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FREE Download: We Live Simply Manifesto

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:39:16 +0000

We Live Simply Manifesto

The We Live Simply Manifesto is now live!

I hope you’ll take a some time in the next day or so to download a copy, read it with your favorite cup of Fair Trade coffee and then talk about it with your friends and family.

For more information visit: http://www.welivesimply.info/we-live-simply-manifesto/

It’s a FREE download (no annoying newsletter subscription attached), so what are you waiting for?

Download a copy of your own now.

And let me know what you think… I look forward to your comments!

Order the latest book from Kevin Hendricks, “Open Our Eyes: Seeing the Invisible People of Homelessness” — available now from Amazon.com Proceeds from the book go directly to supporting the work of Mark Horvath and Invisiblepeople.tv.

FREE Download: We Live Simply Manifesto

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We Live Simply Manifesto

admin — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:15:55 +0000

We Live Simply Manifesto

I’m excited to announce that Friday I’ll be releasing a project I’ve been working on the past month (in between diaper changes and feedings) — The We Live Simply Manifesto, A Guide for the Rest of Us.

I hope it will be a helpful guide for those of you considering simplifying in 2011 as well as a guide and challenge for myself and others as we continue on this simple journey.

The guide will be available for FREE here on the site starting early Friday morning. I hope you’ll take the time to download it, read it and share it with your friends.

As a teaser, here’s the introduction I wrote for the manifesto:

When I launched WeLiveSimply.info in January of 2010, I was just starting to get serious about changing my daily consumption habits in an effort to be better meet the needs of those around me.

The website was launched as part journal and part encouragement for others, to consume less and be a blessing to those around us.

I was definitely no expert in the field but I started soaking up information from all sorts of places and finding out what worked best for me.

I love how Joshua Becker describes his lifestyle: “a rational minimalist.” That’s probably a good description of where I am in my journey as well.

Though I’m often leary to consider myself a “minimalist,” (I tend to shun labels) I agree that we each have to find the systems, methods and ideals that work best for us and our situation.

Simplicity, minimalism, anti-consumerism and other “isms” are all a wash if you don’t figure out what works for you and apply it in your own life.

As I continued on my journey, I wrote my own simplicity statement in March of 2010:

I will live simply by investing in people and reducing my
dependence on stuff so that I may truly love all that’s been
given to me and create a better world for those around me.

This mission statement has only become clearer over the past year as I continue to learn – through my own reading, as well as from the great submissions and comments I’ve received from readers of the site.

Now, as I look towards 2011, I’m now the proud father of two boys which makes these ideals take even more priority in my life.

So I write this “manifesto” not as an expert but as an outgrowth of these ideals and as a marker in time, hoping to encourage others – including my boys – to live a more simple life, so that others may simply live.

–

Now, you won’t find how you should sell all your stuff and live off 100 things or less in this manifesto. (There are plenty of other guides out there for that.)

But what you will find are 25 things that that you can do to start Living Simply — today.

So be sure and check back early Friday morning to download your own copy of the manifesto.

We Live Simply Manifesto

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Simple Manifesto #72: Will this decision simplify my life?

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:54:15 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 72nd (and final) idea in the manifesto is:

Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

Looking for direction | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

In the spirit of this point in the manifesto, I hope you’ll excuse me to keep this post brief.

My mind is a million other places today — and unfortunately one of those million places is not this website.

So I’m asking… and challenge you to ask yourself today… “Will this decision simplify my life?”

If the answer is no — simply reconsider or don’t do it.

As an aside, if you’re the praying kind, I’d appreciate your prayers for My Life and our boys today. They’re OK but there’s been a few areas of concern as of late. My Life has been off work since Thursday and she went to see her doctor (unscheduled) this afternoon while I’m still at work. We’re hoping for a few answers and/or good news from the appointment. We greatly appreciate your thoughts and concerns.

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Simple Manifesto #72: Will this decision simplify my life?

