Skip to main content

The surprising lesson a retro computer game taught me about joy

As we downsize i'm finding some things I'd half-forgotten I own. Like this retro Casio handheld computer game.


I decided to sell it - especially as it turns out they are a bit of a collector's item. I mentioned this to a computer-game-loving friend of mine. He suggested I hold on to it for "investment value but also because it's cool to have old stuff like this" but also said to put it online if I "really need the space".

That last bit got me thinking. It's not really about the space - the game's only the size of a mobile phone. We have sold more than 200 items now, so I guess the space adds up. But the amount of space wasn't a big driving factor.

The famous Kon Mari method says to give away things that doesn't bring you joy. I think I would adjust that slightly. This game still brings me a little joy. I play it for a minute or two every couple of years when I stumble across it - often when looking for something else in that drawer. But is that worth keeping it for?

I've figured out that part of my motivation is about increasing joy. At the moment it brings me a little joy. But it could be a real blessing to someone who really appreciates it. Sure I'll miss out slightly, but the sale price will make up for that and someone else can get the joy the game was designed to give.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

5 Reasons why we hoard - and they're wrong

"Less is More" is one of the catch-cries of downsizing. Often the fewer things we have the more we value them. So it's a great title for a book that's basically a manual for how to de-clutter your home. The introductory chapter of Less is More: How to De-clutter Your Life gives some great insights into why we find it so hard to reduce our stuff. Here are 5 of them - the last one is one of the biggest for me. 1. The cost of holding on. We were raised by our parents and grandparents and in their day items were expensive and space was cheap. It made sense in those days to hold onto stuff just in case you ever needed it. But today housing is expensive and items are cheap. It's hard to change a habit, but now we save much more by downsizing. 2. Keeping it in the family. For some reason we prefer to give things to those close to us. Again this was viable in the days of big families and lots of children to receive hand-me-downs. But these days we have smaller fa...

20 unplugged ideas

May 1-7 is Screen-Free Week . It's about spending time away from the screen and more time with each other - or doing things we love. It's a great chance to break the work-tired-watchTV-ads-shop-work cycle. This list of twenty alternative ideas is great for screen-free week. It's also a great reminder of things we could enjoy if we're shopping and spending less - and maybe working less and enjoying life more.

Why millionaires don't "feel" rich

We're wealthier than ever - so why don't we feel like it? Australia has gone almost three decades without recession. The stock market recently hit a record high. Our wages are record highs. Home loan rates are at record lows. We live in one of the richest countries in the world at the richest point in history. So what's wrong? Comparison Wealth is relative. So what do we compare to? Where we expect to be? "When your wages growth is only 2 or 3 per cent, you don't feel as well-off as when it's going up 10 per cent. That's that nominal distortion that people often suffer from" , says economist Shane Oliver, and that "expectations have grown a lot faster than reality." We're earning more than last year, but we want even more. So compared to our imaginary situation, we see ourselves as worse off. What we see around us? Shane Oliver again. "If you think about it - Australians today are a lot wealthier. They're living far ric...