On Simplicity

Yesterday, I wrote about how pets can help us learn to be selfless. Today, I’m going to hit on ways two and three that dogs–or any pets–can improve our lives (even while mercilessly complicating things).

#2: Dogs require you to be social.

Want to curl up with a book all night and get lost in your own thoughts? Too bad; Fido wants to play, and he won’t take no for an answer. Dogs understand that touch and play are essentials, and they force you to get in on the game.

And you know what? Even though I’m initially annoyed when Roo tells me it’s time to take a play break, I always feel refreshed and rejuvenated afterward. Forced social interaction–even when it’s wordless in nature–can be just what you need to keep your sanity and gain a new perspective on your schedule.

#3: A warm, fuzzy creature can contribute to a frugal life.

Many people write or talk about the costs of pet ownership, and they’re completely right. Foods, toys, vet visits and time are all drains on your money and energy. However, it’s vital to understand that pets can also lower some of your bills. Cold evening? Curl up next to Lassie instead of cranking the thermostat up. Bored? Play hide and seek with Rex instead of hitting the mall.

No money for a gym membership? Take Bingo for a walk each day and get in shape. Feeling stressed? Play with your pup before you call the shrink or shell out for a new homeopathic remedy. The true monetary costs of dogs tend to balance out in the long run, especially when the health benefits are taken into consideration.

What are your experiences with these? I loved yesterday’s stories of world-watching rats and spaghetti-stealing pooches, so keep ‘em coming!

photo credit: shearforce

By the law of averages, you’re bound to insult someone on their way up.

You rarely impress people by being rude.

The people you do impress by being a jerk are excited to learn new tricks… so they can use them on you.

A good number of people will assume you have self-esteem issues. Embarrassing.

You may unknowingly ingest an unhealthy amount of spit via purchased meals and beverages.

You give people license to be a jerk back to you—along with your loved ones. Way to go, Champ!

If you’re convinced, then go out and do something nice today. Open a door, leave an encouraging comment at someone’s blog, and tell someone how much you appreciate them. It’s a simple way to feel better about, well… everything!

Today, J.D. at Get Rich Slowly has been kind enough to feature a guest post from me about investing in DRIPs. Please head over there and check it out!

If you’re new to On Simplicity, I’d like to point you toward some of my favorite pieces here, as well as some reader favorites.

The On Simplicity Philosophy:

Your Life Is a Sculpture; Keep Chipping Away

Why Choose Simplicity?

Three Things You’ve Given up and Never Regretted

Redefining the American Dream

And a guest post at Remodeling This Life, called Cultivating a Simple Lifestyle.

Reader Favorites:

Working When Inspiration Strikes

Seven Life-Tested Ways to Make Your Simple Life More Glamorous

The Tao of Roo: Lessons in Simplicity from My Dog

It’s Okay to Just Shut Up: Understanding Introversion

The Lost Art of Doing Nothing

And the post that started it all:

The One Pencil Philosophy

I hope you enjoy browsing these, whether you’re a new or veteran reader at On Simplicity. Also, consider subscribing to the On Simplicity feed and diving into today’s conversation.

photo credit: Care_SMC

Bare feet can be a symbol of simplicity. They remind me of lazy afternoons, running in grass, and not needing to be anywhere but where you are. The next time you feel stressed, try taking off your shoes and seeing if a barefoot stroll helps bring your blood pressure down. At the very least, you’ll have to stop taking yourself so seriously for a few minutes. And here’s what I came across as I strolled around the blogosphere this week:

Over at Wise Bread, Philip Brewer summarizes what he’s been trying to say. Between five core tactics, well-placed references to Thoreau, and some wonderful prose, this piece manages to convey the wisdom of pages and pages worth of articles in just one post. I loved it!

Damien Riley guest posts at Be Playful to remind us to be playful when times get tough. This was a simple piece, but a lot of the suggestions really resonated with me. When was the last time you played at a playground? The swings are just as awesome as you remember. (The merry-go-round… not so much.)

For a great list of ways to simplify your life, head to Get More Done. I found this list to be full of things that were doable and realistic.

In Denial Health clues us in on the real key to staying motivated. This piece was incredibly refreshing and can go way beyond health. The personal development sphere places a high priority on passion and doing what you love. It helps to remember that some things worth doing might not be fun, but they’re worth it anyway.

Lance at Jungle of Life has a similar message in And the Thunder Rolls. The storms of life require the best of us, and that’s a good thing. I’m enjoying Lance’s blog hugely, and this piece was no exception.

