EDITOR’S NOTE:

When Apple designed the beautifully simple iPod, with its minimalist interface, they must have faced a conundrum: How do you keep things simple when there are always other important features you want to add, new buttons that add so much more functionality?

In the software world, this is known as “feature creep” — new features are added and added until things are no longer simple, but complex.

In the world of simplicity, things are never as simple as they seem. Things tend to grow more complex over time — simplicity takes hard work to maintain.

How does Apple keep its minimalist interface if it wants to keep adding new features? How does the designer of a simple WordPress theme keep things simple if he wants to add new features for his users?

How do you declutter a room and keep it from getting cluttered again? How do you simplify your work routine — and keep it simple?

The short answer is thoughtful reduction, and routine editing. The long answer is below, in six steps:

1. Be very clear about your mission. This is crucial — without it, simplicity for simplicity’s sake is worthless. What are you trying to deliver to the customer? What are you trying to accomplish for yourself? Apple could keep its interface simple because it knew what user experience it was trying to deliver: A simple way for people to listen to their music. Know your mission, and the rest is details.

2. Figure out what matters most. This is really the logical progression of Step 1 — what is most important to delivering on your mission? If your mission is to have a simple room for sleeping and dressing, what items do you need? A bed, a dresser, maybe a simple closet for hanging clothes, and perhaps a mirror. That’s all you need in a simple bedroom with those two purposes. Not tons of storage space or chairs or bookshelves or anything else.

3. Thoughtful reduction. This is taken from John Maeda’s Laws of Simplicity — after you’ve figured out what’s important, reduce the rest thoughtfully. It doesn’t really need more explanation than that.

4. Set limits. Once you’ve gotten down to simplicity, setting limits is a great way to force yourself to stay simple. Basically, you set limits on whatever you’re trying to keep simple: the number of buttons on a device, the number of features in a program, the number of pieces of furniture or clothing or emails you answer or tasks you set out to do each day. With a limit, you force yourself to choose, and force yourself to eliminate the non-essential rather than allowing things to grow more complex.

5. Organize. As Maeda said, “Organization makes a system of few appear simpler.” Group similar things together intelligently, and aim for a small number of groups. If you have 20 things, and you organize them well, you now might have only 4 groups — which makes things simpler. Be sure the grouping, however, doesn’t make things more complicated.

6. Edit routinely. Set a regular interval for what I call “editing” (I’m a writer — it’s how I see things). So if you want to keep your to-do list simple, you could set a reminder in your calendar to prune your to-do list down to 10 things (an example of a limit) each Monday (for example). If you want to keep a room decluttered, set a calendar reminder to declutter it every two months. If you’re designing software or a WordPress theme, edit before each release.

Read more about simplicity and productivity in Leo’s best-selling book, The Power of Less, or follow him on Twitter.

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new office chair.  You’re standing in the store, staring at your two options.  Very similar in shape, size and color, these two chairs have much in common.  You sit down in the first one…fits like a glove!  You then peruse its options and find that it can change height, it swivels with ease and that’s about it.  You then look at the price tag and see that it can be had for less than a hundred dollars.  Now you sit down in the other chair.  Just as comfortable and with the same basic features.  Then you notice some buttons on the arm rest.  Wow, this baby has a built in massager and can be adjusted electronically.  Also, the back has heat capability and there’s even a flip up cup holder on the right side.  Excited by the bells and whistles, you check out the price tag and take a second to adjust to the fact that it’s more than double the cost of the first option.  Which one should you buy and how does simplicity play a role in making such a decision?

The Value of Just Enough

Everything in our lives has three value levels:

• Not Enough
• Just Enough
• Too Much

If we’re being honest with ourselves we can determine this level of value with a fair amount of ease.  A basement apartment is not enough for a family of four, but a mansion would be too much.  Simplicity is all about finding the greatest value in our lives and then staying right there in that sweet spot.  People tell you to simplify your life, but I would say that simplicity is not necessarily about less amounts, but the RIGHT amount. If that family of four has a roof over their head, room for each individual to properly breathe, enough land to enjoy on a sunny summer afternoon and the common comforts to allow sufficient relaxation, then they have the RIGHT amount of home.

How Excess Is Harmful To Our Lives

I absolutely LOVE the sky!  Ever since I could see it’s deep blue and smell the purity of its endless freedom, I’ve been hooked!  Another passion I was born with is my interest in aircraft.  From planes to helicopters to hot air balloons, anything that can take me up to the sky that I adore is worth its weight in gold.  So in my late teens when I had a chance to build and fly a radio control airplane I was thrilled!

An adult friend of mine gave me his old engine and radio to stick in an airplane I had just purchased.  Once the assembly was finished I took it to this frineds house where we started up the engine for the first time.  It sounded so sweet, that puttering of the propeller.  After we had properly tuned the engine and tested out the controls, we took it to a local soccer field to take it up for my first ever flight.  He took the plane up for me, but then just handed over the controls.  Having never flown before, I did a couple of unintentional loops and then decided to find the closest tree to crash into.  Needless to say, I WAS HOOKED!  (Oh, and never hand the controls over to an absolute novice!)

Soon after this I had found a local airfield that was now being used for RC flight.  So the rest of that summer I spent my days at that airfield, learning to fly and loving every minute of it.  I got to the point where I had mastered the basics of flight and could just take the plane up and cruise around through the clouds I so adored.  I may not have been physically up in the sky, but I now had a tool that allowed me to explore its boundaries.

