Tub Koan: 1

We do not own things.
They own us.
Better to be light.

The Intentional Promotion of the Things We Value

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.

The White Envelope by Nancy W. Gavin. This inspirational story needs to be read and shared a million times.

7 Simple Strategies to Avoid Overspending this Holiday Season | Forbes. Americans spend 9X the amount of money retail shopping during the Christmas season than any other season of the year.

My Year of No Spending is Over—Here’s How I Got Through It | The Guardian by Michelle McGagh. A new way of living - wealthier and wiser.

Minimalism, Marriage, and Parenting | YouTube (42:57) by Mina Irfan.

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/inspiring-simplicity-1216-2/

6 Questions to Discover Your Most Meaningful Pursuits

Becoming Minimalist has a post by a guest author that is so good, so timely, and so serendipitous, that I'm posting the whole of it.

Enjoy.

This is a guest post from Jacob of JacobJolibois.com.

Minimalism removes the meaningless to make room for the meaningful. 

Properly understood, it is easy to get caught up in the minimalist lifestyle. The idea of removing the meaningless to make room for the meaningful is attractive to many.

Before long, garbage bags line the edge of the road and the backseat of the car is loaded with boxes for Goodwill. But as we finalize the details on our latest eBay auction, we may sit back and wonder, “Now what?”

What was the point of this exercise anyway? What is the “meaningful” that we are supposed to be making room for? While some people are born knowing precisely what they want to do with their lives, some of us live in a constant state of misdirection, unsure of our purpose. Every shiny thing we try, we soon discover, is not what we thought it would be.

As a result, minimalism becomes just another shiny thing we discard when it doesn’t fulfill us. But, if we discover our meaningful pursuits, minimalism becomes a tool that empowers us to realize it.

Here then, are six important questions to help anyone discover their unique, most meaningful pursuits:

1. What currently leads to most of my happiness and fulfillment?

“This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.” —George Bernard Shaw

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto discovered a principle wherein 80% of results stem from 20% of the causes. Therefore, if we could pinpoint the 20% of activity that supplies 80% of our happiness and fulfillment, we could begin taking steps toward maximizing our time and resources within the 20% and moving away from the 80%. Be intentional about breaking down what makes you happy and leverage your minimalist lifestyle to make time for those activities.

2. What concern or problem do I feel most compelled to solve?

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. illuminated the heart and soul of defining our “why”: others. In a world where individualistic concerns are championed, the world-changers and the misfits must unite around a cause larger than themselves. It is there that we will find an answer to our “why” that wells up inside of us and motivates us to make a difference.

3. What would I spend my day doing if I knew I couldn’t fail?

After answering this question, answer a second—what is the worst case scenario if you attempt it now and fail? I would be willing to bet that most of you will discover the worst case scenario isn’t all that bad. If we give our fears a name, they tend to shrink. They’re like the wizard behind the curtain—only an illusion.

“There are two types of people in this world. There are people who see the thing they want and there are people who see the thing preventing them from getting what they want.” —Unknown

4. What do I get so consumed with that I forget to eat or sleep?

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” —Ella Jane Fitzgerald

Purpose is found at the convergence of passion and service. What makes each of us unique is the sum of our individual experiences, traits, skills, interests, and aptitudes. We must tap into the practices that fulfill us and find a way to marry it with our cause (see the answers to questions 2 and 3). There we will find our “why”.

5. What does my perfect day look like?

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” —Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

Outlining a clear picture of our “why” in practical terms gives us clarity and direction instead of a vague, romanticized goal. It allows us to dig into the details and honestly ask ourselves what we desire. With this clear destination in mind, we can be proactive in our journey.

6. What is one step I can take this week toward realizing my “meaningful?”

“A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, a vision and a task is the hope of the world.” —From a church in Sussex, England, ca.1730

Now that we have named our values, burdens, fears, passions and goals, we have a better understanding of why we do what we do. Though we may not have all of the answers now, we have a place from which to start.

At this point, it is crucial to give ourselves a few small wins in the beginning to build momentum. Write down at least one step you can take this week toward your purpose. It could be reaching out to a friend, writing an outline, or setting aside $100.

The important thing is to start. And to discover more and more space to pursue it.

***

Jacob Jolibois writes at JacobJolibois.com, helping others craft a simple, yet impactful life. You can also find him on Twitter.

OCD Brain

Today was lovely. I am really enjoying walking the greenway at dawn, with a grand total of 5.5 miles walked so far, three of which are done before 7.

This afternoon I went to a meeting, talked with my sponsor, went to Physical Therapy, where much good stuff was done to address migraine issues, and then cashed in a voucher for $10 of local vegetables (have I mentioned how much I love this City?). Also, I've been drinking lots of water today, which is all to the good with the ever-threatening migraine that has plagued me all week.

Now, the PT has kind of wiped me out and I'm going to take a little rest.

