Posts tagged with simplicity

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July 12, 2010

Comments: The Final Say

On Friday, I received this email:

“Saw your post at Brazen Careerist, and was immediately turned off when you stated you’re not going to reply to comments there. If I feel this way, I’m sure others do as well.

Take Care.”

At first, I didn’t mind much, seeing as I stated an alternative on Brazen Careerist (a well-known site for networking/connecting/working with employees, employers, or just nice people, online) to come to the site and leave a thought on the original post.

Eventually, I admitted to myself that the ‘comment thing’ has been picking at my conscience for some time.

I have addressed comment/response policies in passing on previous blog posts. When this blog was much younger, I even said that I would reply to every comment within 24 hours.

I’ve been wishy-washy throughout this blog’s entire life cycle with comments, just devouring articles on when to reply and when not reply, on whether to keep them up, or on whether to take them down, and loosely referring to how I’ll respond and how I’ll not respond.

It’s time to, finally and forever, squash this issue:

- First of all, I’d like to say that I enjoy reading what you guys have to say. Keep the comments coming.

- I read every single one. No joke. No one gets left behind, young or old, long or short, big or small.

- I don’t, however, respond to every single one. I simply can’t respond to every ‘thank you’ or ‘nice post’ that I get. It takes away too much from the time I spend learning new things and getting inspiration for what you guys comment on in the first place: the blog post.

- In fact, if you want to share something personal, you want to send me hate mail, or you just want to say hello, shoot me an e-mail. You’ll get a response within 2-3 days, usually.

- Comments are necessary for community. No matter how many or how little I get, I don’t plan on cutting them off.

- Bashing other commenters or just contributing to an overall negative atmosphere isn’t cool. Don’t do it.

- Just because I don’t reply, it doesn’t mean I don’t care.

At the end of the day, it’s the people that matter. This blog wouldn’t be where it is now without you. It’s come pretty far in just one year. Maybe not as far as other blogs (due to the initial lack of purpose) and maybe not as profitable (due to not shipping a product as early as I should have), but the progress is still astounding.

Rest assured that I’m grateful to you for making me feel that my voice can make some sort of impact and some sort of difference.

Comments or no comments, this movement matters.

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June 1, 2010

Interview With Leo Babauta: Inside an Inspirational Minimalist

It’s been quite a while since I’ve had an interview with a remarkable online creator, so I’m very happy to welcome to the blog, best-selling author and minimalist blogger, Leo Babauta!

This interview has been a really great experience, because Leo’s first blog, Zen Habits, was one of the very first blogs that got me into personal development and simplicity. I’ve learned a lot from what he’s discussed here as well as what else Leo teaches on his many blogs.

Just so you can get a better picture of who Leo really is, I’ve stolen, augmented, and updated a bit of his info from his about page (I’m sure he wouldn’t mind):

  • Created Zen Habits and made it a top blog within a year. Today, Zen Habits has over 175K subscribers and was named one of the Top 25 blogs by Time Magazine.
  • Started a second blog, Write To Done, for writers and bloggers. It now has more than 16K subscribers and is one of the Top 10 blogs for writers.
  • Wrote the No. 1 best-selling productivity ebook, Zen To Done. Has been bought and downloaded by tens of thousands of readers.
  • Wrote a best-selling print book, The Power of Less. The book made the best-selling list on Amazon.com, and is in bookstores around the country.
  • Made a third blog, mnmlist, about minimalism. Has well over 6,000 subscribers already.

His teachings of doing more with less have started a movement across the blogosphere, resulting in a bevy of individuals becoming minimalists, freeing themselves from being overwhelmed by stuff and engaging in more meaningful experiences.

Right before his big move this summer to San Francisco, Leo shares his thoughts:

———————————-

John: Your teachings of simplicity and minimalism have spread far and wide across the personal development blogosphere. I just have to ask, how are you applying these teachings to your personal life? Do you try and get your wife and kids to follow them as well?

Leo: I’m applying them slowly, and thoughtfully. I don’t believe in drastic overhauls of my life — I do things a little at a time, and see how I like them. I reflect on the changes, and blog about them. Mmlist.com and Zen Habits are basically reflections on slow changes I’m making.

