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Often times I find myself reading an article or listening to a news broadcast and then, three minutes later, I have partially (or completely) forgotten about it. If the topic is raised again, my brain will trigger a response of recognition, but I won’t really be able to recall what my thoughts on the topic were. I have begun to document and write down my thoughts and opinions when I take something in. It has paid off almost immediately in many ways.

Helps to formulate a base opinion

Most information outlets will proclaim their independence and neutral stance on stories. Try as they might, it is nearly impossible to report news without leaning in a direction (I see you Anderson Cooper!). Subtle as it might be, you will find yourself influenced by these forces if you casually take an interest. By forcing yourself to formulate in words your own take on the issues, an honest opinion will form. If you feel uncomfortable when you write out what you think, you might need to reconsider your stance. Or this may just reinforce what you had thought was your true opinion. You just want to avoid losing your voice and succumbing to prepackaged opinions.

Helps to set a mental agenda

What would happen if you watched CNN all day? Well, for one, you would drive yourself insane. But more importantly, you would walk away with a set of assumptions of what was important for the day. If you were to go all day without documenting your opinions, CNN’s programming lineup would become your own thoughts. If someone were to ask you if anything important happened, you would just recap what was on CNN. No longer are you answering for what you found important. You are letting infotainment dictate your thought priorities. By writing down your take on events throughout the day, you are forced to think about what is important to you. You take back the control.

Helps you process further developments

A passive thinker will hear hundreds of different stories a day. Some will catch their attention (Headline: Monkey Saves Town Mayor…I’m listening), others will not. What happens for most people when they are engaged by a story? They read the entire article or the listen to the whole broadcast. This is step one. Without any further progression they would be stuck with only a snapshot of the issue. For some reason, news sites are still lagging in the ability to track stories (with one new exception, Google News).

Think of a river. If you were to go to the beginning, the middle or the end of the river and snapped a picture, you would have some idea of the river itself. In no way, however, would you develop a real understanding the river as a whole. You need the entire picture . A single news article is much like the picture of the middle of the river. The story had its break somewhere, and it is going to continue to flow after you read the article. How confident are you in your ability to judge a topic by one snapshot?

Helps you remember more

Time and time again it has been proven that writing information down improves memory. If you really want to be able to recall the things you are reading and hearing, you are in better shape if you write them down.

Helps you track the progression of your thoughts

Do you feel the same way about taxes as you did seven years ago? How about a full decade? Did you support the Iraq War when it began? How do you feel about it now? Ideas change, opinions are a fluid concept ebbing and flowing with the addition of more information. Think about how interesting it would be to be able to pull back the curtain from your mind and see what you thought about the topics of the 1980s. It would be both fascinating and helpful. Some topics go decades between appearances in the news. Do you remember what you thought about the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s and 1990s? It would give you both a foundation for what you previously thought and a basis for moving forward.

How to do it?

All you need is something to write with and something to write on. Depending on your level of tech savvy, you can use a multitude of devices to record your ideas. Personally, I use Google Documents because of the search features it offers. It is the easiest way to track my thoughts, reorganize issues and add to topics. A pen and paper works just as well, if it makes you comfortable.

What do you use and how do you handle your opinions?

Photo by Nic’s events

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On March 1st fellow blogger Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens released her ebook entitled Simply Car-Free: How to Pedal Toward Financial Freedom and a Healthier Life. I was excited to read this book because of it’s very specific focus. Sometimes ebooks tend to take a very broad topic and dance along the surface without really getting into the meat of the ideas. By focusing her book on a very specific concept, Tammy is able to explore it to a much deeper extent.

Tammy’s book is full of practical tips and useful information for transitioning to a car-free (or car-lite) lifestyle. If you have thought about using a bicycle as your main form of transportation I highly recommend checking out this book. I know how to ride a bike but there is really so much more to living a car-free lifestyle than that. With chapters on “car-free grocery shopping,” “biking attire,” and “biking in the winter,” almost everything is covered.

My only gripe is that the entire premise behind this book is very, very reliant on living in a bike friendly area. I’m from Metro Detroit (Motor City) so obviously automobiles are basically the only serious choice for someone in my situation. However, Tammy does address the idea of going “car-lite” if car-free is not really an option. I appreciate the nod to those of us that would like to make the transition but are really prevented by means beyond our control.

You can pick up Tammy’s book through this affiliate link for $9.95 (first 500 purchasers).

