On Simplicity

It’s time for me to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.  I talk a great game about simplicity, but in truth, it’s easy to be simple at this point in my life. This week, the real test starts.

My husband is going in for surgery (nothing life-threatening, just corrective), and I’ll be picking up a lot of extra work as a result. My amazing spouse handles most of the household chores, like cooking, shopping, and all maintenance. I do the laundry, cleaning, and drink mixing.

So for the next few months, as B recuperates and is largely immobile, I’ll be:

• Taking care of B
• Taking care of all household chores
• Taking care of the yards
• Cooking (not my strong suit, so we’ll see how this goes)
• Driving
• Shopping
• Taking care of our beloved (and highly energetic) dog Roo
• Working my regular job
• Working on On Simplicity
• Taking on extra freelance writing work (to help defray the cost of surgery and make up a portion of B’s lost wages from being away from work)

I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of folks look at this list and say, “So what? I’ve been doing this for 20 years. Whaddya want, a cookie?”

That’s fair.

But it’s a big change for me, and I’m taking it as a challenge. It’s a call to make life as simple as possible, for my own sanity.  I look forward to learning new ways to streamline and be happy with less. 

If you’ve got any advice for me, I would very much welcome it in the comments. Have a great week, everybody, and thanks for reading!

While I was taking care of business and enjoying a beautiful wedding and lots of family time, I got an invitation I couldn’t resist. I’m excited to say that On Simplicity is now part of the Life Skills Network, which includes a number of helpful blogs. The network’s focus is on giving you the skills to live life to the fullest. How could I argue with that?

For this week’s links, I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite posts from the Life Skills Network. I hope you find something you’ll enjoy!

Frugal Dad talked about How to Live Simply, and Why It Is So Important. He gives five key ways to attack the sources of stress in your life, and I agree with each one. The bottom line of the article? Excess Material Possessions - Ego = Simplicity.

Marc and Angel discussed The Art of Spending Minutes to Save Hours. For me, this is the essence of simplicity. There’s no reason to let your fear of learning new things keep you from living a better, easier life.

Ron at The Wisdom Journal (our favorite island hopper) suggests that we Use a Time Multiplier to Get Things Done. If you’re intrigued by the idea that “creative procrastination” can be a good thing, then this article is well worth a read!

Jeff at My Super-Charged Life digs deep with 7 Observations about Creating Positive Change for a Good Life. They’re not all easy, but these observations are sincere and effective. I really appreciated that Jeff didn’t gloss over the fact that serious change is hard work, but we can take active steps to make it more likely to stick.

Simple Mom has been putting together a great series: The 6 Keys to a Disorganized, Unproductive Day at Home. One of the main culprits? Overcommitting. I couldn’t agree more. There are very few situations when the world will end if we don’t take care of something. Sometimes we can be better friends, spouses, lovers, and parents when we ask for help.

Finally, Madison at My Dollar Plan clues us into 12 Ways the Olympics Can Impact Your Finances. I loved the push to get back to basics (#12) and make the most of the limited opportunities in our lifetimes (#11). If you’ve been enjoying the games, check this one out.

I’d also like to add a “thank you” to everyone who read and commented while I was away last week. I thoroughly enjoyed coming back to such helpful comments and funny insights! As one new reader pointed out, On Simplicity has an amazingly mature and thoughtful audience. I couldn’t agree more!

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

I love highlighting a range of blogs with weekly links, but there’s one problem: there are some truly awesome blogs out there that I just don’t know about. With new blogs being created by the nanosecond, it’s a challenge to keep tabs on the new, worthwhile stuff popping up. Can you help?

This week, I want you to help me create a list of your favorite blogs by sharing the name of your favorite blog in the comments. (Yes, it can be your own!) But I have just a couple of basic ground rules:

1. Name your favorite blog and provide a pitch for the rest of us in seven words or less.
2. Keep it PG rated. I’ll be moderating the comments to keep things appropriate and unspammy.

So, let me know about the cool, undiscovered blog you love and be sure to check out everyone else’s comments for new blogs that fit your style.