My kids and wife aren’t as minimalist as I am, nor do I try to force them to be. But I think my example gives them ideas and inspiration, and of course they give me ideas and inspiration as well! My wife amazes me — she’s become a homeschooling mom, given up most of her possessions (I think she’s down to 120 personal things), is running and eating healthier, and in general is as happy as ever!

John: Very nice. I totally agree that you should implement changes slowly, one habit at a time. I remember reading about your technique in an article that talked about mastering one habit a month. Have you been doing any experimenting lately (testing new “zen habits”)? If so, any examples you care to share?

Leo: Lately, I’ve been less focused on forming new habits than on reshaping previous ones. So while I have a fairly healthy eating habit, I’ve been making small changes — eating more real foods such as fruits and raw nuts as snacks, for example. My writing habits are constantly seeking new ground, trying to find a better groove without abandoning the good parts of the old groove. I’ve also been looking for a balance between long-form online reading and novel reading, two of my favorite forms of reading.

That said, lately, I’ve been doing short (5-minute) zen meditation sessions with my wife most mornings, and have really enjoyed that. It’s a beautiful way to start the day.

John: Any new projects/products that you’re working on? Anything on the horizon?

Leo: I’ve recently given up ads on Zen Habits, and am looking at other ways to support my family. Digital products and courses that I make myself are probably the way I’ll go. I was considering premium subscriptions for $5 and $10 — people could still subscribe to Zen Habits for free, but for a premium subscription they’d get additional content podcasts, and live webinars. But now I’m thinking of doing twice-monthly courses, where I teach people to do things I’ve learned to do. We’ll see!

John: What’s one of the craziest things you’ve always wanted to do that you’ve done since you’ve become self-employed?

Leo: Picking up and moving my family to San Francisco is pretty crazy, for me at least. We’re leaving behind our old life, our beloved family and friends, and starting from scratch. We don’t even know where we’ll live exactly, nor will we each have anything but a backpack full of clothing. Exiciting!

John: Who has inspired you? Any individuals you’ve just found out about?

Leo: Oh man, where to start? I’m inspired by so many people, there’s no way to mention them all. I currently love:

And many more!

John: Where do you see yourself down the line? Maybe in five years?

Leo: I have no idea — I just hope I continue doing thing I love. I’ve given up trying to plan or predict the future, and just focus on what I’m doing right now. If I do things I’m passionate about, and do my utmost, it’s amazing what often emerges — unexpected, wonderful, surprising things.

John: If you could give one very last piece of advice, what would it be?

Leo: It doesn’t sound like much, but Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Smile, breathe, and go slowly” is profoundly life-changing. Each one of those things can transform your life, and the more I explore them, the deeper this advice becomes.

John: Sounds great, Leo. Thank you so much for your time.

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Leo has been such an inspiration and it’s been a pleasure having him share what he knows. If you want to get a deeper look into what minimalism is, I recommend you check out his book, The Power of Less, grab his e-book, the Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life, or visit mnmlist.com.

Don’t forget to follow Leo on Twitter.

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May 24, 2010

75 Life-Changing Truths Written While Lying on the Grass

Wrote most of these Saturday evening while (as the title already tells you) lying on the grass outside. They were compiled to get myself out of boredom and now I feel inspired again.

Enjoy!

1. Whenever you focus heavily on an outcome, you rarely ever get it

2. Ultimately, nobody really does care about you more than yourself

3. People love children more than adults because they’re so unpredictable (in other words, act like an adult, but live as a child)

4. It’s very hard for people to follow others’ advice, even more so their own

5. A mountain’s worth of effort will get you anything you want

6. Laying on the grass isn’t as bad as I thought it would be – it’s actually quite freeing

7. What people may think of you matters nothing compared to what you think of yourself

8. The stuff that people try to distract you with (their words, their praise, their criticism) – that is noise. Filter that out and find the true meaning within

9. Complaining alters nothing (or at the very most, alters very little). For maximum impact, physically do something about it

10. I’ve found that people don’t like hearing the truth. That’s why I have this blog. This way I won’t have to argue, plead, or shout to be heard. All I have to do is type

11. Television, movies, books, even blogs – they serve as an escape from reality. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take lessons from them to change your own reality

12. I’m almost certain that I would be happier as an animal than as a human. At least I’d actually live everyday as if it was my last

13. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sex. Just be smart enough to know when and how to do it

14. Sometimes, you just need a break from your normal social circle. I’m lying in the grass instead of going to the movies. What are you doing?