Now let me tell you something about hobbies.  As human beings we have a tendency to always want MORE!!!  Only satisfied for a moment, the next step up from what you have is paramount to your thoughts.  Soon I wanted a new radio to control my plane, then I wanted a new plane all together.  Next I needed a new engine and then another new plane.  Never ending, I spent nothing but time and money on everything BUT simply exploring the sky.

Rex Knew The Secret To Simplicity

One of the guys who regularly flew at the airfield was a man named Rex.  What set him apart from the rest of us was the type of plane he flew.  Called 1/2A, these planes were smaller than average and simple in their controls.  And the engines that powered these little aircraft were simple machines that required very little fuel to make their props spin.  He built these plane from scratch and used equipment that was decades old.  His mentality embodied the mantra, “If it aint broke, don’t fix it.”

RC airplane fuel isn’t exactly cheap and Rex would always make it known how little fuel he used that day.  Partially just trying to get our goats, Rex was also proud of how little money he spent compared to how much satisfaction his style of flying allowed him.  I couldn’t help but admire this about Rex and always told myself that his way made the most sense for a fellow sky dreamer.

Then one day he gave me a tiny fuel bottle he had put together.  Made out of a margarine squeeze bottle, this container was about a tenth the size of the average fuel canister.  And instead of the normal mess of pumps and cranks and fuel lines entangling the average container, this particular bottle had one short, simple fuel line with a tine plastic tube at the end.

Costing no money at all to make, taking up far less room and working with the simplicity of a single squeeze of the hand, this fuel bottle perfectly represented the idea of JUST ENOUGH.  Just enough to hold the fuel and just enough to transfer the fuel to the planes fuel tank.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Some of these fuel containers even had electronic pumps that transferred the fuel with the ease of a button push.  Yet they also required the pump itself, the battery to power it and the wires and tubing to make it all happen.  But for Rex, as long as he had a way to fuel up his planes, he could care less about anything else.  The less he had to buy and bring to the field, the more he could enjoy what really mattered to him…FLYING!

Our Addiction To The Next Level

Many of us treat life like a video game.  We start one level with the focus on how we’re going to make it to the next.  We may enjoy a fleeting moment, but our simple satisfaction is quickly stifled by our addiction to MORE!

As I continued to buy more RC airplane stuff and worked my way up to higher levels of flight capability, I was only seeking stronger stimulation as the current level was quickly not enough.  This is how many of us live our lives.  A humans, our brains become bored with any activity if done enough and with enough frequency.  Run down the same path every single day and you will probably find less satisfaction as time goes on.  After a while, just being able to start the engine, take off the plane and soar around the sky with complete freedom of movement was not enough.  I needed to be able to do tricks and then I needed the plane to go faster and then…  This kind of cycle is what takes away our true appreciation of the original act that enticed us in the very beginning.  This addiction to more is exactly what keeps us from living our lives with JUST ENOUGH.

One of the few benefits I received from my constant airplane purchases was the realization that soaring was my real passion.  A glider, different from an airplane because it uses thermals to find lift, not an engine and propeller, allows the soaring of complete silence.  Many times have I shared the same rising air with a group of circling birds.  Buzzards, Hawks and even Bald Eagles have been my soaring buddies.  And without the need for an engine, there’s no need for fuel.  At this most simple form of flight have I found my JUST ENOUGH flying serenity.

Mix It Up And Keep It Fresh

I don’t know about you, but just simplifying doesn’t cut it.  Sure, that initial feeling of simplistic satisfaction that comes after unloading the junk that clutters our lives is great, but if we’re not careful we’ll buy it all back if we don’t find ways of sustaining that satisfaction.  As stated above, we can get that same level-up feeling by mixing it up.  No need to upgrade when you can just change out the flavor.  When you feel the need to buy the better model or add something altogether new to your life, be sure you actually NEED this item to maintain your JUST ENOUGH status.  If this addition tips the scales to the level of TOO MUCH, you will not only sustain unnecessary mass, but will be weighed down because of it.

Simplicity Requires A Healthy Dose of Appreciation

Let’s get back to the chair analogy for a minute.  When you need a place to sit for long periods of time, what do you require?  I would say that comfort and back support are number one, right?  So what about the other bells and whistles that came on the more expensive model?  Do you really need the chair to vibrate while you’re trying to get some work done?  What if it breaks?  Now you have this button panel that is not only useless, but possibly in the way.

The greatest ally to those who desire to live with JUST ENOUGH is the ability to appreciate the RIGHT AMOUNT.  When we hit that sweet spot we need to believe in our heart of heats that any more would be excess and may even reduce its value in our lives.  We need to constantly be thankful for the roof over our heads and the food in our pantries.  The second we lose sight of our basic needs and how they are always being met, is the second we lose the ability to embrace simplicity and enjoy our satisfaction with JUST ENOUGH.

Focus On OTHERS Needs And You Will Need Less

One of the greatest tools we have when fighting our desire to live in excess is that of outward focus.  The more we concern ourselves with providing for others and their ability to have JUST ENOUGH, the less we will be concerned about what we do and don’t have.  If all we ever see is our own needs and the desires that drive our pursuit of them, the greater our chances of craving more than is necessary to live in the sweet spot of simplicity.