Marc and Angel clue us into How to Work Less and Still Impress. I tend to be a naturally hard worker, regardless of circumstances, but this piece offers some valuable ways to do your best work without burning out.

Shilpan at Success Soul reminds us that Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about simplicity. I just wish Warren Buffett was my uncle or something, and we got to sit around during holidays watching football and playing games.

photo credit: Unhindered by Talent

Is your pantry bursting at the seams? Are your canned goods spawning? Time for a quick and dirty decluttering session! Remember, quick and dirty isn’t about getting it done perfectly, it’s about getting it done good enough for now. Here’s how I tackle the pantry when it gets unruly:

1. Scan for items you can’t remember purchasing and toss or donate them. Not sure when that can of creamed corn came into your life? Then there’s a big, fat chance it’s out of code. Either way, it’s time for it to go. Check the date and toss it if the expiration date has passed. If not, toss it in a food drive bag. You’re clearly not interested, so pass it on to someone who needs the food.
2. Seek and destroy container clutter. If you buy things in bulk, they’ll usually come in large boxes. By the time you’re halfway through the stash, the box is just taking up space. Empty the contents onto your shelves (if that makes more room) or a smaller container and chuck the Meta-Stuff.
3. Stick like items together. Sometimes clutter isn’t clutter, it’s just disorganization. Put breakfast items together, snacks together, drinks together, and so on. Plus, this is a good way to figure out what you need and what you have too much of. (I have, like, eight cake mixes but no tubs of frosting…)
4. Start eating! Okay, I’m not talking about stuffing yourself sick right this second, but there’s no point in beautifying your pantry if you’re not using the items you’ve already got. So start cooking with the things you’ve already got (that are now kind of in order) and you’ve found an automatic way to keep the clutter to a minimum in the future.

Woo-hoo! You’re done! If you’ve got any tips to add (or just a record-breaking out of code item), let it fly in the comments!

photo credit: HeavyWeightGeek

The cleaning, the shopping, the general air of excited nervousness… company must be coming! For everyone in the U.S., please have a happy and safe long weekend. I’ll be enjoying cocktails and conversation (and hoping my dog doesn’t bust through the fence when the fireworks go off this year). Happy Fourth!

On with the links! Here’s what else rang my bell this week:

My Super-Charged Life discussed how A Simple Life Is a Good Life. I loved this piece and found myself nodding in agreement. Sometimes our toys and leisure equipment prevent us from actually having fun. Boy, do I know that one. Great read–highly recommended.

Sharon over at Finding Simplicity talked about Riches That Really Matter. I enjoyed her list of “riches nobody can steal,” like “Seeing my children achieve their goals, however small.” Plus, she included a great Oscar Wilde quote.

Value for Your Life knows just how to get to me. 101 Things I Love About Dogs had me cracking up and nodding my head in agreement. (Roo is all about sniffing the grass, and it never fails to amuse me.) If the best part of your day is getting a big, slobbery kiss, definitely browse over to this list.

Soul Shelter discussed the intersection of creativity and commerce via a four-year-old artist. There’s a lot to unpack in this article, and it’s a very interesting read. If you want to take something personal from it, the idea that you need surround yourself with things you genuinely like for what they are and not for what they represent could be one. Or, you could just stop watching 60 Minutes.

Leo at Zen Habits talks about finding flow. We could probably all use more flow, and I found both Leo’s writing and the suggestions in the comments to be valuable. (Never underestimate the overall quality of commenting at that blog!) “Each step will take some practice, from finding a quiet, peak time for yourself, to clearing distractions, to choosing the right task.”

Remodeling This Life inspired me with the idea of wabi-sabi. But I’ll let Emily explain it… You might also check out her post on how Discontentment Is Expensive. Vacation is doing great things for that blog–I’ve been enjoying everything Emily’s been writing lately.

Jin6655321 posted a response to You Are Not Your CD Collection called Music = Life. My first counter-response post–woo-hoo! She makes the valid point that you can infer a good deal about someone through their music collection. My take is that I’m way more impressed with a person’s kindness, sense of humor, and overall range of interests. I don’t think a playlist tells the whole story, but I loved that Jin6655321 had a different take and listed her CD collection to back up her point. (Props for admitting to Ace of Base–I totally wore that cassette out!)

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: Fujoshi

This past week has been about sun, swim, and SPF 50. There are few more relaxing things than floating away and letting yourself drift gently to wherever the current takes you. (Of course, it helps when you’re in a pool instead of the ocean. Not so relaxing then.) This week, the current brought me to the following articles:

Value for Your Life covered What Being A Surgeon Has Taught Me About Personal Finance. While the article has a personal finance angle, I really found the points covered to be relevant to life in general. As Amanda eloquently writes, “we need to sometimes endure painful cuts in the way we do things, and the sooner we make the changes, often the better the long term prognosis.”