15. If I can make $200 doing what I love (writing on this blog) then so can you doing what you love. Just prepare to work your ass off

16. You really don’t need as much as you think you do

17. Minimalism does not mean to be happy having absolutely nothing. It means being content with having manageable amounts of stuff

18. Placating others for them to like you is low-class behavior

19. I could’ve chosen to be miserable and bored, but instead I’ve decided to make myself happy and write. Are you listening? You can change how you feel in an instant

20. Don’t seek a reaction from other people. Do what you want because YOU want to

21. How can you [blank] another if you can’t even [same word] yourself? Nearly any verb will do

22. Appreciate all music. It is created from the raw emotion of a composer

23. School is only fun from grades Pre-K through 2nd grade. From then on, you have to start breaking the rules to keep from being bored

24. Learning isn’t really that much fun. It’s just interesting. Applying knowledge > witnessing someone else apply knowledge > reading/learning about it

25. The greatest pleasures in life are requited love and doing what you love

26. I used to get scabs all the time. They were the battle scars gained as children waging the war on boredom through play

27. Stories matter

28. Focus on the ‘why’ rather than on the ‘what’. Life instantly becomes more meaningful

29. Don’t let inspiration go to waste. Act on it, just as I’m doing right now

30. College focuses too much on memorization and grades than on what you actually learn to internalize

31. The teachers who have inspired me are the ones who I remember the most

32. Accept the fact that you can’t be the best at everything

33. Science rules the world. Even emotion (although metaphysical) is based in science

34. All emotions are contagious – enthusiasm, depression, anger, you name it

35. White lies are better than regular lies; at least you’re acknowledging the truth rather than completely disregarding it

36. Ignorance is truly bliss. Didn’t even know what racism was until I learned about it in school

37. Farting in public will always be hilarious, no matter how old I get

38. Sometimes it’s better to be a jerk than to be a nice guy

39. The happiest people are the ones who get paid for doing what they love instead of what they like or what they don’t really care much for

40. Everyone is judgmental. Deal with it. You cannot deny human nature

41. Cool, calm, and collected; that’s how you carry on business

42. Certain people will always try and find a way to show your success in a negative light

43. Where are your balls? The opportunities are right in front of you. Take them

44. Why do people keep on living when death would be so much easier? Because life is fleeting and death is forever

45. Doubt really sucks. It serves no purpose other than to keep you from trying something new (okay, and maybe keeping you from getting yourself killed, but still)

46. Public speaking is only scary when you don’t know what you’re talking about

47. Having superpowers wouldn’t make life that much easier. You’d just have a lot more crap to deal with

48. With great power comes a lot of people asking you for help

49. Men and women are actually not that hard to figure out, as opposed to popular belief

50. No lock is impenetrable. You just need to find the right key (never said it would be easy to find though)

51. If religion just feels like an extra set of rules to follow, don’t practice it

52. In fact, if a certain action is more trouble than it’s worth, cease and desist

53. You can’t choose who or what you’re attracted to. It’s a DNA thing

54. Being a skeptic of a traditionally-held idea is positively exhilarating

55. Push your creativity to the breaking point. Your best ideas will be just beyond it

56. Your reaction to a situation is more important than the situation itself

57. To be able to change your life, you have to be bold

58. The world does not reward those who expect things or feel entitled to outcomes

59. There is no point in fearing the things that cannot possibly kill you

60. Nobody knows what you’re thinking until you tell them (or show them)

61. People try new things (good and bad) because they’re bored

62. Your thoughts come through in your body language; if you’re confident, you stand tall or lean back. If you’ve got low self-esteem you slouch and flinch easily

63. It’s not worth it traveling to other countries if you’re just going to sight see. Actually, “live” inside another country

