amount of material possessions will ever bring.

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Stijepan Blazevic Cabach Says:

September 12th, 2007, 8:53 am

Wow, every wensday i come early to collegue and i start to read this blog, i loe the minimalistic philosophy on the ideas, specially on wensdays.

About today’s topic. I think is a very important one, and the one that you should that to think about if you want to change your life i this kind of way. You can enjoy life with little thigs, even more, life is enjoyable in simple things, you just have to start seeing them, feeling them. Your life, the world, every tiny peace of it is full of wonder, but we tend to miss it, because we are so drown in our fast life, we are living in a yet, going match2 so we can’t enjoy the view.
That’ why i think this blog is soo great to ead, because it hve great idas of how to enjoy our life, be happy, with “enough”, with what we have arround us, not with what we can get.

Greetings fom Chile.

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Stijepan Blazevic Cabach Says:

September 12th, 2007, 8:54 am

One hings i missed, this is just my opinion but, i think happines is in giving to others, giving joy, love, and care to others, thats were you can find joy of life, making other people happy, its contaigus!

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Graham Lutz, The Young Capitalist Says:

September 12th, 2007, 8:59 am

I believe “Enough” = “Margin.” Having left over and extra is how you have enough. There is no certain amount that is enough. you can make $30,000 a year and have “enough” because you have margin in your life. On the Flip side, you can make millions but be living above your means, so you don’t have “enough.” You must have margin in every area of your life.

Margin in Finances

Margin in Time

Margin in Relationships

Margin in Fitness

Margin in Attitude

I smell a new post at TheYoungCapitalist.com!

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Richo Says:

September 12th, 2007, 9:15 am

Great article Leo. It’s really refreshing how you can take a simple idea and point out how huge the impact it has on our lives.

Maybe we should look at why it is that we feel the need for more, and maybe we should be looking inside for the answers instead of trying to acquire items to fill that void?

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Holli Jo Says:

September 12th, 2007, 10:10 am

Leo, this is such a great article! Your writing skill amazes me. You say just what I would want to say if I were as articulate as you. I get so fed up with the consumerism culture that makes us think we need more of everything.

I really want to internalize this post and think about what I would need to have ‘enough.’ It’s likely I already have it.

I also want to use this principle with my time. Do I really need to spend hours on the Internet? How much time would be ‘enough’? I’d like to evaluate the things I spend time on and cut out the nonessentials.

Thanks for a thought-provoking post.

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Rob D. Says:

September 12th, 2007, 10:36 am

Indeed simplicity is one of the pillars of powerful spiritual and ecological movements for some of the very reasons you listed.
I would love to see the “powers that be”, our governments and corporate overlords, abide by the same principals. I actually just wrote a blog about a book that deals with just this issue.
Sustainability: Economic revolution - Ecological necessity

peace
RD

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Steve Austin Says:

September 12th, 2007, 10:59 am

In addition to Leo’s post, I also enjoyed Graham Lutz’ comment. A (Ben) Grahamian Margin of Happiness. Build a little slop into your life so that if something somewhere goes a little wrong in an aspect of your life, you can absorb the hit and still be happy (while you rebuild the margin of happiness in that area).

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weiszguy Says:

September 12th, 2007, 11:02 am

I just read an article in the Tightwad Gazette about regression to the minimum. I think it dovetails nicely with what you’ve written here. Amy suggests that, in every area of you life, you cut out everything to the point that it is no longer comfortable, then add back just enough so that you are not un-comfortable.

Regarding gadgets, she might say, eliminate all gadgets from your life, see which ones you absolutely have to have, then add just those back into your life. Can you survive with out the iPod? Can you thrive without the iPod? Maybe, but the only way to know is to completely remove it for a while and see how you do. The goal here is to find out how many gadgets (and which ones) are required for you to be happy in your life. And once you know the answer to that question, you’ll probably be surprised at how happy you are without all the extras.

The same holds true for the more mundane things in life. Shampoo, for example. How much shampoo do you need to wash your hair? The only way to know for certain is to cut your shampoo usage back to almost nothing, then slowly add back a little at a time until you find the magic amount for your head. The goal is to get your hair clean using the smallest amount of shampoo possible. Cutting down your shampoo purchases every month might be a great way to begin a journey toward peace

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Terry Says:

September 12th, 2007, 11:32 am

The concept of enough is very difficult for a lot of people. I have learned a lot from this site and others that show how to live happily with less and have started to really adopt a clutter free life. It is wonderful how much it has changed me and added more dimension to my life, not to mention less spending and the ability to do better things with the money that I save.

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Mike OD Says:

September 12th, 2007, 11:33 am

Got a roof and food? The enough is right now…as we have all the tools we need to be truely happy, our mind. But yet we are convinced there are more external factors that need to be attained to be happy….a perfect road that has no end in sight…like chasing the sun down the highway. Just pull the car over and appreciate the view from where you are as that’s all you need. Otherwise you are just feeding your ego which survives on more….starve the ego, find happiness today.

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Anne Says:

September 12th, 2007, 12:01 pm

This is funny; I just blogged about the same concept, and titled it “Enough,” last night — partly inspired by earlier posts here! Great minds.

Thank you for all your thoughts. I feel encouraged to continue exploring a path of a simpler life and living with “enough,” not “more.”