Bad News Has A Way of Bringing Us Back To Center

How many times have we been caught up in a life of excess to only come crashing down when bad news unexpectedly enters into our lives?  Let’s say we decide that we need a new big screen TV and that a new sound system was also in order.  Then we decide to go on a DVD buying frenzy as it would be such a shame to let all this high tech equipment go to waste.  As we rack up a bit of debt we figure, “We’ll be fine.  I mean, we’re having so much fun with it that it’s totally worth the cost!”  Then we get a phone call…

It’s our best friends spouse.  They sadly tell us that our friend has been in a car accident and is now paralyzed from the waste down.  Instantly life becomes clear once more.  As we start thinking about how we’re going to help our friend adjust to their new situation, we can’t help but look around at all our new stuff and realize how this excess added zero value to our lives.  We appreciate our ability to walk and see the days of assisting a friend in need as time well spent.  We know there’s nothing wrong with watching movies, but in our attempt to upgrade this activity, we tipped the scales and no longer enjoyed the simple value of JUST ENOUGH.

3 Tips To Reach The Level of JUST ENOUGH

1. Could you be just as happy without this? You have to determine if this THING in your life is adding to your happiness/satisfaction.  If it is, then continue to refine it.  If it isn’t, get rid of it right now!
2. Determine the actual part of this THING that positively affects you. For me, it was the simple soaring that gave me the pure satisfaction of flight.  Beyond that, I mostly found unnecessary excess that added no real value to the equation.
3. Refine this THING until it starts to lose value and then backup one step. If you were to go to the manufacturer of the more decked out office chair and have them start pulling features off, at what point would the chair stop providing you with optimal sitting satisfaction.  You could cut the cup holder, and drop the electronics, but the second you lose lumbar support you know that you’ve gone too far.  Back up a step and begin to enjoy JUST ENOUGH.

Final Thoughts

The fact is, life is hard.  It seems that the second we find what works, the rules change.  Whether we’re in a high point in our lives or struggling through the valley below, we NEVER benefit from TOO MUCH.  This amount is different for everyone and I’m not here to say that having a big screen TV is too much (we own one ourselves and enjoy it very much), but it is up to us to determine our simplicity sweet spot and stick with it.  This will sometimes require changing things up or taking a break from the object in question, but our greatest satisfaction from our things and lifestyle will only be realized when we sustain this level of complexity and cost to ourselves.  Any less and we will know our need is not yet being met.  Any more and the cost goes up, but the value does not follow.

Eric

I’m feeling MUCH, MUCH better!  Still not quite 100%, but a whole lot closer than I was when I posted the first part of the this post on Thursday night.

First, I just wanted to thank everybody who took the time to stop by and leave their words of encouragement.  This is a great testament to the caliber of community here in our corner of the blogging world.

So last week you got the long and short of my experience in the ER.  Now I’d like to talk about the ‘Really Gets You Thinking’ part.  Laying on your back in a hospital bed, writhing in pain, tends to get you pondering the odds and ends of your daily existence.  Suddenly the minor details as well as distractions from those things of greatest importance, show themselves to be parasitic to the lifestyle and habits you deeply want to embrace.  Spending time with family and friends and creating positive memories becomes a much weightier endeavor as some of your loftier pursuits fade into the background.

Buying a crib is top on my list.

As Liz and I prepare for little Tyson to make his entrance into this air breathing society we’ve been working to get the nursery setup and situated.  For the last couple of weeks Liz has been pressing the matter of crib purchase.  I’ve been putting the breaks on this request as I’ve been super busy (as always) and not quite ready to assist (we want to do it together).  But the fact is, I’m only as busy as I allow myself to be.  I have a choice to make the necessary time.  And what’s more important?  I think I’ve had my head stuck in the blogging sand so long that I’ve started to lose touch with the life that I’ve set out to live.  Nothing major, just a bit off course.

So I’ve decided to make some changes to my online ventures and the busyness that’s kept my crib-to-blog time off kilter.

First, you may notice that the banner to the right of Motivate Thyself says Frugal Site Design, not Cloud Cadet.  This is because I’ve decided to morph together two of my websites.  Right before I started Cloud Cadet I had started Frugal Site Design.  Basically, FSD was a web design business and Cloud Cadet a blogging service blog.  Now it’s just Frugal Site Design, the combination of affordable web design AND bloggng service business.  I just wanted to clarify this so it didn’t look like I completely flaked out on Cloud Cadet.  It just didn’t make sense to run two different sites when one was suited to do both.  I’m trying to CUT THE FAT.

Next, we have my blogs.  I will certainly continue to post on both Motivate Thyself and Blogopolis Bluepent, but probably not as much.  As far as The Blueprint goes I will post around twice a week and Sean will do about the same.  But for Motivate Thyself it’s all a matter of how I feel from week to week.  I will most likely keep it at least as consistent as once a week, but beyond that I really don’t know.  If I’ve got something useful to share, I’ll share it.  If not, I won’t.  Pretty simple, something I’m trying to shoot for here.

If anything, I hope to layout some more thought/discussion provoking posts as I keep it to publishing posts of passion and/or conviction.  I’ve never really been into fluff, but at this point I just don’t have time to lay down the fluffy stuff.  On Motivate Thyself I want REAL discussions about REAL LIFE issues and interests.  Nothing necessarily new, just a mindset that has been rejuvenated by my recent hospital stay.

The STRAW that broke the camels back.

I’m not trying to play this up like a near death experience that has gone and changed everything.  This was just the last straw.  I’ve been stretching myself beyond my healthy level of buoyancy.  I’ve been trying to do too many things at once and have started to see those things of greatest importance (like my family and my health) start to suffer.  So I’m just trying to reign it all in, cut the fat and hold tight to those things that have the biggest bang for their theoretical buck.

That’s all I’ve got today.  Thanks for stopping by and catching up.  Until next time…

Eric

Image courtesy of joncallas

How do you go from feeling like all is well, to staring at the GE logo of the emergency room CT scanner in a matter of hours?