64. Hesitation, fear, and excuse-making are the things that keep the “right time” from happening

65. Without respect, no relationship can prevail

66. Boredom is death within life

67. Everything starts in the enigmatic properties of your mind. Your perception is everything

68. You cannot be completely neutral in this world. Pick a side on your own before peer pressure forces you to

69. Express yourself any way you can: laughing, living, writing, loving, drawing, blogging, singing, working, cooking, building… the list goes on and on

70. People will remember you for what you did more than what you said

71. There’s a reason everyone harps on aging; youth is the only span of time when your stamina, body, and mind are at their highest performance

72. Your problems are not unique. Somebody on this planet is sharing the same pain you are

73. On the flip side, with regards to #72, you could also say the same for accomplishments and joy

74. You think you are any different from the people that inspire others? You too have the ability to inspire

75. Everyone has gifts. It’s up to them to find the value in their own abilities, to find the light underneath their dark, to find the blessing within their curse

Creative Commons License photo credit: Gibson Claire McGuire Regester

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May 20, 2010

The Do’s and Don’ts of Being a Self-Starter

Becoming a self-starter has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Sometimes I ask myself why I didn’t think of this sooner.

No longer do I blame other people for my own personal hangups – I take responsibility for them myself.

No more do I feel like I’m doing what I do just because I have to. Far from it, actually; it’s because I want to.

No further do I feel like the only people who can become self-starters are of a special breed… because I too am one.

What a self-starter does

- If he/she has a certain itch – just wants to try something new – the self-starter won’t hesitate to do it

- sees things through to the end, no matter how hard they may seem. Unless he is failing and making mistakes at a much higher rate than he succeeds, there is no reason for the self-starter to give up

- tries his best to wake up at the crack of dawn and works until the darkness of the night on the things he enjoys doing

- sees the value in constructive, but not destructive criticism (in other words, feedback that builds up from, not reinforces, mistakes that’ve been made)

- gathers insight and creativity from any and all things

- sees work and play as one and the same

- constantly tests assumptions

- takes responsibility for his own life and actions

- does whatever it takes to GSD (get sh%t done!)

- batches the little things while focusing in on the really tough tasks

- searches for the simple solution every time

- follows these rules:

What a self-starter does NOT do

- take no for an answer, when it comes to attempting something remarkable

- putting time and effort into things that aren’t aligned with his goals

- take breaks longer than he works

- give up

- obsess over the little things

- let fear rule over him

- watches television for extended periods of time

- make a plan to follow, a direction to stay true to

Why be a self-starter, you ask? Simply put, because anything YOU start is through your efforts alone. Nobody is forcing you to live up to some ideal, or follow some questionable creed. No one can claim it (your life, your self, your work) – no one but you.

Rebel’s Manifesto stolen from Lance’s awesome blog post at the Jungle of Life, and credited to Keri Smith of the Wish Jar.

Creative Commons License photo credit: stuartpilbrow

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May 9, 2010

How to Take Back Your Summer: Test Your Assumptions

Summer for most college students tends to consist of these four things:

- Traveling to another country

- Taking part in a more-than-likely unpaid internship

- Getting a job (like my roommates are doing)

- Or simply taking it easy at home

I could just as easily do any one of these. But, as per usual, I’m choosing a more interesting route.

Instead of staying at home, writing irregular blog posts, and working for my parents for the next three months like I’ve done every summer, I’m going to strike out on my own. I’ll be away from the lazy day doldrums of the suburbs and will remain in the thick of Chicago.

I’ll still be writing posts, but I’ll also be testing my assumptions:

  • Can I make money from the blog?
  • Can I get over 1,000 subscribers before summer’s end?
  • Can I have interviews with some of the best entrepreneurs on the net?
  • Can I guest post on Zen Habits?

The time of playing video games and watching TV during the majority of my vacation is long over. Those were the days of my younger years — now is the time to do something amazing.

Summer vacation will be a great time to experiment. A time to go on new adventures and walk down new paths. But what about you? I understand that you may or may not be in college anymore and vacations for you aren’t usually three months long because of your job, but isn’t it about time you just went out and did something about it?

