switching to a just-in-time mind-set (“Everything good is readily available”) restores health and balance to our lives

even though it is really tough to do.

Finally, there’s the automobile — the ultimate survivor. It’s been around for nearly a century, but in good times or bad, it retains its pride of place at the top of America’s list of everyday necessities.

I hope this means “I need a car in my current situation” rather than “I need a car no matter what.” There are many places in North America where a car is a necessity – I grew up in a rural area with zero public transit, and the closest grocery store was over eight miles away. If I lived there now, I’d also tell the pollster a car is a necessity. Food is a baseline need, and if you need a car to get food, then yes, a car is a requirement.

However, such needs are a matter of circumstance. Realizing that your current situation is often a choice and can be changed means that you can largely define, and therefore limit, your needs. When making major decisions such as where to live, what size and type of home to buy, what type of work to do, or whether you have children, you are pushing some things from luxury to necessity. Make these choices carefully, and be mindful of the needs they will trigger.

Here’s an easier way that helps me. When I legitimately think I might need something in the future, but don’t need it now, I pitch it to myself as a “minimize it forward” event. I give it away, usually via freecycle, or sell it, free and clear of any special accounting. Someone else uses it and extracts value from it. If I need it again, there is a decent chance I can find it within a few days on freecycle, craigslist, or a garage sale. If not, I get creative, do without, or buy a replacement. The key thing is to try and keep everything in play – ideally someone should be getting value out of every item at all times. If I’m sitting on something “just in case,” I’m basically preventing it from being used, and probably causing another one to be created for someone who needs it.

Minimizing is good for the world, not just the individual, so keep what you really use, and put the rest in play.