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Who else loves binge watching shows like Tiny House Nation??  Ok, so I am not saying we should all move to 100 sqf trailers in the middle of a forest, yet there is something I deeply connect with in the tiny house movement.   

Tiny houses, both in structure and philosophy, hold lessons for the rest of us.  They point to a different way of living and managing resources.  How can we make our life and work more sustainable?  My answer:  Tiny House it!

What is a Tiny House? 

The typical American home is around 2,600 square feet, whereas the typical small or tiny house definition is a home with square footage is between 100 and 400 square feet.  Tiny houses come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, but they all enable simpler living in a smaller, more efficient space.

TheTinyLife.com

For a variety of reasons, many economic or environmental, a lot of people are choosing to build high quality tiny homes. Tiny home-owners address their fundamental needs in the most minimalist way.

What can we learn from the Tiny House movement?

Simplify

Social leaders wrestle with life’s complex questions:  How do we deal with climate change?  How do we ensure our kids grow up to be healthy, happy and productive adults?  The only way to tackle these kinds of issues is to break them down into smaller, manageable parts.  This requires deep understanding, stripping things down to their bare essence.  If you cannot simplify or summarize something, you probably don’t truly understand it.

Quality over quantity

Tiny homes are an exercise in editing, not scarcity.  They feature only the basics yet of the highest quality.  True abundance comes from surrounding ourselves with people, ideas and things that are authentic, sustainable, durable and serve us well. What would our lives and our organizations look like if we do the same? 

Invest in joy

Joy, the ability to find beauty in the everyday, is the secret sauce of life!  The people in those tiny house shows invest their finite resources in things they enjoy, whether it’s wheels to take their home on adventures or a cool space for a beloved pet or hobby.  Let’s all invest our energy and mental resources in joy.  Believe me, it has a great ROI (Return on Investment).

Value experiences over stuff

The 20^th Century was all about physical stuff: making it, buying it, accumulating it.  This clutter has taken quite a toll on our environment and our well-being.  Experiences, such as travel, conversations, volunteering or education, fill us with powerful memories and knowledge.  If clutter can drag us down, then experiences can make us soar.

Dream BIG, live small

We all understand the concept of dreaming big but, what do I mean by living small in this instance?  People who build tiny houses shape their lifestyle around their dream instead of making decisions to support a specific lifestyle they are tied to.  The best example of this is the acquisition of debt. Since our dreams evolve, it is a good idea to build a nimble life that can evolve with them. 

Apply this at work, too

These lessons can also serve non-profits and businesses.  Leaner, quality-driven organizations focused on human development can better adapt to rapidly changing technology and environment.  So, next time you are facing a big decision, ask:  How can I Tiny House it?

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