Go on a vacation

I can guess your objections to this already. Maybe they’re pre-laid out excuses like mortgages/bills to pay, kids to take care of, and a job to get paid for.

Dump these as reasons for not living your life during the best season of the year. In reality, there are simple solutions to all of these problems.

You don’t have to travel to an exotic land in another country over the summer. Maybe it’s better to just get out of town and live somewhere new for a while.

Your kids aren’t going starve if you decide to take a break from working. Take them with you.

But really, it seems that the real issue with going on vacations is whether our not you’ll have enough money for it. Don’t worry, I’ve got that avenue covered.

Start preparing by considering these steps:

1. Sell things you don’t want/need

Summer is a great time to clear out all the stuff that you don’t use anymore, but instead of throwing it away, try selling it instead. Have a good, old-fashioned garage sale and watch the money roll in for stuff that you though nobody would even consider paying for.

This year, I’ve sold most of my old college textbooks and even my Ipod Touch that hasn’t been used for over a year.

2. Negotiate summer employment

Tell your boss (or plead with your boss, depending on his/her generosity) that you’d like to take a few hours off from working at the office. You may not be able to be completely free from your job if you really need it, but try and negotiate some sort of deal so you can still have money coming in and have time for other things you enjoy.

More information on how to do this here and here.

Thanks to money I’ve saved up from working for my parents, I will not have to worry much about employment…for now.

3. Start saving money

It’s easier to save up enough money to go on a three-month break than you think. All it takes is for you to consume much less than you normally would and keep an eye out for the best deals so you don’t have to spend so much.

Stop buying in bulk and only buy the amount you need.

Buy sweaters during the summer so you don’t have to pay more for warm clothes during the fall and winter.

See? Simple frugality.

4. Teach yourself something valuable

There are a lot of skill you can learn during your break that can prove to be very valuable. I myself plan on playing around with Photoshop, CSS, and HTML code so I potentially won’t ever have to pay for expensive web design.

Some suggestions:

- learn web design (like me)

- have conversations with random people to improve your social skills

- speak a new language

- practice writing stories to improve your writing

A lot of changes are already underway

After you finish taking these steps into consideration, just get up and go. Stop thinking about the consequences and just do it. This is the mindset I’m taking this summer. Nobody has asked me to do this. No own gave me an incentive to cultivate this lifestyle.

But I do it because I know it’ll make me happier in the end.

It’s the same with you. You can either continue on with the same summer you’ve had year after year, or you can start preparing right now and use your vacation doing something you’ve never dreamed of.

Just try it. The sun will be shining with not a cloud in the sky. What better day is there on which to take a chance?

Creative Commons License photo credit: seanmcgrath

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May 5, 2010

Minimalist Lifestyle Update: The Steps Taken Thus Far

Since I’ve announced my decision to become a minimalist some time ago on the blog, I’ve made a few small changes to my lifestyle.

Take into account that there are some activities I already gave up before I announced being a minimalist on the blog. These particular actions will be noted below.

Other things that have aided in me recently becoming a minimalist:

- I don’t have an income and the little money I make freelancing a blog post every two weeks has only added to my savings.

- Ran out of money that university gives us to spend (flex dollars).

- As a college student, I embrace frugality anyway.

10 Steps Towards the Minimalist Lifestyle

1. I’ve slowly ceased using my cell phone as both a watch and communication device

2. I tend to use and reuse white shirts as everyday clothing and as sleepwear

3. I already walk everywhere

4. I haven’t used my debit card in months

5. I’m moving into the smallest room in my apartment for the cheapest price

6. I’ve long since stopped watching television

7. I’m reading more than ever before

8. Gradually focusing less on blog stats and more on blog content and community

9. I’m able to function on less than 5 hours of sleep

10. Starting to eliminate needless conversations in favor of reading (harsh, but it’s pointless to debate about issues that will do little in solving problems anyway)

Things I find myself doing that are problematic:

Unblocking sites that are supposed to be blocked – I’m going to start password protecting my website-blocker add-on

Checking email several times a day – It’s going to take a lot of willpower to adhere to my ‘three-times-a-day’ rule

Reloading Twitter to check for status updates, retweets, and responses – Limit of ten minutes of Twitter, 3 times a day starting tomorrow.