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Simple Manifesto #71: Live closer to work

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:44:41 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 71st idea in the manifesto is:

Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.

The Big D Commute | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

This goal in the manifesto may be difficult for many of us to accomplish. If you’re married and with kids you may have chosen your housing based on a number of factors, including schools, where your spouse works, the neighborhood, proximity to family, etc. etc.

For our recent move, all of these factors (and more) played into the equation.

While my dream would be for my wife to be able to stay home with our boys, and for me to work out of my home office all the time, it’s not yet possible at this point in our lives.

I’d even be happy working 10 minutes away, vs. the 30-45 minute commute I have each day — but that’s not in the cards for us right now.

And there’s nothing wrong with giving more weight to other pieces of the equation when choosing a place to live.

For us…

We were living 45 minutes from all of our immediate family — parents, brothers and sister.
We were also driving 30-45 minutes to work.
We had a great community around us but saw the value of being closer to our family — especially when kids enter the equation.
We wanted a good school district for our kids.
We wanted a safe neighborhood.
We wanted an affordable home.
And we knew anywhere closer than 30-45 minutes to work would be a great thing.

So we weighed our options.

While there were great neighborhoods closer to work — it would have also meant smaller homes for more money.

For the price of a 2 bedroom home in one part of town, we were able to get a 3 bedroom (with an office) in another part of town.

And we’re still closer to work than we were and closer to those who mean so much to us.

So like life — it’s a balancing act.

Weigh your options.

Decide what’s most important to you. Where are you going to spend most of your time.

And once you find what matters most to you — go for it.

You make it happen — and leave the regrets for someone else to worry about .

Have a great weekend!

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Simple Manifesto #71: Live closer to work

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Simple Manifesto #70: Leave space around things in your day

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:50:19 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 70th idea in the manifesto is:

Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.

Otário | Photo by elbragon

This idea seems so logical, but sometimes it’s so much harder to actually put into practice.

Our schedules are so crammed as it is that we barely have time to walk from one meeting to another.

And for whatever reason, we always plan for “the best case scenario” rather than the worst.

We’ll have a meeting at our office from 9-11:30 in one part of town and then schedule a meeting for 11:45-1 in another part of town, thinking “it’s only 15 miles away.”

Of course we leave ourselves no time for restroom or drink breaks, traffic issues or our first meeting running over time.

Then we arrive to the next meeting late and frazzled because we had to rush to get there.

Then it’s off from there, back to our office with only 30 minutes before our next meeting — and we’re expecting to eat lunch during that time as well.

No wonder we’re all running around frazzled and worn out from the stress.

So STOP!

Stop scheduling things so close together.

Or, better yet, learn to say “No.”

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to every client or every meeting every day. Don’t feel bad if you have to ask someone to meet with you 30 minutes later than they suggested.

If it doesn’t work — reschedule for later.

Leave yourself a buffer of time around everything.

Depending on what your schedule looks like, 15-30 minutes is always a good buffer.

Plan for the worst and you’ll end up pleasantly surprised.

You’ll be able to transition from meeting to meeting and event to event with ease and stress free — and perhaps begin to be known as the person who shows up early for things, rather than 20 minutes late.

BTW, be sure and check in on how Chris Stroud and Steve Burleson are doing as they blog through the Simple Living Manifesto as well.

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Simple Manifesto #69: Use a minimalist productivity system

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:13:34 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 69th idea in the manifesto is:

Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing.

motion gears | Photo/illustration by ralphbijker

Take a look at the illustration above.

Notice anything funny about it?

The gears are at a standstill and won’t be moving anytime soon. They mechanics look great but when you put these gears together like they are — nothing’s going to get done.

Our workflow systems are often exactly like these gears — especially when others are involved.

The mechanics look good on paper, but putting them into practice, using them in the field is an entirely different story.

Call it a productivity system, getting things done or a simple workflow — whatever you call it, be sure you have one that works for you.

Having now read Leo’s Zen to Done, I like it.