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Here are this week’s Simple Saturday Links. Each week I pick out three of my favorite articles from across the web and share them with you guys. Sometimes they are articles that have inspired some of the writing on this site, sometimes they are something I found fascinating and sometimes I’m not really sure why I found them so compelling. Whatever my reason for choosing it, I guarantee it will be a good read.

far beyond the stars: the indispensable guide to timejacking your way to success– Everett hits the nail right on the head when he writes about the importance of harnessing our attention and focus into productive pursuits. This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis and yet provides the greatest amount of personal success when I can do it well.

the art of great things: the case for the low-risk start– This article struck a chord for me because it describes what I am currently doing. I’m taking steps to make this blog a source of passive income, but I haven’t completely removed my safety net. I still live at home with my parents and thus save a lot of money. I still substitute teach a couple days a week so I at least am guaranteed enough money to pay my minimal bills. If you’ve found entrepreneurship to be too scary in the past, I suggest you give this article a read.

right after left: quitting as the first step– My good friend from college, Glen (who has written guest posts here), has recently quit his job. He writes more about his decision in this very inspirational and insightful article. More and more people my age who are just finishing college seem to be making similar decisions. I think the age of putting in your time with a good company and retiring with some healthy benefits is not only no longer possible but is also no longer desirable.

As always, I’d love to get to know you via Twitter, Google Buzz, or even samspurlin AT gmail DOT com. Also, please consider getting automatic updates via RSS or email. Thanks!

As these basic needs are met people can start achieving bigger and better things. Each level of Maslow’s hierarchy must be attained before the next level can be reached. At the very tip of his pyramid is the pinnacle of human existence or self-actualization. This level is characterized by creativity, problem solving, spontaneity etc. In Maslow’s theory, this is what people are striving for and the more their prerequisite needs are met the more likely they are to achieve self-actualization.

Despite criticisms of Maslow’s actual theory, I think the concept can be applied to the process of simplification. I recently made the connection between Maslow’s theory and my own quest for a simpler life. At the very basic and broadest level of my simplicity hierarchy is the identification of values. I’ve written many times about how the whole point of simplifying must be something other than simplification for its own sake. For me, I am trying to live a simpler life so I can make decisions based on the values I think are important.

Once my values are articulated, the second level is physical decluttering of my space. Decluttering is a very basic activity that most people think of when they think about simplicity or minimalism. Of course, you could simplify without articulating your values first, but what’s the point? If you don’t know why you’re doing it I doubt your living space will stay very decluttered for long. Physical decluttering serves as a very important base for further simplification, but it is not the ultimate goal.

The next level is mental decluttering and the cultivation of attention/focus. I argue that mental decluttering cannot happen until physical decluttering is completed. In my own experience, it is nearly impossible to clear my head and focus when surrounded by chaos. This level is all about learning to harness our minds to focus on one thing at a time.

The fourth level is where we take our newfound mental clarity and strengthened focus and apply it to our passionate work and leisure. For me, it is coaching and writing. Whatever your “great work” is, this is the level in which you make strides toward achieving it. Passionate leisure may seem like an oxymoron but I see it as the cultivation of productive hobbies. There is no reason our leisure time cannot be as productive and beneficial as our passionate work while also being an outlet for relaxation and stress reduction.

Lastly, at the very tip of the simplicity hierarchy is “living a life driven by personal values.” When I first sat down and began planning this blog I wrote that I thought many people lived a life stuck on “autopilot.” Instead of examining their own values and passions, people allow themselves to be directed from one frivolous pursuit to another by advertisement and others’ values instead of their own. By identifying personal values, decluttering our physical space, decluttering our minds and cultivating our attention/focus, and then applying our attention/focus into passionate work and leisure we can live a fully actualized life. Instead of being stuck on autopilot we have our hands firmly on the controls of our own existence.

Image from Wikipedia

In the end, I think the fact that the simplicity movement has become so popular over the past few years is a critique of where modern society is and where it is going. People are realizing that the complexity that is being added to their lives has a certain limit and needs a counterpoint. I think the reason that people are finding so much content to write about is that adding simplicity (or removing complexity) allows for an examination of related topics like personal development. Simplicity, minimalism and personal development are all separate ideas that play off of each other very well. My hope is that I am providing some sort of synthesis between the three of them in an interesting and logical manner.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t worry about making something that shouldn’t be too difficult unnecessarily complex. If I have, let me give you the gist of this entire blog and the entire simplicity movement in one sentence:

Get rid of everything that doesn’t matter so you can focus on what does.

That’s it. That’s all there is to it. That’s what I try to write about every day and that is what this whole movement is about. The way you take that sentence and apply it to your own life will be different than the way I do– and that’s where this and every other simplicity blog comes in.

Good luck.

Photo by Gianni-Jetzer

However, hockey season is essentially over now so I should have some more time to concentrate on writing. This week’s links are a little bit old but I wanted to give them the credit they are due anyway.