Monday evening seemed like any other day until I started feeling the onslaught of abdominal discomfort.  I went to bed concerned, but not enough to keep me from drifting to sleep.  By about midnight I became very awake as my stomach felt like it had been injected with some form of toxic solution.  Within minutes I was in excruciating pain and began to pray that I would be OK.  I was scared.

I spent the next hour or so rocking and moaning, all the while debating the trip to the ER.  By about 1:30am Liz woke up and quickly convinced me that we needed to go to the hospital right away.  I made little argument, as my subconscious had been awaiting her approval.

Our first thought was my appendix.  We had gone through a similar song and dance a few years ago with her and it turned out to be just that.

We arrived at the emergency room with the fabulous realization that we were the only patients in need of immediate assistance.  The waiting room was completely empty; something I’ve never seen in my entire life.

Within a few short minutes we found ourselves in our own little corner of the ER, me rocking back and forth on the ground, in too much pain to lay on the bed.  The nurse came in and immediately said, “Looks like the kidney stone dance to me.”  Apparently I was partaking in a ritual that a select few men get to enjoy, and I somehow knew the moves quite well.  But still we knew nothing until some tests were performed.

Taking pictures of my abdominal area with the CT scanner was what the doctors needed to rule out or in my potential ailment.  To do so I had to drink a concoction of fluid that would allow the scan to produce the proper imagery.  When Liz had to do so she was given a milky mixture that was flavored with banana and berry.  Can you think of a more disgusting mixture when you’re insides are bursting with anguish and nausea is only ONE of the side effects?  Apparently these doctors liked me a bit better than she as I was met with a Sunny Delight flavored version that was light and fruity.  But wait, I forgot to mention the fact that you have to drink, like, 5 GALLONS of the stuff!  OK, maybe not 5, but it was A LOT!

DRUGS, DRUGS and more DRUGS!

Shortly after I arrived I was given and IV and offered Morphine for the pain as well as something for the nausea.  I’m not very big into chemicals in my body, but let me tell you, I was VERY thankful for the instant relief.  After a few hours of wondering if your body is rejecting you, you are quite partial to the idea of a little escape time.

All the while, Liz was by my side, there when I needed her, in the background when I needed space.  It was wonderful that she got to experience the same as I only a few years after our roles were reversed.  I even mentioned (once the Morphine kicked in) how our strong friendship is revealed in times like these.  How if we weren’t the best of friends we would struggle during these times, not grow closer.

Time for the CT.

The nurse wheeled me into the room with the scanner (I must admit that riding on your back, through the halls of a hospital, high on drugs is quite an experience!)

There I lay, staring at the magnets as they circled my body, making that almost soothing whooshing sound.  The machine told me when to hold my breath and when to breathe.  They even provided you with a cartoon image to show you how it’s done…I guess for those who forget.

The test came back and apparently the liquid I had consumed hadn’t traveled far enough down to get a proper reading on my appendix so it was another hour of waiting and then another CT.  “Nurse!  More drugs please!”

Liz had already consumed a bag of peanuts, a Nutri-Grain bar and a few bottles of water by now and we were nearing breakfast time.  Still hungry I encouraged her to go get some eggs and oatmeal (the cafeteria specialty) while we waited.  So she made her way downstairs and I slept a bit.

The second scan was a success and showed no issues of concern.  So the doctor called me a big cry baby and sent me home.  Not really, but he did suggest that I could either have a partial blockage in my stomach or some kind of bug that was causing the pain.  Basically, he had NO IDEA.  Before I left I ended up throwing up the previous nights dinner and soiling my pants, all at the same time.  Kind of a two for one.  (Sorry if I’m breaching the whole NEED TO KNOW line.  Hey, it’s all part of the experience, right?)

So we finally made our way home at about 10am.  I still felt nauseous and my pain meter had only dropped from a 10 to about a 7, but hey, that’s progress, right?!

I forced a needed shower and then went straight to bed.  My ailments seemed to substantially subside as long as I was on my back.  I then slept for most of the day.  Liz, tired as she was, took care of her normal daily duties as well as tended to the pitiful patient.  (Can I just say that I REALLY LOVE THAT GIRL! )

Other than forcing down some necessary Gatorade and Saltine Crackers, I continued my fast until the following day.  It was during that next day that I visited my regular doctor who proceeded to confirm what the ER doc had stated.  “It is (I) probably (have) some kind (NO) bug or (IDEA) something.”  Surprisingly, this actually reassured Liz and I and helped us just try to get back to our normal daily lives and assume the best.

So far so good.

Here it is, Thursday evening, and I’m doing MUCH better.  I still feel very bloated ALL THE TIME, but Gas X is helping in that department.  The nausea left me by days end on Wednesday and I expect the bloating to do the same very soon.  What the heck was all this, we do not know.  We are testing some recent diet change  possibilities to see if my system is just reacting to too much or not enough of something, but too much stress is also on our radar.

This leads me to the whole ‘got me thinking’ part of this post, which…I’ll be sharing in the coming days.  Until then…

Eric

Over the weekend Liz and I continued in the pursuit deculuttering as we prepare for the nursery.  The last couple of weeks have been filled with your typical trashing of this, recycling of that and so on.  But now all the obvious stuff is gone and we’re moving into those items that have collected just as much dust as the others, but are somehow, in our minds, more meaningful or useful.  Now is where the psychology begins.  Now is when practical turns to personal attachment.  Now is the time to be relentless.

Let’s be real with ourselves.