It’s simple.

It’s complete.

It gets things done.

My process has been similar although not as exact.

I tend to take notes in several places

Evernote for photos, text, audio on the go via my phone
My phone’s internal camera
Notepads
Post it notes

Following Leo’s advice (and many others) I’d be best to simplify and start inputing my notes in one place.

I’ve been gradually moving more and more towards Evernote while on the go, but sometimes it’s not the easiest input method when meeting with others. However, I do always have my phone with me and it doesn’t require me to carry around one more thing like a notepad.

But there is something about taking analog notes. Even if I lose the paper I made my notes on, I tend to remember the tasks better when I write them out.

And once you notes are taken… don’t forget to process.

Notes are worthless if you leave them as notes and don’t process them as tasks on your to-do list.

Just like inbox zero, be sure you’re processing your notes daily to keep track of your tasks and goals.

And like all these other great pointers — be sure it’s something that works for you.

So what does your workflow look like? Are you a GTD person or ZTD or some hybrid in between?

BONUS: Chase Jarvis’ photo/video workflow (HT ChurchCreate):

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Simple Manifesto #69: Use a minimalist productivity system

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Simple Manifesto #68: Learn to pack light

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:30:09 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 68th idea in the manifesto is:

Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Here’s an article on using just one carry-on.

leavin’ | Photo by recphoto

After having my luggage lost for three or four days on a return flight home, I quickly decided I would do everything in my power to pack light and only use carry-ons from that point forward.

And so far, other than using a large duffel bag for two week’s in Nigeria, I think I’ve managed to do just that.

Packing light makes your trip so much easier and much more enjoyable.

Of course I realize, it’s tends to be more difficult for women to pack lighter than for men. Men obviously don’t have to worry much about hair dryers, make-up, curling iron or straightener, heals or flats, etc, etc. (I tell My Life she doesn’t have to worry about those things either — but that may be a harder sell than getting her to listen to NPR with me.)

But I do have a few pointers I’ve picked up along the way…

Make up your mind from the beginning that you’ll only use one carry-on sized suitcase and a backpack. Only use the backpack for things you’ll use on the plane or small electronics. I like to pack my SLR camera and bag in my backpack along with a book or two, my Zune, my Flip HD video camera and any necessary chargers (I need to find a good wall-to-USB charger).
Leave your laptop at home. I know this is a tough one sometimes but if you really need a computer on the trip consider purchasing a small netbook computer or take advantage of local Internet cafes or libraries. Along with taking up space, laptops often become an extra hassle at security.
Pack shoes that will go with every outfit. I usually wear a pair of Sketchers on the plane and pack a pair of dress shoes (if absolutely necessary) and a pair of flip flops if I’ll be poolside.
Keep your outfits simple. I usually try and stick with a pair of cargo shorts, one pair of jeans, a few t-shirts and sometimes a few button down casual shirts. I may also bring a pair of workout shorts as well (which means I’ll switch the Sketchers for a pair of sneakers that I can wear to the gym.)
Be sure you can mix and match everything (shirts/pants/shorts etc.).
Roll all your clothes rather than folding them — you’ll save a lot of room this way.
Wear bulky items on the plane — jeans, coats, etc.
Make a list of essentials — stick to that list.
If you’re uncertain about anything — leave it behind. You can always buy a hoodie, jacket or dress shirt once you arrive.
Remember that you don’t have to pack an outfit for every single day. You can wear the same things several times on your trip. And if you’re worried about getting your clothes dirty or smelly — the majority of places you’ll visit will have washing facilities available. You can either spend a few dollars and a little time washing your clothes, or $25+ for checked luggage. It’s your choice.

There’s a number of other helpful pointers others have shared as well…

And finally… don’t pack like my best friend Matt.

Got any other pointers for the rest of us? What works best for you?

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Simple Manifesto #68: Learn to pack light

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Simple Manifesto #67: Simplify your financial life

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:55:05 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 67th idea in the manifesto is:

Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here.