As always, I’d love to get to know you via Twitter, Google Buzz, or even samspurlin AT gmail DOT com. Also, please consider getting automatic updates via RSS or email. Thanks!

becoming minimalist: find a rational minimalism that works for you-- “Rational minimalism” is the principle idea behind the ebook that Joshua wrote (and I reviewed here) called Simplify. I really love the idea that minimalism will not look the same for everybody. It all depends on the reasons you are living a more minimalist lifestyle and it is something I’ve written about several times here.

far beyond the stars: the secret to focusing your digital attention– Focus is vital to nearly everything worth doing while at the same time is incredibly elusive and difficult to train. There are some good tips here written by Everett.

you, simplifed: refocus of the site and upcoming plans– Charley writes about how he is going to treat the ebooks he is sent to review. This strikes a chord with me because I’m in a similar boat. I’ve had several excellent ebooks sent to me in hopes that I will read them and review them on my site. On the one hand I want to help out those writers that I’ve met by promoting their books while at the same time I don’t want to turn thesimplerlife.net into a book review site. As a compromise, I think I will start doing short reviews during my Simple Saturday Links posts. That way I don’t use one of my normally scheduled posts for review while still promoting those books I think are helpful.

If you enjoy the writing I do here at thesimplerlife.net I hope you will also enjoy the articles I’ve written for each of these blogs as well.

Also, I don’t normally post on Fridays but I wanted to share these links with you while not cannibalizing my normal Simple Saturday Links post, again. Check back tomorrow for excellent links to writing that isn’t my own!

you, simplified: the number one argument for not simplifying– Many people think that a life of simplicity is synonymous with boring. I tackle that assumption with three great reasons to consider simplifying your life.

the minimalist path: let’s get personal; simplicity and personal growth– Simplicity is not a one size fit all proposition. Each person will simplify in a different way and there is very little universal simplification advice. In this article I talk about my experience with joining a gym and accepting the fact that paying the money for a membership even though I have equipment available for free at home was actually a case of simplifying my life.

life excursion: motivation vs. discipline– Motivation and discipline are both very important aspects to getting things done. In this article I come down on the side of discipline as being the most important skill to cultivate.

the art of great things: your personal teachable point of view– I write about a concept I learned in a book I recently read about the importance of leaders having teachable points of view for their organizations. I take this concept and apply it to personal development with a personal teachable point of view.

rowdy kittens: trick your mind to declutter– In this short and sweet article I write about the awesome power of Centers of Ambiguity in decluttering. Being able to remove items from your environment without the psychological trauma of truly throwing things away can be a great first step toward decluttering those hard to let go of items.

I’ve written about my values in the past and I want to make sure that I don’t fall into the trap of making a list that sounds good but isn’t actually practiced. I think the best way to prevent this from happening is to actually make a list of value next-actions that will help you live a life that is aligned with your values. This is sort of taking a page out of Getting Things Done and the importance of having truly actionable “next actions” for every project. By making sure that your next action is something that can truly be accomplished even the largest of projects can keep moving forward.

For example, one of my stated values is “growth.” Some of my next actions to further this value are, “Watch a TED talk,” “Finish reading current book,” and “Begin researching ebook project.” Another one of my values is “family” so some possible actions I can take to further this is, “call cousin in Florida,” “email my grandparents,” and “go to brother’s hockey game on Wednesday.”

Values can be very amorphous things when you don’t take the time to actually figure out what it looks like to live with them guiding your actions. I recommend sitting down and giving yourself 2-3 actions for each of your main values at the beginning of every week. You don’t necessarily have to do it for every single value that adhere to. In fact, I think it’s probably a better idea to focus on only one or two values a week in order to make the biggest impact.

The bottom line is that your values mean nothing if your actions don’t align with them. Give yourself some next-actions ahead of time and the rest takes care of itself.

Photo by mintlips

1. They see themselves as dominating their environments: People start getting into trouble when they think they have everything figured out. When things are going well it can be easy to forget that there is so much that we have no control over. Being ready for the unexpected is a distinctive feature of successful people. What is your backup plan?

2. They identify so completely with their job that there is no clear boundary between personal interests and their job: In today’s era this is becoming more and more prevalent. It can be easy to get sucked into your job so completely that it is difficult to see where it ends and you begin. It is vital for successful people to have a life and interests outside of their job, regardless of how much they love it. At the very least, having non-job related interests allow a person to become more well-rounded which, in turn, can pay dividends at work. How do you spend your weekends?

