There was a time when movie night wasn’t instant. You couldn’t scroll endlessly through titles or press play without thinking. You had to plan. A trip to the store was part of the ritual, and if you wanted that new release, you silently prayed to the VHS gods that a copy was waiting.

The anticipation was part of the joy. The preparation was part of the experience. Walking out with that bright blue Blockbuster case felt like winning a small lottery.

By the time the movie started, you were already invested. This week is about recapturing that magic, slowing down and making space for moments that feel like they’re worth rewinding.

Video rental shops thrived because buying a single VHS could cost $80 or more, while renting the same movie was only a couple of bucks. For the first time, a family could pick from hundreds of titles and bring a theater night home without breaking the bank.

Renting a VHS wasn’t just grabbing a movie. It was a ritual. It was special.

Friday night meant piling into the car, driving to a little hometown video store, and stepping into a world that smelled like popcorn, cardboard sleeves, and carpet cleaner. The air was warm, slightly dusty, and packed with excitement. Aisles of sun-faded covers stretched out under flickering fluorescent lights, and every plastic case had its own charm, with worn edges, and crooked but bright stickers.

The new release wall was a battlefield. If your movie was in stock, it felt like winning the lottery. If it wasn’t, you entered the delicate art of negotiation. Would the clerk check the return bin? Would you wait around for someone to drop one off? It was a gamble, but that uncertainty made the whole evening feel alive.

And of course, there were rules. Late fees were merciless. Rewinding wasn’t optional. Every tape came with a little moral reminder: Be Kind, Rewind. It gave the appearance of a gentle, friendly reminder…but forget to rewind and you might as well wear a scarlet letter to your next rental.

During this time, you could also rent the equipment along with the movies. You could rent the VHS player, TVs, and for a brief moment, laserdisc players!

For those who missed it, laserdiscs were giant shiny platters that looked like records and promised “cutting-edge” video quality long before DVDs existed. In fact, one afternoon we were at a video shop and dad decided to treat us by renting one of these futuristic players. We rented a couple movies to watch on it, but the one that I’ll always remember is Disney’s Robin Hood. To this day, that is my favorite hand drawn animated movie from Disney. The nostalgia is palpable. Oo de Lally!

Looking back, the magic wasn’t only in the movies. It was in the whole experience. The anticipation started the moment you stepped out of the car. By the time you had chosen your film, grabbed a bag of candy from the counter, and held that rattling plastic case in your hands, your night already felt like a success.

That era taught us something simple but powerful. Joy often comes not just from the thing itself, but from the preparation and anticipation around it.

That era of VHS rentals reminds us that anticipation and preparation made experiences feel special.

Movie nights weren’t something you stumbled into, they were something you planned for. Today, life often feels cluttered with endless options, constant noise, and everything available instantly. When everything is always within reach, nothing feels quite as meaningful.

Decluttering isn’t just about getting rid of stuff. It’s about creating room for experiences that matter.

When you clear away distractions and simplify your space, your schedule, and even your decisions, you leave space for anticipation to grow again.

Essentialism is about doing fewer things, but doing them with care. Just like those Friday nights at the video store, it’s the preparation that makes pressing play feel like an event worth savoring.

In this section every week, I’ll give step by step instructions on how to tackle one project. It could be something simple and small like this week’s assignment, or it could be more involved. Once you take on a few of these, you’ll learn some of the common strategies that can be applied to just about anything.

My hope for this newsletter is to make it feel like a mini-coaching session with me.

So now, it’s time to…

The best moments often start long before they happen. The planning, the preparation, even the waiting all add to the experience. Here’s a simple way to bring that sense of anticipation back into your week:

Movie nights were never just about the movie.

They were about the planning, the excitement of the trip, the smell of popcorn and plastic cases, and the way it turned an ordinary evening into something special. Life feels richer when we slow down and create space for that kind of anticipation again.

Choose one thing this week that deserves that level of care and attention. Treat it like an event worth savoring. Press play with purpose…on purpose.

To be continued…