I ended up driving to the meeting instead of walking, which was probably for the best because of the migraine, but really it was because I ran out of time to walk to the meeting since I spent all morning 

• going through stuff to relocate or donate or pitch, mostly donate 
• reorganize the entry way, creating a space to house shoes and bags for each of us, including some more hanging spots for jackets and hats, as well as a landing zone at the right height for putting groceries or other armloads of stuff down when we come in the door
• hang up a star chart poster, (it glows in the dark, you know)
• hang up my sword, (behind my desk chair is really the perfect spot for it)
• organize files that have been lurking all about the apartment in a discombobulated state 
• move a cabinet (that might be going to Goodwill, I just don't know yet), 
• talk with the location manager about getting a new key for the storage unit because the one I had is lost, 
• have Ethan removed from the lease, 
• and start a load of bedding and towels laundry 

because I was looking for the box of ink cartridges so that I could print my calendar for the day.

Just now found the ink cartridges, so I'll be all set for printing tomorrow's calendar.

9 Distractions and 10 Habits

Choose any one of these to work on today

9 Distractions That Keep us From Fully Living
10 Unconventional Habits to Live Distraction-Less

Challenge: Choose Wisely

Main Quest: Let Go Or Be Dragged Current Mission: Choose Wisely

But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.

This challenge is all about spending my resources more wisely. Not just money, though that is certainly a piece of it. Time and space and energy as well. I have been spreading myself far too thin in recent years. After having devoted some serious work to thinking about how and where this has manifested in my life, I have the beginnings of An Attack Plan.

This is a consciousness-centered goal, even though it will have tangible efforts and measurable results. Grading it overall will be extremely difficult, because even with concrete items, this is more about achieving a certain zone. I will definitely be keeping regular posts of what I do, and tracking my tasks and such, but the final analysis is going to be how closely I achieve the ideal space that I'm envisioning. Obvious increases are to CON and WIS and DEX.

I think I'll leave it at that and take five points each for an A, with percentages for lower grades taken across the board. Keeping track of all that there is to be done is going to be a challenge in its own right. I'm not certain how best to do this, short of printing the pages below out and taping them on a wall, making tick marks on the various items. [Wait. That idea has merit suddenly.]

Alternately, I could group the items by date, since some of them are clearly Before the Move or After the Move. Heaven help me, but I don't really want to get into spreadsheet land again. Also there are obvious groupings of one-offs versus weekly or monthly items. GAH. This will take a hard hat.

Time: It's about time that I let other folks do the heavy lifting with regard to regular task management. Subscriptions help in this immensely for me, since I don't have to revisit a decision I already made (buy X every time_period). Also, it keeps me from doing the food security freak out that results in me buying caseloads (not hyperbole) of food.

Tasks: 8/8 A+

1. Beef: Buy and process a steer. Store beef in weekly distribution amounts in a small chest freezer. Feb 18 - steer ordered and cut sheet delivered. Awaiting notification of pick up date. April 5
2. (N.B. Buy a small chest freezer if the upright one doesn't fit in the apartment.) April 5.
3. Local, seasonal fruits and vegetables: Set up a delivery subscription with a local provider for fresh, local, organic produce. Feb 18
4. Coffee: Set up a delivery schedule with a local roaster for organic, fair trade coffee delivery. Feb 17
5. Wine: Set up a monthly subscription for delivery of my favorite reds. Feb 17
6. Contact housekeeper to set up weekly services. Feb 18
7. Contact Peacock Salem for dry cleaning pickup and delivery account. Decided we are going to do our own laundry as part of weekly chores.
8. Pay car insurance for the year. Feb 18: found out six months is as much as can be bought at once. Done.

Routines to Establish: 3/3 A- for not actually writing them down, but we have been great about communicating and then following through, and that's really what this piece is about. We are still planning to write all this down in a checklist format for the week, and also to have a shopping list for the week posted on the board so that we can list our preferences (there are no guarantees, of course) taken into consideration when the shopping actually gets done.

Weekly Food purchase - no more than is needed for the week, enforced by cash. This will be supported by a Menu Plan for the week, finalized on Monday nights (the night before the produce delivery) when we do the weekly refrigerator clean out.

Chores - everyone's chores explicitly stated, posted, and with a check-off sheet, updated daily and replaced each week.

Daily routine - posted as part of the No Surprises plan, especially including kitchen closing time, quiet hours, and television and entertainment schedules

Space & Stuff: I need to clear my space, literally as well as metaphorically. I have been weighing myself and my family down with stuff, and we haven't really been as mindful about what we have. Clutter drives me crazy. Cray-ZEE. So we are getting rid of everything that doesn't fit, that we don't use regularly, and reducing the rest of it to Very Useful Items. To help make me do this, I'm moving into a very small, two-bedroom apartment from a medium sized four-bedroom house. I looked around a long time before choosing the place we are going, since the places we have been have been nice, but not well laid out, and inefficient in their construction (can you say utilities bills?) as well as use of space. The place we are going is modern, with a maintenance staff around the clock and high-efficiency everything. We are looking forward to it, all of us, even if it means that privacy is going to be hard to come by.