More updates to follow soon.

Creative Commons License photo credit: feverblue

22 comments

May 3, 2010

How to Reclaim Your Childlike Confidence

The times of our childhood have gone and left us. From the moment we were born up until the prime of our youth, we lived freely and innocently, without apology or responsibility. And with this freedom and innocence came the empowerment of confidence. The assurance that whatever we wanted in our lives we would get. The acceptance that to get anything we must take action for it. The knowledge that fate lay within our very hands.

This confidence resided within us for a while. Although there were times as children when we would be initially shy and scared of the change that would come with the confidence in trying different things and exploring new ‘worlds’ (such as the zoo, the playground, and the grocery store, to name a few), we would eventually rest upon the peak of our happiness.

The happiness that came with confidence is what made youth worth embracing and is what makes it so valuable.

You won’t catch an old foogie trying to do a handstand because he’s almost certain his back will feel out of sorts if things go wrong. But if you even hint at any type of challenge to rambunctious child, no doubt she’ll have at it.

Stop suppressing your confidence

Now, I know I’ve been playing up the youth angle a bit, but I’m here to say that youth really doesn’t matter as much as you think it does, at least in terms of confidence. What does matter is how you choose to live your life.

As a child, you had no worries. Life was lived to the fullest each and everyday. But as you got older, you began to rationalize your confidence. Instead of feeling happiness and awe from staring at an anthill and watching the mysteries of life unfold, you decided to forget those small pleasures.

Societal norms told you your confidence was unacceptable, that you had no right to feel confident until you get that respectable job and six-figure salary. You allowed them to judge your self-worth based on the materials you own and how well you followed orders in the educational institutions. This created insecurity within yourself and instability in your life.

Fast forward to now, where you still feel inadequate because society keeps asking more of you. You must buy more stuff. You’re how old and still have no kids? Start making some! You have no money for them? Go get some!

Don’t listen to this noise.

When you were a child, you had almost nothing to your name. You were only fed, clothed, and cared for.

Maybe even given a toy, here or there.

If this is the code by which you felt the most carefree and happy, don’t you think you should be trying to continue living by that same code?

Understand that the happiest children didn’t have mountains of new gadgets to show off to their friends. They didn’t compare fancy, schmancy handbags to have to feel validation. They didn’t care for all of the worthless things that society said we should invest in.

This is what we cared about the most:

1. True friendships not based on stuff

Children made friends naturally, not because they owned certain things that some else may or may not have.

2. Exploring and learning

Considering a child’s attention span, there’s no question that learning new things stimulated us, as well as exploring new places.

3. Having fun

Fun was the name of the game. Seriously, everything could be made into a game unless told otherwise.

4. Family

The simplicity of home and family made us happy, and allowed us to rest after a day of truly living.

Release the buried confidence

It seems that our childlike confidence has been forcibly buried, both by society’s judgment and our own adherence to said judgment. Well, I say now is the time to reclaim our confidence.

Really take these three steps to heart, as they will reopen a world that you once thought was lost.

1. Recreate life to suit you

Life is what you make of it. It doesn’t have to be a depressing sob story of you working a job you don’t like, you struggling to pay your bills, or you trying so hard to please people you can’t please. Mold your life into an inspiring story of confidence and passion, doing what you love to do.

Break away from routine for a bit. Do something out of wack. Get a little crazy.

2. Play kids games

It doesn’t matter what age you play a kid’s game; it’ll always be fun. If you have the courage to do something juvenile and enjoy it, you know you have confidence.

Grab some water guns and head for the beach. Play tic-tac-toe. If you’re really extreme, play tag.

3. Don’t buy more than the essentials

All we need in life is food, clothes, water, a computer, and a decent place to lay our heads. The rest of the things we buy are secondary. Opposed to what you may think, having more stuff just makes us more insecure. More things to keep track of means more stuff to spent your time managing.

Cut down the consumption and witness how less stressful life becomes.