So I’m staring at my bookshelf in my office.  What do I see?  Well, a bunch of books, of course.    But what stands out in my mind is the fact that, other than laying some bills on the top for temporary holding, I rarely ever touch a thing on that shelf.  OK, so this will be easy, right?  I mean, if I never read the books on the shelf than I can just get rid of them all and free up a ton of space.  Right?

As I started perusing the titles that lined the pine boards I instantly remembered why I ‘needed’ these particular books.  Oh, there’s the book on ‘How To Play Winning Chess”!  I keep meaning to learn more about that fascinating game.  And LOOK, there’s my Astronomy books!  One day I really want to learn all about our night’s sky.  OK, so I can’t get rid of those.  I mean, they need to be there when I’m ready to tackle those subjects; when I finally have the time.

You get my point.  In many different ways we emotionally attach ourselves to objects that we never use, but that give us some sense of comfort and promise for achievement or a greater tomorrow.  And yet most of these items are completely out of sight, out of mind.  It is only when our eyes land on them once again that the feelings come rushing back and the ‘reasons’ for keeping them around another day.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; it’s our good intentions that keep our lives entrenched in clutter.  Our imaginations that hold the shackles tightly to our ankles.

I once had a short visit with a neighbor who used to be consumed with gadgets.  Big ones, small ones, and almost ALWAYS expensive ones.  But as his kids grew older (he was a single father with a son and daughter) he started realizing the need to be frugal and save for college and those unexpected circumstances.  He also realized how much of his time was spent maintaining, and playing with these gadgets.  This was time that could have been spent with his loved ones.

So when I was at his house I asked him about his latest project and he slapped a Popular Mechanics magazine down on the kitchen table and said, “I’m just a fan now.”

He then proceeded to explain how he realized that he could get just as much enjoyment out of following what OTHERS where doing with gadgets and staying up on the latest trends and letting his imagination do the playing.  And the great thing was it was dirt cheap and something he could pick up and put down at the drop of a hat.  Even his kids became enthusiasts, but nothing more.  No obsession, just enjoyment.

Back to the books.

I tend to be this way.  I want to learn and experience EVERYTHING.  I’m afraid that I’ll miss out if I don’t pursue every hobby that’s out there.  But the fact is, most of those books represent nothing more then good intentions.  In the end, I can’t take on every extracurricular activity known to man.  And I especially can’t do this if I also desire any real depth of experience.  What great astronomer do you know of that equally delved into 10 other areas of expertise and still had time to enjoy family, friends and a beautiful summer afternoon?

Let me get to the point.

1. Figure out how much time you ACTUALLY have after the real needs are taken care of.
2. Then determine how many activities you could truly enjoy in the remaining free time.
3. Let’s say, for example, you’ve determined that you have time to fairly deeply pursue two non essential activities.  Now pick what two things bring the greatest satisfaction to your life.
4. Now simply get rid of everything else.

I know, I know, this is a little OVER simplified.  This may not work for everyone, but I can only see from my own personal experience.  What I see, after analyzing my bookshelf, is about ten too many activities that I’ll never get around to enjoying and that will just continue to collect dust and take up space.  I’m done harboring the objects of my good intentions.  I’m ready to clear out the ‘one day’s’ so I can make room for the ‘right now’s’.

So what I’m doing/have done, is pick two non-essential activities/types of objects.  Anything of value that pertain to these two areas will remain in our home.  Anything else, GONE!!!  (Many people, myself included, have two distinct sides to them.  For me, sometimes I tap into my imagination and passion, while other times it’s all about tech.  So whatever you do, try to prepare for your ‘multiple personalities’.  As an example, I pursue my passions by biking and flying my RC gliders, while I tap into my tech side with blogging and cloud consulting.)

The benefits of this kind of decluttering.

What do most of these good intentions give us?

• Less room.
• Greater distraction for those things that are more important.
• A feeling of discouragement every time we remember this good intention we are NOT tending to.

The fact is, once we’re done with our work, our must-dos, our family needs and wants and take the necessary time to tend to our OWN physical and emotional needs, we’re left with very little time and energy.  By just having two or three of our favorite types of objects waiting there for our free time focus we are allowed much greater enjoyment and satisfaction.

This doesn’t mean we can’t dabble in a little of this and a little of that.  Just be a fan of life’s multiplicity of hobbies.  We just don’t need to OWN all these items.  We don’t need to harbor the mass to appreciate the purpose. We can live starkly simple physical lives while still putting our feelers out into all that the World around us has to offer.

So the next time you’re trying to declutter your life, do yourself a favor and break through the barrier of good intentions.  Pick your top two or three favorites and then do away with the rest.  The best things in life are free, and the rest of our time should be spent with only our absolute favorite objects that we ACTUALLY use and truly bring satisfaction to our lives.

Eric

BE SURE to check out my video interview with John Chow over at The Blueprint.

This weekend marked the first time Liz and I had actually STARTED preparing the baby nursery.  For being 5 and a half months pregnant, Liz did very well at carting things up and down the steps (don’t worry, I took care of the heavy stuff).  We had recently gone through our stuff and purged much of it, but the rest went into this room in question.  So it was our job to clear out that room and then find new places for its contents.  But an amazing thing happened…

Most of it either made a trip to Good Will or was set out for trash day. We were blown away!  We had JUST gone through these items only a few months prior.  THIS was what was left.  THIS was supposed to be a room full of ‘keep’ items.  And yet when we went through it once more, we managed to find much of its contents to be nothing more than a waste of space.  It was as if our ‘junk filters’ became even more sensitive compared to the last go round.

