What does personal development have to do with tiny living? It can have a lot to do with it.
Personal development often requires that you live a nonconforming lifestyle. This is necessary because most people just follow common trends. These trends are frequently not in people’s best interest but rather in the best interest of consumer product manufacturers.
A good example of this is the typical American diet which is incredibly bad for your health. An excellent way to learn about this topic is by watching these documentaries (list on this site). I went from being an 80 percent vegetarian to a 100 percent vegan (plant-based diet) after I watched them.
Financial abundance, fitness, and self-growth are some key areas of personal development. How do these relate to tiny living?
One of the most significant advantages to tiny living is the ability to more easily and quickly accumulate wealth. Or at least a sizable savings that provides financial security.
The stress created by having a huge mortgage, large car payment, and credit card debt are unhealthy. It is my understanding that stress can damage your body to nearly equal measures that a poor diet does. Put them together and you’re a time bomb!
Two important components of fitness are also key benefits of the tiny lifestyle. Less stress and more free time! You don’t have to work long hours to pay your bills. And it doesn’t take as much time and energy to clean and maintain a small house. Consequently, you have less stress and can you easily schedule time for daily exercise. There is also more time to pursue other personal development goals.
Although I haven’t reached my ultimate tiny living dream yet, my current lifestyle, which I been doing for quite a few years, allows me to exercise twice a day six days a week. When I was a corporate soldier working long hours there was no way that I could do that.
Depending on the time of year, I either power walk or swim at 4:00 am. For the second part, I alternate daily between free weight and abdominal exercises just before lunch.
The other aspect that tiny living provides is the opportunity for self-growth. Having more time to work on it is a significant advantage, but it’s not the part that fuels your growth. Going outside your comfort zone, past your fear, and beyond the perimeters of conventional living does! Being a nonconformist takes courage. And tiny living is nonconforming to what “most people” are doing.
Like personal development, it’s important that you get involved with people who share your interest. They will support and encourage you. Family and friends who can’t get their heads around the tiny lifestyle will not be equipped to support you in the way you need. The same thing can happen with other personal development changes by the way. I still get strange looks from people about being a vegan when I know they have zero knowledge about the disadvantages of an animal-based diet or about the advantages of a plant-based diet.
So why so much discussion about how personal development relates to tiny living and vice versa? Here’s what led to it. I’ve been fascinated by personal development techniques most of my adult life. In 2010, I became very interested in the small house movement and learned that it is a central part of a broader philosophy known as tiny living. I quickly noticed that the mindset and values of the people who are passionate about tiny living and personal development are very similar. Can you imagine a true personal development guru (I’m at least 3 lifetimes away) living any other way but a minimalist, simple lifestyle in a small house?
I’m making this point because tiny living is an intelligent and self-aware choice. It’s a choice that requires knowledge, tenacity, and courage! Why tenacity and courage? Because there are always naysayers to ignore, obstacles to overcome, and innovations to create to make it happen.
Although it might sound like I’m trying to convince others that this is the lifestyle that everyone should follow, I’m not. I know that tiny living isn’t for everyone. I am, however, trying to inspire and motivate people who have an interest in it. And I am advocating smaller houses and smaller cars to save natural resources, protect the environment, and enhance the financial strength of the U.S. and all other freedom loving countries around the world.
If my memory serves me correctly, I think the U.S. started the trend toward large cars and later big houses. This mentality has led many people in the U.S. to become gluttons for big houses, massive TV’s, fast food, and trendy cars that fit their egos and not their principles. Sadly, it’s mostly caused by ignorance.
I feel that tiny living can be a component of personal development. And personal development can be a component for enhancing the tiny living experience.