Financial Blues | Photo by Psyberartist

I know very little about finances outside of the standard checking, savings and credit card accounts.

Currently our financial planning involves the automatic deductions our companies take out for retirement. Perhaps its the simplest approach — auto-pilot — but I realize it’s also probably not the smartest.

However, Damien Olenslager gives some great advice about investing your age.

Damien suggests the older you are, the less risk you want to take with your investments.

And the younger you are, the more liberal you can be with your risk since you have more time to recover if your investments go south.

So if you’re 20 years old, you should invest 20% of your investment money in safe, secure funds. The other 80% should be invested in stocks. By the time you’re 31 (like myself), you should invest 31% of your money in safe funds and the other 69% in stocks.

As you age you continue to adjust the funds to stock ratio.

(Read more in Damien’s FREE e-book)

Are there other tips/pointers you have for folks like me who have simply put their financial life on auto-pilot?

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Simple Manifesto #67: Simplify your financial life

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Simple Manifesto #66: Simplify your budget

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:40:25 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 65th idea in the manifesto is:

Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. Read more here.

The Pike Place Piggy Bank | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

Laurie and I would say we have a pretty simple budget — most of it’s in our head.

But that’s also where we can get ourselves in trouble — like everyone else, right?

We have to remind ourselves to stop and review our budget every couple months to be sure we’re staying on track with our plans. And with the twins coming, we’re in the process of finding ways to tighten our belt even more and cut back in other areas.

Overall, the key to budgeting is keeping the budget balanced.

Whether you automate or unautomate your finance you must ensure you’re bringing in more money than your letting go of.

Economics 101.

Tools for managing your finances…

There are countless tools out there for managing your budget, but one of our most used tools are the apps our bank provides for monitoring our accounts on our phones. It’s makes it uber easy to be check-in and see where we’re spending our money.

We also use the apps (and/or the website) for online bill pay as well.

If your bank doesn’t offer a specific app, check out Mint.com. They have apps for iPhone and Android that do essentially (if not more) that our bank’s apps.

We’ve also used the cash/envelope method in times when we really need to tighten our belts. We’ll pull cash out of our accounts each month for gas, food and misc. expenses. It’s a huge help. Actually using cash makes you really re-think your purchases.

It’s like visiting a casino or an arcade that uses coins vs those fancy “debit cards.”

When you’re using coins you’re a lot more aware of what you have left vs. the seemingly unending supply of credits on the cards.

In addition to these ideas, you can also find a lot more information and tips on budgeting and finances from:

What have you found works best for maintaining your budget and finances?

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Simple Manifesto #66: Simplify your budget

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Simple Manifesto #65: Simplify your budget

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:55:54 +0000

This is part of our series on Leo Babauta’s Simple Living Manifesto. We invite you to join us on the journey.

The 65th idea in the manifesto is:

Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. Read more here.

The Pike Place Piggy Bank | Photo by Jonathan Blundell

Laurie and I would say we have a pretty simple budget — most of it’s in our head.

But that’s also where we can get ourselves in trouble — like everyone else, right?

Overall, the key to budgeting is keeping the budget balanced.

Whether you automate or unautomate your finance you must ensure you’re bringing in more money than your letting go of.

Economics 101.

Tools for managing your finances…

We also use the apps (and/or the website) for online bill pay as well.

If your bank doesn’t offer a specific app, check out Mint.com. They have apps for iPhone and Android that do essentially (if not more) that our bank’s apps.

It’s like visiting a casino or an arcade that uses coins vs those fancy “debit cards.”

When you’re using coins you’re a lot more aware of what you have left vs. the seemingly unending supply of credits on the cards.

In addition to these ideas, you can also find a lot more information and tips on budgeting and finances from:

What have you found works best for maintaining your budget and finances?

Join us!

Write a blog post about the point above and then share the link in the comments below…

Simple Manifesto #65: Simplify your budget

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