As I look to the future, I envision a world where I won’t have to witness people buying things they don’t need and can’t afford. In this world, people are more secure and more confident. The way life plays out, we are born with nothing and we will die with nothing.

But that doesn’t mean we have to spend our lives feeling bad about it. To live a good life, you must embrace the childlike confidence that’s been inside you all this time.

Use it to live life to the fullest.
Creative Commons License photo credit: northpolemama

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March 21, 2010

Get Rid of Bad Habits By Replacing Them With Better Ones

Everyone has bad habits that they know they shouldn’t be cultivating. Whether it’s something that’s just annoying and you can’t help but do (biting your nails used to be a big one for me), or whether it’s downright gross (picking your nose in public is nasty), bad habits can sometimes get the best of you.

As a college student, it’s easy to let bad habits manifest (like procrastinating), but I’ve gotten the best of them by simply replacing them with better habits.

Some thoughts for you before you check out my new habits:

Practice = habit

If you want to get good at something, make it a habit. For example, whenever I have a really interesting thought I’d like to share, I write a post about it. I’ve been doing this every week for almost a year.

Bad habits make you feel BAD

If you don’t know what a bad habit is, analyze your actions in this respect: the habits that are bad make you feel bad while you are doing them. Another example, procrastination, ALWAYS makes me feel like crap because I know what I’m doing feels wrong. If you don’t feel good doing something that you’re choosing to do, why do it?

Behavior change takes more than just word-of-mouth

You have to really want to change in order for change to occur. Writing down words and spouting empty promises does nothing to change who you are. It takes guts, practice, and ultimately, WILLPOWER. This is a prime example of willpower from my blogging buddy, Josh, over at The World’s Strongest Librarian.

Without further ado, here’s my list:

Given up – Watching television

What I do instead – I watch whatever I want online. I no longer have to wade through channel after channel waiting for something interesting to come on. Thank god for Youtube and Hulu.

Given up – Watch local news

What I do instead – I’ll spend a few minutes skimming the world news headlines, but read articles that are especially of interest

Given up - Multi-tasking (The stereotype that women are better multi-taskers has some truth to it)

What I do instead – It’s easier to do one thing at a time. I just can’t concentrate on lots of activities at once anymore. In end, I just feel like I’ve gotten nothing done.

Given up – Going on Facebook for hours everyday

What I do instead - Spend more time on Twitter and other quick social media outlets for maybe thirty minutes every few hours or so. I learn so much more on Twitter because everybody is sharing links and actually communicating, whereas Facebook just has people’s static profiles to look at.

Given up – Hanging out with people not worth my time

What I do instead – Get to know people who make me feel good about myself, inspire me to act, and are positive influences in my life.

Quick tip: Remember, your time is valuable. Don’t waste it.

Given up – Talking on the phone for close to an hour

What I do instead – Spending time on the phone is okay, but in general it’s not something that I particularly favor. If conversation end up being over an hour on the phone, you might as well go visit the person on the other end and talk face to face. I tend to stick with short messages over the web, but long phone convos if I haven’t heard from them in a while.

Given up – Biting my nails

What I do instead – I keep my nail clipper in more convenient spots (like in my side drawer). That way I can just clip them whenever I need to.

Given up – Sleeping until noon

What I do instead – I wake up bright and early every morning feeling really energized and ready to start the day. What they say about feeling productive in the morning isn’t a lie. You feel much more in control (and not like you’ve wasted an entire day).

Given up - Drinking only juice everyday; eating only junk food

What I do instead – When you think about it, it’s not that difficult to switch to drinking just water everyday. All you have to do is stop making juice and junk food accessible. Changing your eating habits is understandably much more difficult, but, again, it really all starts with what you buy.

Given up – Playing video games for hours on end everyday

What I do instead – I used to be a huge video game fanatic. Everyday would be spend investing hours into games that I would finish and the proceed to play again and again, just to get the same feelings of enjoyment and accomplishment. Of course, as the law of diminishing returns implies, I eventually would get bored and stop playing certain games for years. My alternative now is playing for maybe 7 or so hours in a day once every few months, or maybe 2 hours everyday for three days before stopping for a couple of weeks.

