Boredom Before Buying

How waiting transforms wanting into wisdom

🌸 ikigai 生き甲斐 is a reason for being, your purpose in life - from the Japanese iki 生き meaning life and gai 甲斐 meaning worth 🌸

I nearly bought another notebook yesterday.

The cover had cherry blossoms and my fingers tingled to touch it. My brain already planning the spreads I'd create inside.

But I already have SO many empty notebooks at home. Beautiful ones, waiting patiently on my shelf.

So I took a breath. Stepped back. Watched the urgent need to possess it ebb and flow like the tide.

Magic happens in the pause, a tiny window opening to bigger questions.

What was I really seeking with this purchase? Was it the notebook itself or the promise of fresh starts? The fleeting joy of something new?

Maybe it's worth thinking about this tiny practice, waiting before buying, as a doorway to purpose. We aren’t depriving ourselves, it is a micro-moment to check whether what we're reaching for aligns with who we want to be.

Instant gratification

We live in a world designed to reduce our patience for waiting. One-click purchasing. Next-day delivery. Buy now pay later schemes that make everything feel instantly accessible. I'm reminded of my daughter as a tiny toddler, pointing at things and shouting "NEED" with absolute conviction.

Time is scarce, so each thing we bring into our lives matters. Each object we own demands something from us; space, attention, care. The notebook wants to be written in. The unread books whisper guilt from the shelf. The rarely used kitchen gadgets judging us from the countertop.

We can argue the role of buying stuff in finding ikigai, but asking a questions nearly always helps. Does buying this *thing* move me closer to or further from my reason for being?

The magic of the pause

When I practice this waiting, the wanting often fades. What felt urgent becomes fuzzy, then forgotten. Other times, the desire clarifies into something I truly value, worth making space for in my life.

I remember a friend being horrified when I digitised my daughter's childhood drawings. "How could you throw away the originals?" he gasped, as if I'd committed some crime against motherhood.

But I wasn't throwing away memories. I was freeing them from fragile paper that yellows and fades. From the risk of water damage or fire or simply being lost in moves. Instead, they live now in multiple places, easier to share and to revisit.

The drawings themselves weren't the treasure. The love they represent was.

Maybe that's what ikigai asks of us with possessions too. Not "does this spark joy" but "does this serve purpose?" Does it move me toward what matters or distract me from it?

The joy of owning less

Beyond meeting our basic needs, more stuff rarely makes us happier. In fact, studies show that experiences bring far more lasting satisfaction than possessions. Yet we keep accumulating as if the opposite were true.

I've noticed in my own life that my happiest periods aren't correlated with having more. They're marked by feeling unburdened, present, and purposeful. There's a lightness that comes with owning just enough, not too little, not too much.

When I've decluttered in the past, it wasn't just my space that felt cleaner. My mind did too. Fewer decisions about what to wear. Less time spent cleaning and organising. More mental bandwidth for things that actually matter to me.

Finding your ikigai isn’t just about adding the right things to your life, but removing what doesn't serve your deeper purpose. Creating space for meaning to flourish.

From mindless consumption to purposeful possession

Next time you feel an urgent tug of wanting for the latest gadget, try sitting with the boredom of waiting. Not as punishment, but as practice. A tiny meditation on what you truly value.

In the space between desire and acquisition, there's a quiet room where purpose waits to be remembered.

And sometimes, after waiting, you'll still buy the thing. That's okay too. The point isn't perfect minimalism or maximalism but mindful choosing. Purposeful possession rather than autopilot accumulation.

The belongings that truly serve us aren't just things we own. They're extensions of our purpose, tools for our ikigai, physical reminders of what matters most. Everything else is just beautiful clutter.

Loving our planet through our choices

There's another dimension to this waiting practice that connects to something bigger than personal purpose. Our consumer choices ripple outward, affecting the planet we all share.

When I pause before buying, I'm also creating space to ask if it could be second-hand? Could it be borrowed?

I've found unexpected joy in vintage shops and charity stores. There's magic in finding a perfect thing that's already existed in the world, with its own history and character. A perfectly sized rainbowy handbag. The pre-loved jigsaws with all their pieces miraculously intact. Books with mysterious margin notes from readers past.

These choices aren't just about lessening environmental impact, though that matters hugely. They're about recognising our connection to a larger purpose, one that extends beyond our individual lives. The items we pass along become threads in a larger tapestry of care that spans generations.

Whether it's repairing rather than replacing, choosing materials that biodegrade, or buying one quality item instead of three disposable ones… these choices align our daily actions with a love for our shared home.

So maybe boredom before buying isn't about buying less. It's about choosing better. It's about making sure each thing we welcome into our lives deserves the precious space it occupies, not just in our homes but on our finite planet.

There's only so much room in our homes, our days, our heads, and on our Earth. Best to fill them thoughtfully.

Sarah, seeking ikigai xxx

PS - Sometimes though beautiful soul, you just deserve a beautiful sparkly treat without second guessing yourself *grin*

PPS - Tips for those wanting to explore this practice > Create a "Waiting List" spread in your bullet journal. Instead of immediately purchasing non-essential items, write them down with the date. Set waiting periods based on price (maybe a week for small purchases, a month for medium ones, a quarter for larger ones). After waiting, note whether you still want the item and why. Over time, patterns might emerge about what truly matters to you versus momentary desires.

PPPS - Try combining your journalling with an AI prompt to deepen your reflection; "I've been thinking about purchasing [item]. Can you help me explore what deeper needs or values this purchase might represent? What alternatives might fulfill these same needs while better aligning with my ikigai? Please suggest thoughtful questions I might ask myself during my waiting period."

PPPPS - Today's soundtrack is "Society" by Eddie Vedder with its haunting melody and lyrics questioning our materialistic culture "But if less is more, how you keeping score? This line in particular reminds me that I reject the notion of any stuff measuring my worth… this song captures the struggle to break free from societal expectations around consumption.