*Note: If you already use an RSS reader on a regular basis, you can probably skip this piece. However, if you’ve got any tips on using RSS readers, please jump into the comments and add them. I’ll use them to put together a post for next week!

photo credit: Chesi - Fotos CC

I mention RSS readers quite a bit here. They’re where I check out my favorite authors and find inspiration. But not everyone is a fan of RSS readers, perhaps because they simply don’t know about these free tools that can simplify daily reading.

Pretty much every explanation of RSS starts with the phrase, “RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.” This doesn’t actually help you understand the topic any better; in fact, it makes it more confusing. So don’t worry what RSS stands for, just remember the acronym.

Imagine a custom-made newspaper that let you select your favorite columnists and journalists. Every time you read it, it would feature any new articles that your favorite writers had published. You’d have to put in the inital work of choosing a pool of writers you liked, but after that, all you’d have to do was open this special paper and read only the information you wanted. That’s essentially what RSS does for you.

The Benefits of RSS

1. You don’t have to remember web addresses. Is it ZenHabits.com or ZenHabits.net? Is it LiveSimple or LivSimpl? Once you’re using RSS to catch up on your favorite blogs, you never have to remember their actual web addresses ever again. That means no “.com” vs. “.org” vs. “.net.” It also means that all isn’t lost when you can’t remember the name of a blog.
2. You can bookmark your favorite blogs or just keep tabs on interesting ones. Did you just find a blog that looked cool the other day? Add their feed to your reader and you’ll get a copy each time they publish new articles. That way, you can figure out if you like that blog without visiting every single day.
3. You don’t have to check back for updates. Not sure if The Simple Dollar has published the afternoon post yet? You could check back five times, or you could add the feed to your reader and have the post delivered as soon as it’s published.
4. You can scan through dozens of headlines quickly. Instead of visiting the blog, reading the current headline, and deciding whether it interests you before moving on, you can just scroll through everyone’s headlines at once.

Ready to try it? First, you’ve got to choose a reader.

Choosing a Reader

RSS readers are free and usually just require that you set up an account. It’s not very different from setting up an email account. You choose the website you want to use, you create the account (usually just basic info and a password), and you visit that website and log in whenever you want to see the latest headlines. It looks something like this:

photo credit: karindalziel

Lots of different websites offer readers you can use. I use Google Reader, but you can also try Bloglines, My Yahoo, Rojo, or any number of free services.

Add Blogs to Your Feed

When you first log into your reader, you won’t find any headlines. That’s because you haven’t subscribed to any feeds yet. A blog feed is just the stream of the latest posts. Subscribing to a blog’s feed is the same thing as subscribing to a blog.

You can either find your favorite feeds manually by typing them in (there’s going to be a search box for adding feeds somewhere on the reader’s page), or you can add them when you visit each site. Most blogs will have an RSS logo somewhere on the site. The logo will usually look something like this:

If you click it, it will usually ask which RSS reader you want to use. Find the reader you’re signed up with and click it (since I use Google Reader, I would click the Google button). Depending on the reader service you’re using, there may be a couple of other questions; click on the options that say “Add to Reader” or anything similar to that. Then, you’ll usually be taken to your reader (if you’ve already logged in at an earlier point), where you can see the latest headlines of the blog you just added.

As you scroll through the new articles in your reader, they’ll look pretty much the same as they do on the regular website. All the content and pictures should be there. You just won’t see the website’s regular header and sidebar information. Basically, everything that’s not the article gets chopped away by your reader.

You can unsubscribe to any blogs at any time, so don’t worry too much about hitting that “Subscribe” button. It’s not a lifelong commitment.

Not Interested? You Can Still Take Advantage of Subscriptions

If you’re not ready to use RSS readers or you simply don’t follow enough blogs to make it necessary, you can still get all the advantages by using email subscriptions. Many blogs will have an email subscription option next to the RSS subscription button. If you provide your email address, you’ll receive an email that contains all the new blog posts from each blog you subscribe to.

If you haven’t been subscribing to your favorite blogs, I highly recommend it. It’s a great way to keep tabs on what’s new without committing a ton of time. Plus, it’s just easier once you get the intial hang of it, which doesn’t take long. And hey, if you’re ready to give it a try, you can always subscribe to my feed and see if you like the process.

photo credit: wadem

As much as I love simplicity, I’ve got a big confession: blogging about it has made my life a lot more complicated. How’s that for irony?