These are just a few examples, but what I’ve gained from replacing my habits is invaluable. I don’t feel like my habits are controlling me. I feel as if I’m living the way I WANT to live.

Any bad habits you’ve replaced recently? Tell me how you did it.
Creative Commons License photo credit: rawbin underwater.

20 comments

December 14, 2009

Time is An Illusion

This post was inspired by Lance at The Jungle of Life and his Sunday Thought For The Day.

The only thing that really matters is right now. What? Are you waiting for just the right moment? Do you believe it is too late for you?

Give up the “I’m too young” or “I’m too old” excuse. The excuses themselves are getting too old. Face the facts. You were too doubtful, too afraid, too uncertain to take a chance.

Stop thinking about the time wasted or the time yet to be had. Think about NOW. What are you doing now? I mean, right this instant? Still reading? Good. You’re in the now.

Are you completely focused on your actions? Does your mind wander off thinking about the million-and-one things on your to-do list? Yeah, you and everybody else who lives in the day-to-day grind of life.

Got a job interview coming up? Stop freaking out. Job interviews have only been around for forever. You won’t mess up stop searching for the right thing to say. You know the right things already. Treat the interviewer like a normal person. Stop keeping track of how long you talk with him or her.

Sometimes the NOW involves waiting and nothing else. So simply wait.

You don’t need to know somebody for years before you can trust her like a sister. Sometimes you do.

You don’t need to be with someone for years before you can love them. Sometimes you do.

In the future. Someday. When I was in high school. When I was in college. I will…

Don’t let these time-based words restrict your reality. Instead of ‘in the future’ think about yourself ‘in the now’.

When you were in high school/college maybe you were physically fit, but have become less active since then. Or maybe high school/college has negatively affected your life. But what are you doing now to change that?

Forget the words, ‘I will’. How about ‘I am’?

The past, the future; they don’t matter. They can’t determine who you are or what you’ll become. Your future may look shiny, but it could ultimately end up dark and muddled.

You may feel that your dark past will be your ruin, but in reality, the darkness of your past may give birth to the light of your future.

But nothing will change based on feeble perception or static thought. It is only in the NOW that we are able to act.

“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.” – Unknown

Creative Commons License photo credit: Rodrigo Cayo (DREAM)

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December 7, 2009

Ride Upon the Winds of Change

Everyday, our life begins anew. Some say our lives today are an extension of our lives yesterday, but I beg to differ.

One day, you could be a lost, confused mess in a sea of certainty. It’s as if everyone else knows who the are now and who they wish to become in the future except you. It’s as if you’re the only one who holds doubts and has insecurities. You believe you are inadequate.

The next day, you could be surprisingly confident in yourself. It’s as if the qualms of yesterday never happened. You feel unstoppable, courageous, empowered! You know who you are and who you wish to become. You belief that fate put you on this earth, but you’ve chosen your destiny.

You’re on this unbelievable high, and then… emptiness. The euphoria, the empowerment, the feeling of excitement – it’s vanished. You begin to once again feel inadequate.You wonder how this feeling of certainty came about so quickly, and yet, feel so permanent. As if you’ve felt you were always this confident. And as if you knew that this euphoria would be swiftly taken away.

You’ve only just begun to feel the breeze

A light bulb goes off in your head. You know why this happens. The winds of change have blown past you. Your life may be in an abysmal state. Your life may even be in a state of joy. Regardless, the winds of change know no deeds – good or evil. They know of no one’s past or future, only the present. The winds can make life significantly better… or make it much worse.

With no one to command them, the winds blow aimlessly, as if searching for one who believes themselves worthy.

Ride the winds of change

Do you want your life to be different than was before? Are you ready to ride the winds of change? You must not let them blow right past you, offering some semblance of a better life and then whisking it away. Take control. Allow the winds to augment your actions. Consistent action begets consistent action. Sameness begets sameness. Difference begets difference.

You cannot expect things to change with life blowing you in every direction. Life (just like the winds on which you should ride) seeks a master. One who takes responsibility for his own actions.You must grab hold of your life and destiny, and command them.

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

Creative Commons License photo credit: Omer Wazir

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