PVPF 2024

Interview with Poornima Jha author of “Need Over Want”

Frontlist's exclusive interview with Poornima Jha, author of 'Need Over Want.' Explore the author's insights and her inspiring book.
on Oct 27, 2023

Experienced Functional Safety Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Automotive Embedded Software industry since 2008. Skilled in Embedded System, Customer Interaction, Requirements Analysis, Automotive Engineering, ISO 9001: 2015, CMMI for development, ASPICE, Agile methodology, Cybersecurity standard ISO21434 and Functional Safety Standard ISO26262. Strong project management professional with a B.E (ECE) from Chennai and an Executive Post Graduation (MBA) focused on Strategy and Marketing from IIM Kozhikode.

Beyond my work life, I am a serial skill collector. To name a few - various forms of dancing, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, stitching, and carpentry.

Frontlist: What inspired you to write a book that revolves around the philosophy of minimalism? Were there any personal experiences or specific moments that motivated you to explore this theme in your writing?

Poornima : To a certain extent, I was always a minimalist. I come from a middle-class family where we did not have access to many luxuries. I traveled to Coimbatore in 2008 for my first job with one suitcase. There were some 15 items of clothing in it. Back then, I felt that even 15 was a lot. I have lived and worked in four different cities in India and a couple of cities in Europe. I would keep possessions to a minimum wherever I lived. It gave me a freedom that I enjoy and appreciate. There is one particular transition that stands out to me, which amplified the philosophy of minimalism to me. When I moved from Pune to Bangalore in 2018, I dived into minimalism the most. At the time, I was emotionally overwhelmed. I needed to minimize stress and distractions from my life. Minimalism helped me bring back focus to what was essential.

Frontlist : Your book features various characters exploring minimalism, which contains fictional and real-life experiences. Can you share more about how you came up with their stories and experiences?

Poornima : Some of the stories in this book are from my real life, and some are from the lives of my friends. There was a point when I was writing this book that I experimented with an idea from the book Power of Subconscious Mind. I would sleep thinking about the character I wanted to write about and wake up with the story in absolute detail in my head. I would remember the whole dream, and it would tell me the story. In particular, at least a couple of chapters are straight from my subconscious mind and from my dreams.

Frontlist : Your book includes exercises and challenges at the end of each chapter. Why did you think sharing these exercises was a good idea, and how did you develop them?

Poornima : The reason for adding these exercises and challenges at the end of each chapter was to give the readers an actionable path to incorporate the minimalism concept into their lives. I love to read books from authors like Robin Sharma and James Clear, who often tell stories mixed with actionable steps, and I feel that it achieves the purpose of a self-help book in a much better way. Only some people reading the book will be able to interpret how to use that concept in life and how to convert the idea into something they can implement. These exercises try to achieve the same.

Regarding how I developed these exercises, most have been designed for several years of my blogging. Some of the articles I wrote on my blog lawsofpositivelifestyle.com had the making of these challenges and exercises. They ask the questions that the readers might have, and they give some steps that the beginners or even the practitioners of minimalism could follow easily.

Frontlist : In this fast-paced world where technology and fashion are constantly changing, and there's a strong desire to stay current with trends, how do you believe individuals can effectively incorporate and maintain the concept of minimalism in their lives?

Poornima : As you rightly said in your question, they are trends. There is a hint. Trends come and go, but style is eternal. The classics never go out of style. You are correct that the media, the technology, the malls, the movies, and the fashion around us constantly try to influence us. Temptations were always there, and they will always be around. The starting step of moving away from these temptations and distractions is awareness. Like parents who teach their children to say no to that stranger offering them candy, we need to educate our minds and our families to be aware of the influences of advertisements and marketing around them. It could lead to us making educated decisions about what is necessary for our lives and what is not.

Frontlist : In India, people often tend to hold onto possessions, hoping they'll be helpful someday, and when that item is actually needed, it feels worth keeping. What are your thoughts on this approach? Do you believe it's acceptable to retain items even if they're used just once?

Poornima : What to keep and what to throw away? That is the question! No, on a serious note, what you are asking about here are the just-in-case or someday items. A simple criterion to deal with such items is to ask yourself- have I used it in the last six months or last year? What is a reasonable time frame for me, and will I use it? Have I used it in the last six months, or plan to use it in the next six months? How easy is this item to replace? Can I buy it for less and just step out for half an hour or place a quick order on Amazon? When the need arises, you could always buy another one. These are some ways you could tackle such items someday.

For the items used, just in case, an excellent general rule would be to either rent or borrow them as much as possible and only if it's unavoidable to buy them, then buy them. For example, if you're going for a trek to Meghalaya and know there will be leeches. You should get specific boots that protect your legs. You could always contact your other hiking friends who might have these and borrow from one of them. It's unlikely that you will be in Meghalaya often and that you will be in front of those leeches. If that is the case, by all means, go ahead and buy the Boots. But for just one use, it is way simpler to borrow.

Frontlist : Minimalism often emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity. How can individuals balance owning fewer items and ensuring those items serve them well for a long time?

Poornima : This question, in a way, answers itself. Like you said, when you have fewer items, those items become quite precious. This is why they say that minimalists are not into materialism, but at the same time, because they have very few things. They are quite materialistic. Those few things become special and well cared for. If you can buy good quality items for use that can last you several years, do that. If not, then learn to maintain what you have. Wash less often and take good care of the things retained with yourself. Another good idea to sustainably own less is to swap or reuse what you find within a community of like-minded people.

For example, many outfits from the fast fashion stores in malls only last up to two or three months. They may look cheaper, but the cost of owning multiple such items is much higher. In contrast, go for suitable fabrics from known brands or your custom tailor. Such outfits prevent the need to buy the same thing over and over.

Frontlist : Do you believe a minimalist lifestyle can provide more mental peace, or does it require more time and thought concerning materialistic choices? And, what is your perspective on individuals who engage in ''shopping therapy?

Poornima : Minimalism is undoubtedly an excellent tool to achieve some peace. As you rightly said, there is a risk in scrutinizing your materials too much; such people are called Spartanists. They adopt stark simplicity and a hard life by choice. They are going out of their way to keep their things minimum and living close to a monk life. For most people, minimalism can be an excellent tool to free up their minds. A good guideline to know where to use minimalism would be to see which areas of your life are overwhelming you and not worry about the things that are not coming in the way. Regarding shopping therapy, I think it is like a quick fix or a shortcut for a dose of dopamine.

If you go into a grocery store on a hungry stomach without a list of things to buy, you will spend way more purchasing food items and some processed packaged food that can be immediately consumed. It will fill your stomach at the moment, but it is not a tool that can lead to a peaceful mind. The guilt will surface at some point. Initially, saying no to shiny things, the marketed bright packaged chocolates, sugar, and fat-loaded food items may seem complicated. Like you practice the different muscles in your body, you can practice the art of saying no regularly. With time, it gets easier. You see the benefits of mental calmness and financial freedom. You may even start enjoying the act of saying no and saying no to toxic food items, draining relationships, binging OTT shows, expensive storage systems, and manipulating advertisements. At some point, the stress of saying no turns into the pride of saying no. When you have clarity on what you need over what you want, you don't pursue mental peace. Mental peace follows you.