As much as I love it, the art of blogging does take up a significant amount of time and energy. From writing and editing to participating in the blogging community, I find myself with more choices and less time.

In the interests of everyone who’d like to add a little simplicity to their blogging lives, here are my techniques for keeping my blog life simple:

1. Have backup posts. (Or at least lots of backup ideas to get you started.) Working on a deadline isn’t simple. Frankly, it pretty much sucks. Having a few backup posts can keep you relaxed, even if you choose not to use them.

2. Take a day off now and then. I’m still playing around with my posting frequency a bit. When I’ve taken a day off, readers are yet to be astonished or dismayed. As I wrote in the On Simplicity Pledge, I’d rather post nothing than something vacuous.

3. Future post your entries a couple days ahead of time. It rules. I write when I want and set each post to publish at the appropriate time. It’s easy to check how far out you’re scheduled and know when it’s time to get cracking on your next post.

4. Apply categories to your RSS reader. Going through my reader used to be uber time-consuming and, let’s face it, never-ending. Then, I created a “Must Read” folder of about 20 blogs. Now, I take about 30 to 60 minutes to go through the feeds that are consistently interesting and valuable. All blogs in my reader are categorized by subject, so I find something I’m in the mood for pretty easily. I know that as long I’m through the Must-Reads, I’m fully caught up, and this has freed my time up greatly.

5. Write when you’re inspired. It’s a million times easier than trying to crank stuff out the hard way. Plus, it’s way faster in my experience.

6. Invest in grammar. Knowing proper grammar (or at least, accepted grammar) inside and out makes the editing process smooth and speedy. You’ll still have occasional errors slip through, but your editing time can be spent on making your post awesome instead of just not wrong. I use Grammar Girl for sorting out editing questions.

7. Know when to stop. I’m not perfect at this—at all. But if you’re struggling to find that elusive tenth reason for a top ten post, stop and ask yourself if you were done at eight.

8. Try Aaron Robbins’ Post Idea plug-in. You have to click “yes” about three times to get to the “Write” screen, but it sure as heck beats having 20 slips of paper with half-baked ideas floating around.

Please respond with your tips and ideas that make blogging simpler and easier for you. I’m really excited to find some ideas I can co-opt! (Imagine me rubbing my hands together and laughing maniacly…)

photo credit: greencandy8888

Perfectionism is like an unreliable friend. Sometimes this friend gets us in with the right crowd to all the right places. At other times, perfectionism makes us feel lonely and tired, like we’re not good enough. Some people even have abusive relationships with perfectionism. When too much time spent with this demanding friend has you feeling crazy, turn to a different pal: persistence.

Perfectionism is almost impossible maintain. It takes a ton of time and energy to even attempt to be perfect. And if you’re anything like me, even the most sincere attempts to be perfect ending up falling quite short of that mark. This means that you have two options when you shoot for a perfect 10: complete success or total failure. There’s no room for gray, which is where most of life actually exists.

Take blogging as an example. Some posts might actually be perfect. Others are bound to have the occasional typo. Others are simply not as well received as you might have hoped or planned. If you only count perfection as a success, then most of your efforts are doomed to failure. Does that mean that you should never try?

Defining Success in Shades of Gray

I’d answer that with an affirmative “no.” Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on persistence. Persistence is about continuing to try your best even when perfection is not an option. It means letting go of trying to live up to external standards and embracing your own. Persistence is where real growth and learning occurs.

I would also argue that persistence is one of the key ways you earn respect. After all, even absolute perfection can be a fluke accident, but persistence takes guts, patience, and a willingness to learn. The next time you’re troubled by your lack of perfection, look deeper inside and realize that there’s a stronger force you can call to your aid: the quiet power of persistence.

Telecommuting sounds like a dream come true. Work from home, spend all day in your pajamas snarfing down Chee-tos, and never have to deal with the boss in person. And it can be all those things, but it can also be a bit of a nightmare if you do everything wrong. Imagine your work life bleeding uncomfortably into your personal life and having to force yourself to focus.

That’s what I found happening to me when I landed a telecommuting position out of college. Instead of having more free time, I found myself with none. Instead of being able to focus without a lot of inter-office distractions, I found myself having an even worse time staying on task. The lowest point was when I realized I spent all my free time thinking about work (and trying to avoid it), and all my work time trying to think of stuff to do in my free time. In short, it just wasn’t working, so I forced myself to make some major changes. So, learn from my mistakes and actually enjoy telecommuting. Here’s what not to do:

Work at random times each day.