Scott H Young has been writing about goals quite a bit, and I enjoyed his take on Finding Motivation for Improbable Goals. He breaks the myth that goals with impossible odds are unrealistic, saying, “Probably 98% of the world hasn’t even studied karate. Just by signing up for a course you put yourself into a small minority.” This thinking can apply to any of your simple goals.

Over at MomGrind, Vered asks whether there’s a difference between online and real-life relationships. The answer she comes up with seems like the simplest one: no.

Emily at Remodeling This Life had a couple gems this week. Both Brutal Decluttering and Love and Live Happy were great reads. Emily’s personal style of writing always make her ideas stand out more than a generic list ever could.

Marelisa’s Abundance Blog helps us create new habits. If you’re trying to implement a new, simple habit, this exhaustive list is well-worth a read. Of course, I love #3, “Make It Small and Simple.”

Tina at Think Simple Now describes How to Find Passion in Your Job. I enjoyed the idea that the tools for work happiness are in our hands, not in the mythical “perfect job.” Appreciating and building on what you already have is one of the bedrock foundations of simplicity.

This week JEMi finished the conversation about big dreams. From the post, “Success is living a life that you dreamed up and that is abundant with a satisfaction of self - full of love and actualized purpose… You will reap what you sow. Know this.”

Here’s an older one that’s new to me: 50 Reasons to Read More. What a perfect excuse to break out a scandalous summer read!

Sometimes life lessons come in surprising packages. Working with children’s books on a daily basis, very few take me by surprise. Peter H. Reynolds’s collective work literally took my breath away when I discovered it. Of these, perhaps So Few of Me is my favorite.

So Few of Me is the story of boy named Leo who, like many other boys, has chores to do. He realizes he might get the jobs done more quickly if there were two of him, so he splits. But if two is good, isn’t three better? How about four? And once there are enough of him to do the work, well a few more are needed to handle the supervision, the cooking, the cleaning… the jobs never end! Now there’s more work than ever and no one’s having any fun! The lesson? “What if I did less—but did my best?”

What If I Did My Best?

Do you ever feel like Leo? I know I do, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. I mean, if there were more of me, I wouldn’t spend free time cleaning the house. I’d keep up on auto maintenance, have more time to play with my dog, earn more degrees… Once you start thinking like this, this list never ends. What’s the result? We end up feeling like Leo–more worn out than ever and with little to show for it.

Counteract Multiplicity Syndrome

To keep yourself sane and (hopefully) happy, take Leo’s approach: a nap under a tree. Okay, maybe not a tree, but the point is to stop everything and just relax. Let go of your to-do list, turn off any background noise, and just breathe for awhile. Remember how good that feels?

Then, try the following:

1. Cross any “It would be nice if” items off your to-do list. Do you have to go to that meeting? Would you be okay if you didn’t find a new shirt for the concert next weekend? Guess what? You already need fewer of you to get things done!

2. Pencil in sleep, breaks, and commitments with friends and family. It’s easy to push these things aside when there’s so much to do, but keeping yourself and your relationships healthy is the only way you’re ever going to really accomplish anything. Give these items first priority and fit everything else into the time that’s left.

3. Think of ways to combine chores or tasks. So you’ve got to clean the house/cook dinner/air up the tires/take care of the yard/iron the kids’ clothes but you also want to keep up to date on that new personal development book you’ll be blogging on? Find the book in digital format and knock it all out! (A lot of libraries offer free access to a whole catalogue of eAudio Books if you’ve got a non-Apple mp3 player.) Be creative and try to combine things that only require your brain to focus on one thing while your hands do another.

4. Think of ways to minimize chores, or eliminate them completely. Maybe you can skip packing a lunch if you cook extra portions of dinner for leftovers. Would you have less laundry to do if you slept naked? Can you air dry clothes so that ironing isn’t even needed? (Or try a wrinkle-releaser?) What if you tried xeriscaping instead of spending hours on the lawn each weekend? Think hard about ways to reclaim your life from the chores you hate. Anything you’d pawn off on a hapless clone is a good candidate for reconsideration.

But Really, Read the Book

So Few of Me condenses a philosophy that can take years to learn into a few brief pages. It’s simple enough for children to understand (trust me, kids don’t always understand moralistic children’s stories), but profound enough to get through to adults. If you’ve been looking for a little inspiration to simplify, then you may want to check this one out from the library.