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Olivier Says:

September 12th, 2007, 12:01 pm

Enough to me is when you do not need to think or care any more about what you want.
This can be because you really do not need more, like in the Bhudist perspective, or when you own so much money that you any way can by all you need. I plan to take both roads at once. I hope I will not become schizophrenic :-)

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Adam Lehman Says:

September 12th, 2007, 12:14 pm

great post.

i hope that we can become satisfied with less material things and seek to find deeper meaning outside of possessions and wealth.

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Anne Says:

September 12th, 2007, 13:38 pm

This is wonderful. Just what I was looking for today. Figuring what is enough can help me cut down on my commitments, too. And free up some time to do what I love.

Enough is the basic concept behind our farm being sustainable. Not what is the most we can produce, but what is enough to support us. This ends up includign our community, too.

It is not a concept generally supported in the culture at large. Nearly everyday, I run ito a well-meaning enthusiast who breathlessly tells me about this or that organic/sustainavble/new agricultural project/grant/opportunity that would require a large scale than what I can manage and would produce way more than enough. It’s so tempting and easy to be caught up in that energy of moving forward.

Oh, how I could go on. I think, like the Young Capitalist, I have been inspired to write. Thank you, Leo!

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Wesa Says:

September 12th, 2007, 14:44 pm

I think Vicki would be “tickled” at this article. I should send it to her.

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Marc Says:

September 12th, 2007, 15:23 pm

Leo, this is a great post! :)

I’ve been trying to stop looking at what others have as a measure of what I should have. Hard to do, especially since I like watching renovation and gardening shows but I’m trying to wean myself off that habit. ;)

“Enough” really is up to each and every one of us to define and find our comfort zone and no one can say that we either don’t measure up or have too much.

Lately I’ve felt a bit constricted by having so many things around me - I’ve been trying to selectively declutter around the house and even in the office.

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Mel Says:

September 12th, 2007, 18:11 pm

On topic……………
Provocative post with some interesting comments. I went to the stage of separating the “more” concept from happiness. You may want to take a look: http://mondaymorningpower.blogspot.com/2007/07/happiness-vs-human-nature.html

Off topic……………
I believe that by just being a part of “Priscilla Palmer’s Personal Development list” suggests that each of us post this list. You like me (Killeris at “Attitude, the Ultimate Power”) are on this list. If you have already posted it, THANK YOU. If you have not posted it, I am officially putting out a challenge that you add additional sites that fit the theme and post the entire list. This is my opinion only. If you disagree I respectfully understand. If you do agree with me this list can be found at: http://mondaymorningpower.blogspot.com/2007/09/personal-development-list-challenge.html

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Doug Says:

September 12th, 2007, 22:12 pm

This was an awesome post, Leo.

It connected a few of the dots for me and gives me a lot to mull over.

Thank you.

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Jeremy Says:

September 12th, 2007, 22:58 pm

This has been a constant subject of my thought recently, and I thought I’d share what I think is the greatest thing ever written on the subject:

Seneca’s Letter on Philosophy and Riches

Now that I think of it, a lot of the ideas on this blog are pretty Stoic.

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Steven Says:

September 12th, 2007, 23:22 pm

Here are two books on this subject I highly recommend:

When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough by Harold Kusher

When Is Enough, Enough? What you can do if you never feel satisfied by Laurie Ashner and Mitch Meyerson

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David B. Bohl at Slow Down FAST.com Says:

September 13th, 2007, 0:32 am

I believe that the one thing - the single obstacle or challenge - that repeatedly gets in the way of our ability to get the job done is not knowing when enough is enough.

Productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, balance, focus, and life are often about taking care to avoid the extremes - KNOWING when enough is enough.

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Liara Covert Says:

September 13th, 2007, 8:43 am

This is a very thought-provoking thread. There was a time in my life when I focused on work-related pursuits and yet, still felt I was getting nowhere fast. It was only as the result of discovering the power of true, unconditional love. It turned my life completely upside down. I rethought my sense of priorities.

The Universe offers us opportunities to learn lessons every day. Its a question of whether we’re ready and willing to listen that can make a huge difference. How you live now results from how you thought in the past. How will you live tomorrow?

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Michel Says:

September 13th, 2007, 19:18 pm

Great stuff. Simplicity day is my favorite.
If anyone reading this haven’t read Your money or your life, go get it. It’s life changing. Use Leo’s link on the left.

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Daiko Says:

September 14th, 2007, 12:22 pm

For some reason this topic makes me think of how my wife is an important part of my equation for enough. Inspired by this column I wrote her this haiku:

To make life complete:
Butterflies or candlelight,
And your eyes. Enough.

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Brian Says:

September 15th, 2007, 15:02 pm

This makes me think of Henry David Thoreau. In Walden, he says “At the present day, and in this country, as I find by my own experience, a few implements, a knife, an axe, a spade, a wheelbarrow, and for the studious, lamplight, stationary, and access to a few books, rank next to necessaries, and can all be obtained at a trifling cost.” I’m new to this web site. I love it. Thanks for sharing.

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AgentSully Says:

September 17th, 2007, 23:17 pm

this is what I’m always trying to teach my son who always wants more.

I think it is in human nature to always want more, and today in some parts of the world there is such abundance that this survival instinct becomes a vice because it is allowed to go to the extreme.

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JOhn Chadwick Says:

October 4th, 2007, 6:42 am

HOw to be happy:
Need little
Want less
Envy no-one
Owe nothing
(And - Walk on the sunny side of the street)

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