3. They think they have all the answers: Much like number one, when people think they have all the answers trouble is usually just around the corner. Successful people know they don’t have all the answers, but they usually do know how they can find the answer. Whether that means knowing how to research or who to ask, successful people embrace the fact that they don’t know everything. Where can you go if you don’t know the answer to something?

4. They ruthlessly eliminate anybody who doesn’t believe exactly as they do: Successful people surround themselves with people who think like them and with people who have contrary ideas to their own. It can be easy to surround yourself with people who will agree with everything you say, but that is not the catalyst for success. Having people close to you who aren’t afraid to play devil’s advocate or produce opposing ideas to your own will only serve to help you as an individual. Is there anybody in your close group of friends who challenges you?

5. They are obsessed with their own image: Successful people do not worry about what others think. Being obsessed with a personal image results in effort and time being placed in a domain that you have no control over,namely, what other people think of you. Instead of worrying about that, successful people worry about only those issues with which they have control, such as their own effort and expertise. What is the number one thing you are worried about right now? Is it something you can even control?

What other habits do unsuccessful people tend to have? What can you do to counteract them?

Photo by Picture Perfect Pose

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It was only a couple weeks ago that I wrote an article in which I said you should be skeptical of anyone who claims to have lots of universally applicable principles of simplicity. I’m a huge proponent of individuality when it comes to simplifying your life. I still believe that, but this latest ebook by Joshua Becker does a great job enumerating those few principles that actually are universal to everyone.

In Simplify: 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life Becker clearly and articulately makes the case for “rational minimalism.” I really love the principles that he has come up with and I think they are incredibly applicable to anybody looking for a simpler life. Adopting these seven principles provides a great jumping-off point and strong basis for an individualistic approach to simplifying.

I love that although this is an ebook about universal principles, Joshua really drives home the point that nobody will simplify in exactly the same way. In fact, his second principle is, “make it work for you.” This ties directly in with my own philosophy here at thesimplerlife.net. “Rational minimalism” is a great term for making the mindset of minimalism and simplicity an individual effort. What simplifies my life may complicate yours, and vice versa.

Lastly, this ebook is very, very well put together. It is clean and simple while being incredibly easy to read. Joshua Becker’s writing style is very straightforward and easy to follow. Reading this ebook feels like sitting down with a neighbor and chatting for an hour.

I heartily encourage you to check out this book as well as Joshua Becker’s blog, becoming minimalist.

Simplify: 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life can be purchased here for $9.95.

My first impression is that it seemed to be fairly well put together, but not at the same level of Everett Bogue’s The Art of Being Minimalist or some of the other ebooks I have read. Even if the formatting wasn’t overly pretty or original, it didn’t detract from the actual reading of the content, which is what really matters. In terms of the actual writing, I thought it was very easy to follow and conversational. I think it could have benefited from a good editor going over it as the teacher inside of me was dying to mark up some run-on sentences and strike out unnecessary commas.

In terms of actual content, I think this ebook will be very helpful for many people. David tackles one aspect of simplifying each day with the idea that after 31 days you will have made major strides toward simplifying your life. After discussing the larger implications of that day’s task he give a small series of actionable steps the reader should take to simplify that aspect of his or her life. The tasks are small enough not to overwhelm but focused enough to create a real difference in a person’s life if they are done well.

Many of the sections that David covers revolve around decluttering. For example, he writes about simplifying your home office or desk, junk drawers, vehicles, end tables or night stands, bathrooms etc. While this is an important part of living a simpler life, my favorite sections were when he went beyond simple decluttering. Day 15, Time, was one of my favorite parts and I think David makes some very cogent points that are worth following. Additionally, the sections on packing for travel, connections, and communication were all very interesting.

I think this ebook would be perfect for you if you are relatively new to the simplicity or minimalism mindset and don’t know where to start. I can imagine myself being completely immersed in this book a couple years ago as I began my simplifying journey. It is full of very actionable and effective steps to taking immediate action. However, if you have moved beyond the simple decluttering phase of simplicity, there is less here for you. As I said before, there are sections that deal with non-decluttering aspects of simplification, but they are more sparse than the parts that tell you how to get rid of your stuff.

If you are interested in buying this ebook ($9.95) I encourage you to use the following link. I will receive 50% commission on any sales of Project M-31 through thesimplerlife.net. I will also be adding the link to the “resources” section that can be found at the top of the page. The proceeds I make through being an affiliate help me to keep this site running. However, as always, I will never recommend anything to you that I haven’t used myself. If you are looking for some assistance in simplifying your life and aren’t completely sure where to begin or just need some motivation to get started, I heartily recommend David Damron’s Project M-31: Simplify Your Life in 31 Days.