Hey everyone. Welcome back to the pod. I hope that all is well. And if for some reason you find yourself in a place where things are not going as you have hoped or planned, I pray that you would be encouraged.
A couple of weeks ago we talked about optimism. And frankly, sometimes the only thing that you can fall back on is your faith and a positive attitude to keep you going when you find yourself feeling defeated. I want to remind you that those two things can take you farther than you could ever imagine, if you trust and believe. So keep the faith and be positive in the midst of it all! Because getting to the other side of whatever you’re going through as soon as possible is the goal, and those two things will help you get there.
So as we finished up 2024 and moved into 2025, I started thinking a lot about how I live holistically. Not the goals I have, or the milestones that I am trying to meet, but the everyday way that I am living life. And one thing that came to mind was this idea around quality vs quantity.
Now you can relate this concept to a lot of things right? Because the first thought that came to mind for me was material purchases such as clothing or accessories.
And I do hold true to this idea when it comes to my wardrobe. I started to be more intentional about it several years ago, when I decided that I would do a bit more investing in pieces that I love and just be fine with wearing and rewearing and being photographed in those pieces multiple times instead of just buying and spending on fast fashion to simply embrace the practice of having more. That’s what it boiled down to. Having more of the things that I may only be seen in once, but also having more of the things that I didn’t necessarily feel amazing in. And that concept just stopped making sense to me. Because in reality, if I see something and I love it, and it makes me feel good, why wouldn’t I want to put it on over and over? Because I feel good in it- it may make me feel confident, creative or sexy! And so if I have to pay a little more and have a little less, but love everything that I have, that’s the goal for me! I’m still working on this conversion by the way- it’s not an overnight conversion, but the goal is a more curated closet that reflects me, and not just abundance.
Often times you know when thinking about quantity we only think of something like our wardrobe, when really there are so many areas in our lives that we can apply the practice of quality over quantity.
Take appliances and cookware as another example. How many different pots and pans do you cook with on a regular basis? And how many pieces of cookware do you actually have? I’ll speak for the general population, or maybe just myself when I say that many of us truly have too many. Because I find myself utilizing the same four or five pieces of cookware, but in reality I have many more pots and pans than that. All because someone packaged it up in a set and told me that those were the pieces that I needed when in reality I could have purchased everything I needed a la carte and done without the additional odd sized pans that I never reach for.
But how would it feel to let go of those unnecessary pots and pans? Lighter maybe? More in control? Organized?
Shedding those unnecessary items is doing more than just clearing out a few cabinets. It’s clearing out space in your mind, in your life and yes it is making you feel more in control and much lighter.
When there is less to manage, and you’ve vetted what you are working with, you’re more liable to make a clear, confident decision. If you’ve curated your wardrobe, you’re more liable to look good every time, no matter what you reach for in your closet.
If you curate the stuff in your kitchen, you’ll reach for the right tools every time without anything else getting in the way. It’s the quality that matters y’all. Not the quantity.
These are just two examples, but there are so many other ways to prioritize quality in your life. And what you’re doing when you adopt this practice is not only simplifying your life, but also elevating it.
So let’s take a beat and evaluate some areas in which we can prioritize quality over quantity for everyday living and how to do so.
For starters let’s make intentional purchases.
Ask yourself do you really love it, or is it just good enough? Do you have more than what you need? How many of those do you need? Am I being impulsive? Am I overconsuming?
Just because you were able to get it on sale, or buy it in bulk doesn’t automatically mean it was a good value for you. Key words being for you. Now my husband loves costco. And I actually think Costco is great as well. But I do struggle with buying in bulk. Like I like to keep my sugar in a glass canister, but a 30 lb bag of sugar doesn’t allow me to do that. So now I’m stressed because I need a storage solution that I don’t have for the oversized bag. In that instance I have to ask myself: Is it worth it to me? And how long is it even going to take me to get through that bag sugar? Will moisture get into the bag before I finish it? Will it expire? Trivial things I know, but things to think about nonetheless when you are talking about quantity in your life. Sugar may seem like a silly example, but it’s also very real. And I’m sure that you can find something to sub out for the sugar I used to illustrate my point here.
And sidebar- if you are someone who is a bulk buyer- I would love to hear from you- what makes bulk buying great and do you have some tips for storing bulk items outside of the large boxes and bags that the stuff came in? I need to know. We are a family of four- and it doesn’t always seem worth it to me to buy certain things in bulk. But maybe I can be convinced.
But moving right along- let’s talk about quality in the social and leisurely parts of our life. Because you may need some quality control here as well.
We can fall into doing a whole lot of the same that may be costing us a whole lot of money, but giving us limited returns. So I encourage you to do something different
If you go out to dinner twice a week, maybe take the money you would’ve spent on two of those sub par meals and schedule an activity- catch some live music, or an art exhibit and lunch. Yes, you may have pared down to just one outing, but now you’re doing something a bit more stimulating. You engaged in something that could be part of meaningful conversation later. And you created a memory that you’ll pull from.
It’s also helpful to audit each area of your life to see where you can improve the quality of your experiences, or decrease quantity where there is excess. This can include anything from volunteerism and involvement, health and wellness, friends and family, romantic relationships, education, beauty, whatever!
We’ve talked about overextending in the past, but
How many groups and organizations do you belong to? Is it too many? Is your presence quality, or are you just in attendance? One thing I know for sure is that we don’t do anyone any favors by stretching ourselves too thin.
Which organizations can you let go of so that you can increase the quality of your involvement in the ones that you can bring the most value to and that bring the most value to you?
What about the time that you spend with your families? Is it quality? Or is your time split between competing priorities? Split time is never quality y’all.
So do the audit. Think about the areas that you can increase quality, and evaluate where the quantity isn’t as impactful as you may have once thought. Less is more. When you are focused on less, you can see the value that each and every thing brings. And with that comes the discovery of richness and layers in many areas of your life that you may not have otherwise recognized in the midst of the chaos of quantity.
In some places, quantity is great you know- like in your underwear drawer. But for everything else, take a look at the quality vs the quantity and see where some simple shifts can elevate your experiences, as well as your love and appreciation for the everyday things and activities in your life.
I’ll share a quote from Mahatma Ghandi today. It is the quality of our work that will please God, not the quantity.
Thanks so much for listening today. If what you have been hearing has been beneficial, don’t forget to share, review, and follow the pod. I can’t wait to chat with you all again next week. Take care until then.
