31–40 of 42 posts
Too many things to list. Some examples: eliminated social media, never watch, read or listen to live TV or news, don't own a smartphone, own very few personal possessions, have very few clothes, only own electronic books (with a couple of exceptions). Never read, watch or listen to anything with adverts. Moved from a large, expensive house into a rented cottage in the countryside (which had the side effect of freeing…
+1 for the elimination of news. I've found one useful tip for that on HN - never read an article when you click on a headline - bookmark it, so if you really want to, you will read the next day. Probably 90% of stuff I was reading before, fall in that category.
Bookmarking is overwhelming. I tried Pocket (the bookmarking tool) a few years ago and I would just bookmark everything I came across that I found interesting but not get around to reading anything at all out.
It’s not efficient if you would like to read a book online, but now I do all the online reading once I come across it or not at all.
- I have stopped consuming (news, politics, articles, videos, etc) and have started creating more (drawing, writing, building, etc)
- I have adopted the idea of digital minimalism, using only the essential applications, not participating in social media (hi, hn!), no roaming the internet/using the internet less, etc
- Also, physical minimalism, again only the necessities: comfortable bed, desk, chair, bookshelf, simple and fashionable clothes and shoes, etc
- Food minimalism? Eat only well-cooked, healthy food, also fruits and vegetables, drink only water, fruit drinks and wine/beer on the special occasion
- Taking time to reflect and being consciously aware of what I consume and whether I ought to stop or continue consuming x and y
- Exercise/proper sleep (hiking, swimming in the ocean, cycling rather than driving, etc), the backbones of my life
- Again, doing away with non-essentials: television in your bedroom, unhealthy food, fancy materialistic items, etc
- More of the natural things and less of the artificial things: more: sitting in my backyard and watching the night sky, walking in the morning, etc less: roaming the internet, using my mobile device, having headphones in when there are people who I can talk to around me, etc
- Most importantly: less thinking, no worrying, no comparing, no using labels and identifications, no judging, no interpreting every experience I experience, more just being with no interpretation, natural mind > cultured mind, etc
Too many things to list. Some examples: eliminated social media, never watch, read or listen to live TV or news, don't own a smartphone, own very few personal possessions, have very few clothes, only own electronic books (with a couple of exceptions). Never read, watch or listen to anything with adverts. Moved from a large, expensive house into a rented cottage in the countryside (which had the side effect of freeing…
Why electronic books? Is this just about owning less physical things?
This is just one small detail in an overall strategy to simplify though - it's not just about owning fewer things, it's about simplifying so I have more freedom to live to the priorities that make me happy: freedom, health, less stress, more time and on and on.
- What day of the week is it? Do I need to move the car for street cleaning today? (If I get this wrong, I get a parking ticket).
- Did I remember to lock the car and put all of the windows up? (I once thought that all of the windows were up not realizing that one of the back windows was open a few inches and my car was broken into).
- What do I have to do to register my car in this new city? How much will it cost and when can I take an entire day off work to go do it? Can I even complete all of the required steps in one day?
- The car is making a strange sound. I better get it to a mechanic. How do I find a good mechanic? How much will it cost to get it fixed? That feels like a really high price, should I get a second opinion? Where do I find a second mechanic? When am I able to take off work to bring the car to the mechanic?
- I have to fly out of town for work/pleasure. Where do I park my car while I'm gone. Parking at the airport is really expensive, but maybe the best option? Can I leave it parked on the street? What are the parking rules for my neighborhood?
- Car insurance. Am I getting a good deal? Do I have to do anything when I move addresses and/or states? Am I covered if a friend borrows my car? etc, etc
- Costs associated with gas, insurance, maintenance, loan...
I had a huge amount of anxiety from constantly worrying about the cost associated with owning a car and the required time to maintain it. Eventually, my car got old enough that I couldn't justify putting more money into it and I sold it for a nominal amount to CarMax. I should have done it sooner. It was an interesting transition to not owning a car, but was overall incredibly liberating. I had removed an entire source of stress from my life and haven't looked back since. I don't plan to buy another car anytime soon.
To get around now, I rely much more heavily on public transportation, biking, walking, and Lyft/Uber, Car2Go, non-profit carshare programs, etc. I also don't hesitate to rent a car from Enterprise/etc if I need one for an errand, vacation, etc. Being able to give the car back when I'm done with it and literally not having to worry about anything is quite amazing.
Disclaimer: I realize that some people need a car to get to work or for other important reasons. I'm not saying that owning a car is bad or encouraging anyone else to go sell their car to CarMax tonight. I'm just sharing my story about removing a source of stress that I had in my personal life.
Paper/physical books - reduce distractions and interaction friction from medium in reading on.
Taking notebooks to meetings and when I’m out. This helps especially when I just need to jot an idea or thought down without getting myself hit with a million notifications.
Phone specific: Delete as many apps from your phone as possible. If you can do it on a computer, ditch it. Turn off notifications. Check apps when you're ready, not when it tells you it needs attention. Personal hack, using Tasker, the phone stays in monochrome except for a few apps. HM and websites feel more like newspapers. Simpler in a cognitively relaxing way.
Another +1 for dropping social media. Nothing anyone posts on Facebook is going to change your life
Too many things to list. Some examples: eliminated social media, never watch, read or listen to live TV or news, don't own a smartphone, own very few personal possessions, have very few clothes, only own electronic books (with a couple of exceptions). Never read, watch or listen to anything with adverts. Moved from a large, expensive house into a rented cottage in the countryside (which had the side effect of freeing…