Tasks:   14/14 : this list is complete. There is some unpacking and settling in that remains, but very little indeed. This is a major win. A+

1. Sort Clothes. Donate everything useful that we don't want, don't wear or doesn't fit. Feb 19 - nearly done with mine. Began Vivian's as well.
2. Have everything must go sale on craigslist once all other stuff is moved to new place.
3. Donate anything that doesn't get moved or sold.
4. Sort bathroom items and pare down to essentials.
5. Sell current queen beds and dressers
6. Buy twin beds with built in storage
7. Deal with the Basement Boxes: they all have to be dealt with no later than March 30, so start now. Feb 14 - One Box
8. Deal with the Scary Closet. Feb 18 - First Round. Feb 19 - second round. Nearly done.
9. Sell washer & dryer
10. Sell lawn mower
11. Donate the majority of the books.
12. Sort toys and personal items in our bedrooms and closets.
13. Pare down to one foot locker and a four-foot closet bar with shelf.
14. Donate everything that doesn't go.

Money: I need to reduce my regular maintenance expenditures in general, and deeply rework where and how I’m spending my limited resources. I need anything that goes out to work actively toward the keeping of my sanity and health; everything else must go. Financial health is its own freedom. To that end I need to pay debts as quickly and as timely as possible; I need to decrease my weekly / monthly expenses; and I need to increase my weekly and monthly income. (Gosh, when it's written down like that, it seems so simple, doesn't it?)

Tasks: 12/14 The things I haven't done are essential post settling in things that allow me to make some money. I have talked with my brother and he's going to start taping a weekly cooking show that I will post on you tube. (I can cook, but have no clue about videography and editing. Yet.) This might end up tying in with money or it might not, but I'm looking forward to it and in the meantime, I'm still financially sound. Still, this is a solid A.

1. Submit two resumes a week to jobs that actually work for me. Being selective isn't really a luxury most folks have in this economy, and I’m right there with them. But if I die of a heart attack from job stress (a real and pending concern), I won't be able to provide. Feb 18: Pace, L&K, March 6, March 21, March 22, March 27, March 31 (Crowning Touch) April 3 (Finch), April 4 (leclair ryan & Bella)
2. Keep credit cards at 25% or less. Period. If it has to go on a card, pay it off from the bank account. Chances are I can get by with what I already have. Cards go t hit hard when I needed to do the final moving push and found myself in a bind. I'm really glad I had the room on them to make the choices I did, and I have a plan to work them back down over the next challenge. Three of them are below 25%, and the fourth is at 57%.
3. Establish automatic payment to credit cards. 2 of 4 as of March 1.
4. Make a schedule for debt payments with amortization dates included. This schedule has been made and will be a backbone piece of next challenge.
5. Make a note of my credit score every month. February: 518 (ok, that’s embarrassing) March 5: 525 (better but still red-faced about it) April 1: 559 (that's a nice step in the right direction)
6. Establish automatic draft for electric, cell phone, rent and amenities payments. The finance company charges a pretty penny to process stuff automatically, so I'm setting up a routine for the electric, rent and amenities payments. Cell phone is established.
7. Cancel gym membership February 18,
8. Cancel water, internet, gas accounts after the move. Scheduled for Monday, April 7, but that's technically after the challenge ends.
9. Downgrade the cell phone plan drastically. February 18
10. Verify automatic payments for student loans, medical debts, and credit cards. March 6
11. Investigate to make certain all medical bills from this summer have been found and collected into one account. Wow. This is like falling down a rabbit hole. But effort has been made, and that was the point of this item. Some bills have been found and payments established. Others have been relegated to the wait-and-see stack as we here in Virginia try to find out what the heck is going on with Medicaid and the ACA.
12. Make automatic deduction to savings for emergency fund. Set this up as a task in my calendar, and will establish a routine amount now that I know what to expect from support.
13. Let people have the opportunity to buy my food. Online subscription for the week.
14. Clean apartments. Set up an appointment schedule for folks to hire me and a teenager to come in and do basic cleaning on their apartment for $50 a week.

Energy: The whole reason for this mission is to acknowledge that how I spend my energy is deeply meaningful to my health in all its manifestations: emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. I deserve a life that is calm, predictable and lovely. I can't be a good mother or provider or student or friend if I don't make the effort to achieve and maintain a life that allows me to be my best.