Not only does this lead to a chaotic life, it also encourages procrastination. Plus, for insomniacs (like myself back then), procrastination and flexible hours lead to the deadly result of working at 4 A.M. Not very fun. For a better work-life balance, set a regular schedule and stick to it. You’ll be forced to stay on task to get done at the scheduled time each day. Soon, you’ll hate it when you get off schedule and get stuck working late. While it’s okay to take advantage of flexible hours every once in awhile (you can grab lunch with a busy friend or end your day early to get on the road for a long weekend), stick to a schedule on the majority of days.

Don’t create a work station.

Since you’re not in an office, you may as well make yourself comfortable and do your job on the couch. Heck, why not work from bed? Yes, you can do it, but should you? If you enjoy being unprofessional, non-ergonomic, and slightly schizophrenic, by all means do. If you’d prefer to feel on-the-ball, refreshed, and productive, create a place that’s devoted to work and work alone. Keep important files and papers close by, remove any obvious distractions (like TV and the latest Janet Evanovich novel), and invest in ergonomic furniture and computer accessories. Plus, when you’re done, you’ll be able to close the door and leave work at “the office.”

Avoid breaks at all costs.

It can be tempting to blow through the day without breaks and get done faster, but there’s a huge cost. You’ll be fatigued by the end of the day and your performance levels will drop–leading to mistakes and less-than-stellar performances. Plus, it’s the road straight to burnout. Breaks give your brain a rest and lower your stress level. Plus, breaks at home are a great way to get stuff taken care of without cutting into your free time. Call your best friend, jog to the mailbox, marinate the chicken for dinner, or just turn up the music and dance! Breaks can be the best part of your day, so be sure to take them. Set a timer, and be ready to get back to work–fully refreshed–once it’s done.

Pretend your co-workers don’t exist.

Your fellow employees–and especially other telecommuters in your company–are a great resource, so get to know them. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away, and it doesn’t give you any allies. Not only are coworkers a great source of companionship, they’re the ones you’ll rely on when things get rough or you’re on a tight deadline and need a hand. If you pretend they aren’t important, don’t be surprised when they return the favor.

Embrace distractions.

Hey, no one’s going to complain if you listen to Barry White on work time, so why not blast it? Dr. Phil in the background isn’t reallly distracting you, so why turn it off? You wouldn’t want your blood sugar to drop, so you should probably stop and get a snack every 20 minutes, right? No! There’s a reason these things aren’t acceptable in an office, and they shouldn’t be acceptable in your home office, either. Keep the distractions to a minimum (think quiet classical music and a cup of tea) and keep your productivity levels up.

The Bottom Line: You’re Still on the Job

In short, telecommuting is still a job, so treat it as such. You can still take advantage of the benefits of working from home (like hanging out in your favorite flannels and having a hot cooked lunch each day) without turning your home into a three ring circus. You’ll find that your free time is more enjoyable–and so is your work time!

Okay, I write about simplicity every day, but what’s the real story? I always wonder what goes on behind the scenes at other blogs, so I thought I’d shed a little light on what my life is really like.

What got you started on your simplicity kick?

To be honest, I’m not truly sure. I think I wanted to be able to scale back without worrying about keeping up a consumer lifestyle. Also, I think being in a house (instead of an apartment that was temporary for me) made me want to take control of my surroundings. There were lots of things that contributed, among them: frugality, style, laziness, and maturity. As I grow up, I need fewer things to define myself.

Do you follow all your own advice?

I’d say I’ve got an 80 percent follow-through rate. I do pretty much all the things I recommend, just not all of the time.

Have you always enjoyed simplicity?

Nope. I used to collect everything, from vintage Barbies to Elvis albums. Collections can be important, since they help us define our personalities in a tangible way. But I’m just not in that kind of mode right now.

What’s the most satisfying part of simplifying?

The feeling that I don’t need much to get by. No matter what happens in life, I know that I’ll be okay because my priorities are in order, with “stuff” at the bottom of the list.

Is your home fabulous?