If it hasn’t moved in 6 months, you have to ask yourself, “WHY?”

Other than maybe a seasonal item, most things we own that sit in one of these so called ‘keep item’ rooms are just space wasters that serve no valuable purpose, other than the art of dust collection.  I find that it’s our GOOD INTENTIONS that keep many of these items hanging around.  You know, those, “Oh, I’ve been meaning to do _______ what that.”  We have this vision of what could be and this keeps us from freeing ourselves from the grips of clutter.

A perfect example of this was a pile of blue foam I had purchased from the local hardware store a few years ago.  I fly Radio Control airplanes and you can use this foam to build electric airplanes.  I did this once and it turned out pretty well, but ever since we’ve been stuck with the remaining foam.  I’ve refused to part with it because I kept envisioning my next airplane project being cut from this vary material.  But the fact is, I dont’ have any time for this kind of long winded project.  And with a baby on the way it’s going to be a LONG time before it would ever be even the slightest possibility.  So I finally parted with it (it’s out front waiting for the trash pickup as I type these words), but even now it took some effort to break free from this impractical idea.  Can anyone relate?

Stop letting your stuff OWN you!

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “You don’t own things; things own YOU.”  Well, I’m here to say that this couldn’t be a truer statement.  I’m not saying that nothing useful or worth owning (I’m FAR from that camp!), but that only about 20% (or less) of what we own is actually benefiting our lives.  That this ‘keep’ room is nothing more than a place to store our good intentions and ‘some day’s’ and that by keeping this JUNK around we are allowing our lives to be owned by a thing and not ourselves.

I encourage you on this day (or when you can make the time, of course ) to go to any of these ‘keep’ rooms and be RUTHLESS.  Clear out this useful space and rid yourselves of the good intentions that will never become reality.  Make a day of it.  Use it as an opportunity to spend time with the family and KNOCK IT OUT!  I’m sure you’ve done this before, but I’m here to remind you that maybe NOW is the time to give it another go.

If it helps, this coming weekend we’re going at it one more time.  By the time we’re done we’ll own a table, chair and the shirt on our backs. OK, I might keep my MacBook, but that’s it!

Eric

Recently I’ve been going through a transition period in my work life.  I’ve mostly moved away from my computer consulting business and am now making the Internet my new office.  Overall this is going amazingly well, but not without a few bumps in the road.

Both Liz and I knew that the first couple of months were going to be a little tight.  No longer do I have the steady flow of business from my many local clients.  Sure, the WWW is quickly taking up the slack, but not as quick as we’d like.  Bills are being paid, but a few grocery items have to be left off the list.  But this brings me strait to the point of this post.  GRATITUDE!

This time of living off of less is really forcing us to appreciate what we already have.  Not only that, but the few things we CAN afford are much sweater to the taste buds.  I sit down on my old couch and watch some Internet TV on our LCD and think, “Aahh, this is the life.  We have a roof over our heads, heat to keep us warm and a brand new episode of House.”  (OK, that last part may not be exciting to everybody. )

The fact is, the more abundance we have, the more likely we will become focused on those things we DON’T have.  Give me a chocolate chip cookie and I’ll savor every bite.  Give me a whole PLATE of them and I’ll wish I had a brownie.

So this transition period has been a real blessing for both Liz and I.  We truly feel that we’re better off because of it.  We certainly look forward to future abundance, but hope to maintain our current flavor of appreciation.  Life is just sweeter when we enjoy the blessings that have already been received.

Give yourself the gift of gratitude.

Not everyone is going through the same things at the same time.  We just happend to be blessed with this life lesson over the last couple of weeks.  But I think it’s certainly possible to create the mindset without the environment forcing it on you.  So here are some ideas to help you gain a more grateful perspective on life.

• Give to those in need. We give 10% to our Church, but know that isn’t enough.  It’s not about the amount, but the intentions.  Find a family who’s financial needs exceed your own and then help them by sharing the fruits of your labor.  Even buying a small bag of groceries for a poor family can make all the difference.  And what it does for YOU, is clarify the blessings you already enjoy.
• Use what you already have. One thing we have found is that the less we can buy, the more we tend to get out of what we already have.  Let’s take food for example.  When we can’t add to our cupboards we are forced to use up those items that have been sitting in the WAY BACK.  You know what I’m talking about…the cans of soup and rice and pasta, etc…  But once again, I’ve found myself enjoying meals that much more.  This kind of thing really forces you to look at something like a meal as a blessing and not something entitled to us.  Entitlement is the ultimate disease for those looking for peace of mind and appreciation for the hand they’ve been dealt.
• Buy time. Another way of verbalizing this tip would be to say, ‘Save your money’, but buying time is actually more accurate.  Realize two things and you’ll always be better off.  1: Time is our greatest resource.  2: It IS for sale.  The more money you put away in savings, the less time you will have to spend making more money.  Not to say that it’s THAT simple, but when we don’t save some of our money, we are often just letting it burn a whole in our pockets.  We inevitably find SOMETHING to spend it on, whether we need that something or not.
• Turn your attention to those who deserve it. Everything is pining for our attention these days and it is our loved ones who often receive the least amount.  Subconsciously we think that they can handle less because they love us and will understand, but what we’re really doing is neglecting them.  And it is when we neglect our family and friends that we tend to become consumed with other, less important objects and activities.  Gratitude feeds off of perfect priorities.

The fact is, the more we appreciate what we already have, the less likely we will frivolously spend our money.  Enjoying life is cheaper than an ungrateful heart.