Tasks: 10/11

1. Regular acupuncture and medication for the heart (at least one per month). February.
2. Regular hair cut (at least one per challenge). Feb 21
3. Daily quiet time. This has saved me.
4. Study time to improve my chances of switching careers well. There are a million burger-flipping jobs out there, but no one really wants a 44 year old graduate degree holding technical guru for that. And since I’m done with the IT world, I need to beef up my credentials in the legal world in order to transition without destroying my family or myself. On track to have a 4.0 for this term, and have signed up for two classes for next term.
5. Networking: Monthly meeting of the paralegal professional association or similar group Networking breakfast; Toastmasters
6. Classes: Two paralegal classes a term until certification is complete Feb 17 - April 25
7. Professional Associations: Join the local chapter of the professional association.
8. Cooking. This is my Happy Space, and I need the luxury and energy to revisit it in a loving, creative way at least once a week. Once I moved into the new place, I have done happy cooking nearly daily, and I am truly loving it.
9. Yoga. Bend but do not break. Yoga helps my in so many ways. Find a weekly class that fits my schedule and my budget. The Sunday classes at the new place have been sporadic, but will hopefully become more regular.
10. Water. Drinking water regularly helps flush toxins out of my system and keeps me grounded in a way I don't really understand, but have truly come to love. So I need to keep doing that. Two litres or more a day. As of April 1, this has been a breeze. Thank goodness for having established this habit over the past several challenges.
11. Walking. Keep track of my daily steps. Minimum of 5,000 a day for this challenge. This was a challenge indeed, but there has been meaningful progress over these many weeks. I nailed this in March, and am looking forward to keeping the momentum going. April has seen no day under 5,000 steps, and quite a few at 10,000 or more.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Heidi

The Road Thus Far: Chrysalis

Good grief. What happened to me this Spring?

On March 1, I started a random bit of self-imposed homework and the next thing you know, my life looks truly different. I’m not saying that a lot of this wasn’t already in the works, or something I wanted to do and had thought about pursuing before, but I’ve never had so much consistent positive forward motion, despite the resistance that threatened to bog me down. If I’m really honest, the path started in December when I met a mortgage agent who said he was willing to work with me if I was willing to do the work required. Boy, I bet he had no idea what he was about to unleash; for that matter, I had no idea that I could accomplish all that I have. But here’s the important part: it’s not about what I accomplished, but how those small accomplishments have impacted my self image and how I feel.

It seems that once I got my feet under me and shook off the winter, I put in place a gradual-but-undeniable (some might even use the term relentless) path of improvement. For all that the list below looks a little intimidating, it wasn't really very hard at all. I just made up my mind and did it. The secret was that I didn’t look at the big picture while I was working – I just looked at the single step I was taking. I wasn't on a death march, by any means. In fact, it was pretty gradual, starting from a "Hey, do you want to . . . ?" conversation in each and every case. I surrounded myself with people who were supportive and positive, and cut out the people who weren't. The results are more than impressive; they are awesome.

• I signed up for Six Sigma Certification classes in April, and they started in May. I completed the Green Belt certification at the end of June. I feel credible.
  
• I started Pilates on May 20. Seven weeks and five classes later, I'm in love with it. I look and feel better than ever, and the two weeks I was without my Sunday ritual I felt spiritually depleted. It has become my church service, and The Girls have become my spiritual community. I feel connected.
• I went rock climbing for the first time in my life on May 5. I have since been once more, and I'm looking forward to incorporating it into my regular life. I feel strong and capable.
• I purged clothes that don't fit and stuff I don't use. I feel lighter.
• In July, I paid off my final old medical bill and my credit is officially rehabilitated. My credit rating has climbed from laughable to serious, and I am in charge of my financial reality in a way I have never been in my life. I feel responsible.
• I got prequalified for a mortgage and I am working with an amazing realtor to find a house I like that I can afford in the neighborhood I love. I feel enfranchised.

And it's still going on:

• I began classes for Lean Six Sigma this week. It’s another level up from the Green Belt, and at times, just as before, I’m lost and have to go back through the lecture a second time. I’m dedicated, though.
• I am considering an outdoor climbing camp. Real rocks. Real high in the air. Kind of intimidating. Can't wait. (The only reason I'm not already signed up is because I'm waiting to see how much I need to put down on the house.)

And here's the best part: It was worth it every step of the way, even when it wasn't fun. I was scared or overwhelmed (or both) at each endeavor. Honest, there were even times that I thought I simply wasn't going to be able to do it -- I was going to fail. In so many ways this looming failure was liberating: it freed me not to worry about my success and to focus instead on the process. And here it is.

Right after we moved out of the farm, my sons bought me a mug that I simply adore. It's heidi-blue, and in white letters it reads Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she turned into a butterfly.

P.S. Just as I was putting the finishing touches on this The Year Thus Far analysis, my friend posted a quote on her blog. I can’t think of a better way to wrap this up, so here it is:

This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy. ~Susan Polis Schutz