Nope. But it’s not bad. I learned how to pick wall colors the hard way, and the home is still recovering. (P.S. Neon blue is not meant for walls. Trust me.)

What clutter are you still clinging to?

Books. I’ve gotten much better (I used to be a flat-out book hoarder), but I still have a lot around that were good, but not great. For me, getting rid of books is a process. I can take out one here and one there, but doing a massive dump would be painful.

What’s the messiest part of your home?

Probably the laundry room. I leave stuff hanging in there all the time and never clean the corners. Is it wrong that the room dedicated cleaning is the messiest?

What’s the single most important step a person can take toward simplicity?

Realizing that your stuff doesn’t define you. You won’t forget who you are or what you like just because you get rid of things. Also, it’s important to know deep down inside that you don’t need to impress people with material things. The people you actually want in your life don’t really care about that, they care about how you treat them.

Tell me more about Roo.

He’s about two and a half years old, and we have no idea what he is. (Our best guess is Lab-Vizsla mix. That’s what everyone at the vet office thinks.) We adopted Roo from the local Humane Society after seeing his mug on their website. Fittingly enough for a tightwad, he was a bargain at $30, including crate, bed, and toys!

If there’s ever anything else you want to know, just ask. I’m pretty open about my life. I’m by no means perfect (or anything resembling it), but that’s perfectly fine with me.

I’m packing my bags from the trial Wordpress.com account and movin’ on up! I’m officially at OnSimplicity.net, so please change any bookmarks or feeds you may have saved. I’ve fallen in love with blogging and look forward to meeting even more great new people in the blogging world.

Thanks to everyone who’s stopped by or left a comment–you’ve been a huge part of my inspiration for writing!

In reading other blogs, I come across quite a few items that make me question whether I’m truly a simplifier or not. After all, Xin Lu at Wise Bread, in a great post on living in small spaces, is willing to forgo a sectional for a beanbag. I, on the other hand, am not willing to ditch my sofa for a beanbag at this point. Am I just providing lip service to the idea of simplicity? After all, if you’ve read a few posts here, you know that I love clothing, I live in a big house, will probably never get rid of my television (dude, no MXC?), and so on… Does this mean I’m just faking it?

What Simplicity Means to Me

When it comes down to it, I don’t think I’m just faking it. This isn’t just a cosmetic choice for me. In my own life, simplicity isn’t a race to the bottom to see who can live with less. It’s about making conscious choices, being thoughtful in what I bring into my home and into the world, and focusing on relationships and experiences instead of stuff.

How do I accomplish this? What do I focus on? Here are my top priorities:

Not buying crap. I do a pretty damn good job of not buying things “just because.” Things I buy aren’t just bargains, they’re things that either promote health, bring me or someone else joy, or are really going to be useful.

Keeping media to a minimum. I don’t eschew television, but I also don’t watch that much of it. I stay away from sensationalistic news and gossip. For wimpy news, I stick to headlines instead of reading fluffy article after article after article.

Keeping my personal spaces clean and minimalist. I can breathe in a clean home. I can create. I can dream. I’d prefer an empty room in a beautiful color than a fully furnished room full of useless accessories. It still comes down to pure aesthetics, but it’s also about feeling like things have purpose.

Time commitments and lifestyle. I try to keep my time as my own to give myself freedom and peace of mind. With a job that’s essentially a community service, I can feel good keeping a good portion of my time off to myself to spend with family and friends.

Is Champagne Ever Simple?

I’ll agree–I’m not the traditional voluntary simplicist. While I do have a persistent and weird desire to be a survivalist, I always picture celebrating the first successful potato crop with a champagne toast. (I know.) However, simplicity isn’t just about cutting stuff out of your life. It’s about stripping life down to the bare essentials, throwing out all assumptions, and rebuilding the world around you to fit the dream you have, not the one you’re told to want or raised to believe in. After all, life should be rich. It just doesn’t have to be rich in money, or stuff, or accolades.

Big, Fat Faker

The verdict? I am a faker. A big one. Because in my eyes, simplicity is about having as much as possible. As much time as possible. As much love as possible. As much joy as possible. As much fun as possible. As much honesty as possible. As much thoughtfulness as possible. As much freedom as possible. I don’t want just a little, just enough to get by. No, I want a ton! Perhaps I should look into the availability of “onabundance”….