How more presents can ruin the rest of the year

The holidays are here and during this time of year it easier than ever to buy into the MORE mentality.

What’s the MORE mentality? The thinking that if having something is good, having more of it will be better.

We see this played out everywhere. A large coke is no longer enough. We must have a Big Gulp. Supersize has become a household term. Large warehouse stores encourage us to buy everything in bulk. Commercials convince us that having the latest gadget will make our lives better. Sale gimmicks like “10/$10” or “Buy 3, Get One Free” entice us to purchase more than we need.

Think with me for a moment about the truth of having more. How do you feel when you walk into your overstuffed closet? What about driving into your overflowing garage? Do your feel satisfied or overwhelmed? What about the kids? How do they feel when they try to open their jam-packed drawers or walk into a playroom full of toys?

There is a cost to having more. Often having “more” means feeling overwhelmed and stressed with too much clutter, too much to clean, too much to manage. More paralyzes us when its time to make choices.

Studies have shown that when you are presented with more choices our brain freezes up and making a decision is more difficult. Every time you walk in to your closet with all of those shirts or shoes your brain gets overloaded. When your child has to pick one video game out of 43 choices it causes stress. We all know what this feels like; think about the last time you went to Baskin Robins and faced that row of 31 flavors. Often we resort to picking a flavor we are familiar with because it is easier on the brain.

Here’s an acronym that helps me when I find myself getting pulled into the more mentality:

Management

Opportunity

Requiring

Energy

The more you own the more you will have to manage. And the more management required, the more energy you expend on things that don’t bring value to your life.

This holiday season I encourage you to consider the cost before purchasing. Give experiences rather than things. Make memories not piles. Provide for those in need together instead of adding to one another’s clutter. May you richly bless others this holiday season.