Going Deeper, Not Wider

Watching a lot of Witchy and Tarot related Youtubers, as well as planner folks and other crafters who tend to amass huge piles of supplies, I have heard about the concept of a “Depth Year” from about half a dozen people in wildly diverging areas of the ‘Tubes.  

It got me thinking.

What’s a Depth Year?  The idea originated from an article by David Cain, and has made the rounds of the self-actualization crowd.   Per the article, the idea is, 

No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this year. Instead, you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started.

You improve skills rather than learning new ones. You consume media you’ve already stockpiled instead of acquiring more.

You read your unread books, or even reread your favorites. You pick up the guitar again and get better at it, instead of taking up the harmonica…

The guiding philosophy is “Go deeper, not wider.” 

(There’s a follow-up post as well.)  

I was already planning a spending ban for the year on certain things, but the idea of turning it into a full-on Depth Year – really leaning into what I already have and who I already am, minimizing spending so I can use some of the stuff I’ve piled up over the years, and just thinking more about what I consume and why I feel the need to go after the New Shiny instead of finishing the Older but Really Good Too – made my insides buzz in that way that tells me I’m on the right track.

Since I was just talking about setting/not setting goals, it seemed like a natural outgrowth.  It’s a shift in perspective – instead of trying to achieve something per se, trying to perceive something, to snuggle into the parts of me that make me ME, and work through the things I’ve acquired (physically and otherwise) that are mere distractions from that.  

So here are my spending rules for 2023.  I’m being specific because I don’t want to stop spending ANY money on things I enjoy; those little joys make life bearable in this catastrofuck of an age we live in.    I’m not a person who says money can’t buy happiness – maybe it can’t, but it can buy food and homes and medical care and all the things a functioning social safety net would make accessible, which remove a huge chunk of the stress, depression, and anger that result from constantly being afraid of losing your home or not being able to feed your children.   I’ve seen a number of therapists Tweet out that making people believe they are solely responsible for their mental health is an awfully convenient way to keep them from rioting in the streets.

Anyway, rules. 

I will not spend money on any of the following in 2023:

• Washi tape.   Good god.
• Books.  (I can still get them from the library, but an important part of this will be to go through my TBR pile and decide which I’ll actually read and which need rehoming.)
• Restaurant delivery (The worst habit I acquired during the Pandemic; if it’s just once every couple of months that’s one thing, but I’ve come to rely on it waaaaaaay too much.)
• Premade miniatures (Materials and tools for the dollhouse are fine, just no more little accessories or furniture.  I want to build as much of what I still need as possible.  But that requires wood, glue, Xacto blades, etc.)
• Bedroom decor items (rare exception might be permitted, but I have stuff I still need to hang up or fix first)
• I am allowed one order from Amazon or Etsy per paycheck, and Amazon is only to be used for things I NEED, not random cheap-ass things that catch my fancy and end up being crap.
• Additional subscription boxes.  I love trying them!  But so many end up not worth the money, or I keep getting all sorts of stuff I don’t need and can’t figure out what to do with.  But I have one right now (Tamed Wild, which is neat and has a lower price point than the others I’ve tried)  so I figure I can keep one throughout the year and, if I decide TW isn’t my thing anymore I can switch to another.  But still, only ONE TOTAL.
• Tarot and oracle decks.  I have too many now that I don’t use.  I’ll be weeding them out soon and probably giving some away.

No restrictions on:

• Groceries, although I would like to plan my meals better so I don’t end up wasting so much produce.
• Starbucks (or other coffee shops).  Over the last few years I have examined the impact it has on my budget and my level of joy, and have moderated my spending there.  I don’t feel the need to cut back; the idea here is to seek out more little joys in my life, not kill one.
• Body care products and that sort of thing.  A lot of people restrict this one, but I don’t wear makeup and my shower lineup consists of one shampoo and one body wash.  I am thinking of replacing a bunch of my nail polishes since they’re ancient, and looking into some more moisturizing things.  But I see no reason to limit this category when it’s already a nonissue.
• Other consumables where I use a specific brand and don’t have a possible substitute at home for when I run out. This is important because as a vegan I spend a lot of time finding products that I can use and like.  Those kinds of things already take a lot of consideration, so I don’t think I need to scrutinize them any further.

I’ll be giving Depth Year updates every month starting in February.  I hope you’ll enjoy them!  I’m really excited to see how it goes!