Saying ‘no’ to buying all the things

I’ve always like using good pens and pencils. I had just never fully realized it.

Let’s be real: anytime you decide to spend more than $3 on a pen you’re already doing something that 95%* of consumers are not. So we’re all strange beasts.

And let’s also concede that being able to select from what’s basically a worldwide supply of stationery is high privilege.

So if you can do it you might as well use the good stuff.

I’ve spent way too much money searching for notebooks, pens and pencils that would make writing more of a joy. I have old notebooks filled with stories and random musings from another era. I was content to use any old school notebook at that point. Let’s just say that today my tastes have become more defined—if not more refined.

Just last year I did not know anything about fountains pens. I didn’t know brands like Lamy, Sailor, Platinum or Pelikan existed, let alone all the small stationery shops and individual makers. It’s a universe of stuff out there, all within a proximity made possible by the Internets.

The danger of that availability is that you’re always aware that there’s something else out there yet to be used. And for me it’s not really FOMO—it’s the nagging thought of “hey, I wonder if this other thing will work better for me than all these things I already have?” This can get you in trouble quick!

So beyond simply having a budget, you have to find ways to help you focus on what you really want to try. You have to find ways to say no. That’s what I’m trying  to do now.

How do you say “no” to all the new things?

*Not an actual stat.