Image courtesy of gcquinn

I’m very excited about the New Year!  2009 should be a wonderful year to all who embrace their potential and remain flexible.  Even in light of the economic ‘crisis’ I’m confident in the immense opportunities that await us in the coming months.  But to be fully prepared and ‘running on all cylinders’ we need to get ourselves in order and our surroundings in check.  So read on while we tackle this great project as we prepare to BREAK INTO the next 365, opportunities abounding!

OK, so Christmas is over and we’re days away from fireworks.  We may have eaten a few too many cookies, let go of our normal exercise routine and swiped that credit card one too many times.  Now we’re looking to the 1st as an opportunity for positive change and a re-centering of our goals and aspirations.  But before we start looking forward, we need to take a good look around us. Breaking into a sprint without warming up is never a good idea. And if we try to jump into the positive changes we seek without ridding ourselves of our current burdens, we can only hope for a quick burst, followed by burn out.  We need to clean up our lives, shake loose those holiday distractions and prepare for the journey ahead.

The 365 Cycle

Our yearly cycle of progress and distraction is much like that of a single day.  We wake up with the sun beaming through our bedroom window.  Refreshed from the forgotten fragrance of yesterday, we rise from our beds, ready to take on the world.  The first few hours of this day is filled with efficiency and clarity of thought.  Accomplishment becomes a commonality as nothing can hold us back from those goals we set our sights on.

But as the day ensues, the first layer of life’s burdens starts taking it’s toll and weighing down our enthusiasm.  Unexpected circumstances begin the unraveling of our valiant vision of success.  Distraction takes hold as we seek solace from the pains that have blindsided us.  By dinner time, we’re just going through the motions and see the final quarter of the day as a time to finish what we’re doing and be done with it.  Our enthusiasm is shot, along with many of our dreams.

As we come ever closer to the time when night meets day, our hopes for progress in the present are replaced with visions of tomorrows potential.  As we rest our heads on our pillows and begin the ‘shutdown’ process, our dreams perk up and our excitement bubbles back to the surface.  Tomorrow is a new day!

Preparing for the Sunlight

So now it’s tomorrow.  A new sunrise births the beckoning of a better day.  You go to step out of bed and embrace the opportunity that’s knocking on your door, but end up stepping on one of those derelict distractions from yesterday.  On the way to the door you trip over some of Timmy’s toys and stub your toe on that treadmill you never use.  Finally making it to your initial destination, you realize that there’s still a backlog of ‘must-dos’ pending.  Weighed down by this reality and in pain from the first few steps of your new day, that sunlight beaming through the windows quickly turns into the kind of beaming headache that any hangover can bring on.

Today’s post is not about setting goals or dreaming of the future.  Today is all about cleaning up our mess from ’08 so January 1st can become a morning that is filled with potential and nothing else.

Our Post Holiday ‘Must-Do’ List

• Clean out the clutter: A big pet peeve of mine is a messy kitchen when I am trying to make breakfast.  Just walking into the kitchen in the morning, the counters ‘busy’ with dirty dishes, I instantly lose my enthusiasm.  The last thing we need when rising on the 1st is a messy house, coated with the clutter of yesterday.  So it’s absolutely imperative that we cash in early for our New Year motivation and throw away the trash, give away those unused items and put away all the rest.
• Pay those bills: Nothing takes the wind out of my ‘goal getting’ sails more than a stack of unpaid bills.  Not only does it remind me of money that will soon be leaving my bank account, but it’s a chore that grates on my nerves until the last stamp is stuck.  So do yourself a favor and go though those unopened envelopes.  January 1st should be a time for forward motion, not boring bill paying.
• Get some exercise: Momentum is the best friend of motivation.  Most of us wait until the New Year has begun to start ‘being all they can be’.  But this means that the first few moments are filled with force instead of fluidity.  I’d encourage you to get your blood flowing early this go ’round.  Not only will you enjoy the momentum, but the rest of your tasks will be that much more manageable as well.
• Cut out the junk food: Pretty much the same concept as above, be sure to put your best foot forward by giving your body the nutrients it needs for sensational success.
• Finish the unfinished: Get out a piece of paper and write down all those unfinished tasks that have been weighing you down.  Then do the unthinkable…FINISH THEM!
• Resolve to forget the past and focus on the future: I’m all about learning from our past and enjoying the present, but now is the time for our gaze to be forward focused and our minds clear for the journey ahead of us.  We need to do whatever necessary to cut off the burdens of yesterday so our stride can be light, yet firm.  This New Year is a new day and 2008 need not apply.  Take all that was good from the previous and nothing else.

I know all too well that our time is short and the New Year almost here.  But the last thing I want to do in the beginning of a new, promising year, is deal with the ‘after taste’ of ’08.  I know that it is impossible to leave every single distraction in the past, but it is absolutely imperative that we do all we can to prepare for the marathon ahead.

Eric: Let’s start by taking a step back and look at the man behind the blogs and books. Leo, what does your wife think of all your online adventures and is she at all impressed with your great success?!

Leo: My wife is the most supportive woman in the world — I couldn’t have done any of this without her. Seriously, she doesn’t get enough credit for the encouragement she gives me, the time she allows me to spend doing all of this, and the patience she has for me. I love her for it.

She is even more excited than I am about every success, including the launch of this book. She’s my No. 1 fan, along with my mom.

Eric: What about your children. Do they understand your place in Blogopolis? And do they have any aspirations to join this wonderful world of posts and comments?

Leo: I think most of my kids don’t really understand what it is I do. I have suggested that they start blogs of their own, and I think they will sometime soon, but right now they don’t really get the concept. Except my oldest daughter, who is 15 and is a MySpacer. But she just rolls her eyes when I tell her about my success and tells me to stop bragging. It helps keep me grounded.

Eric: Now, as far as blogging is concerned, I have a two part question:

• As specifically as you possibly can be, what do you attribute your unusually quick rise to the tens of thousands of subscribers you have on zenhabits today?

Leo: Honestly, I feel like I’m just lucky. There are so many excellent bloggers out there that it’s hard to believe I rose so high so rapidly. But what I’ve tried to do that I think has worked is: 1) experiment with my life and share what I’ve learned, along with the failures; 2) be as genuine and sincere as I can; 3) provide as much useful information as I can; 4) present it in a concise and easy-to-read format; and 5) keep the reader’s interest first at all times.

But beyond that, I think the message of simplicity that I often talk about on my blog — whether that’s about simple productivity, living in the moment, living a simple and uncluttered life, or trying to get away from the overwhelming amount of information coming at us — I think this message has tapped into something in a lot of people that I didn’t realize was there. I thought I was alone in my desire for a simpler life and simpler way of doing things, but apparently there are lots of people out there wanting the same thing.

• And where do you see both zenhabits and blogging in general 5 years from now? Is this ‘bubble’ going to pop or is this blogging thing just getting started?

Leo: I generally try to stay away from speculating about the future. I am grateful to be doing what I’m doing now, and I’m just trying to enjoy the journey. I take things as they come and don’t plan too far in advance.

That said, I really feel like there are huge amounts of people out there, in my experience, who are using the Internet on a regular basis but who don’t know much about blogs. It’s really a huge group, and I think as they learn more about blogs we’ll all get more readers. We’ll see, though — if it doesn’t work out, I’m sure I’ll find something else exciting to do!

Eric: I’m really excited about your new book coming out, The Power of Less. On your accompanying site, thepowerofless.com, you use the tag line, “Do Less. Get More Done.” I love this because I think it packs the power of your books concept in a nice, neat little package. But what I would like to know is, how does THIS book on simplicity differ from the many that pack the shelves in the ‘Self Help’ sections of our local book stores? If I’m a reader pondering the purchase this book, what should I expect to receive that I can’t get anywhere else?

Leo: I think there are a lot of valuable books on simplicity out there — I get inspiration from them myself. What I try to offer in The Power of Less is what I’ve tried that has worked for me — these are tested concepts, not just ideals, and they have transformed my life and allowed me to achieve so much more than I ever thought possible, from quitting smoking to running three marathons to eliminating my debt and tripling my income to quitting my day job and starting two successful blogs.

And I’ve done all this while working fewer hours, making more time for what I love doing, and enjoying life more. It works, and that’s what I present — very practical principles and tactics that you can use right away, in your life, today. And if you do, I can guarantee that you’ll work in a more effective manner, have more time for what you love, and achieve more.

Eric: Finally, we’d all like to know, what’s next on your list of projects? Can you give us any hints into the next ‘stage’ in your online journey?

Leo: I like to work on one thing at a time, so this book has been my focus lately. But there are two projects I’d like to work on next — one after the other, of course. Both have to do with teaching people things I’ve learned: one is an online blogging course called “A-list Blogging Bootcamp” and the other is a teleseminar designed to help people take the principles in The Power of Less and put them into action, with my hands-on help. I just hope to continue to help people in whatever I do.

I just want to thank Leo for taking the time to share some of his life and insight with us and would encourage you guys to feel free and ask any questions as well as check out his excellent new site and book!

If you enjoyed this interview and think others might also benefit from this Q and A, please don’t hesitate to share this post in any way you see fit.  A quick Digg would be greatly apprecited.

What if all your EXTRA belongings were to suddenly disappear?  Let’s say your attic/shed/basement, or where ever you store that extra ‘stuff’, were to just vanish into thin air.  Would you REALLY miss it? Well, that’s what has kind of happened to Liz and I and we’re about to find out whether or not we needed to hang onto these things in the first place.

About a month ago we started hearing chewing sounds in our attic.  Then a scurry here and a scurry there.  At first, I assumed we had a pesky squirrel on the roof and thought nothing of it.  But as the noises persisted as well as heightened, I decided to go up and investigate.  Unfortunately for us, this squirrel turned out to be a family of rats who decided to make our attic their new home.

Long story short, we’ve finally rid ourselves of this rodent infestation, but now have the aftermath to deal with.  Let me tell you, if you’ve never had this kind of thing happen before, you have NO IDEA how disgusting of a footprint these little buggers leave behind.

So I went up with a flash light to assess the damage and found that a good portion of our belongings had been peed on, pooped on and chewed on.  Now we are waiting on a cleaning crew to take care of the rest, but it is our job to see what is salvageable.

This got me thinking.  This stuff has been up there for over 2 years now and we rarely go up to bring anything down.  Barring the seasonal items, do we REALLY even need this junk?

Most of this stuff was completely erased from my mind.  It wasn’t until I went up to assess the situation that I remembered their existence.  But suddenly I felt this sense that we NEEDED these items.  It was as if I had adjusted to not having them and then, after being reminded of their place in my life, I suddenly remembered my need for them.  In other words, ‘out of sight, out of mind’ | ‘in sight, in mind, in need’.

So my question to you is this:

What items do you ‘need’ only because they are ‘in sight’?  How much of your stuff would you truly stop ‘needing’ if they were to disappear?

For us, other than a few essentials, it became apparent that this new found ‘need’ for the stuff in our attic will, once again, quickly disappear the second we remove them from our lives.