Vision

Loosing sight of your goals can happen to anyone. It's really hard to live on a budget that will make those goals a reality. If delayed gratification was easy, we would not have a negative savings rate in this country. What I do to keep myself motivated towards achieving my dreams is to have a vision book.

My goal is to live a nomadic lifestyle. I want to travel the US visiting every Jewish community and learn their history and local customs. I may or may not write a book about it. Making that dream, or any dream, a reality though can take some serious motivation.

So the vision book. It's nothing fancy. Just a regular binder. Inside are some pictures of RVs and converted vans that I think will work, along with ideas for turning it from a vacation space into a full time home. I've also included some ideas for location independent income and other sites I'd like to see (I'd really like to make another trip to Chaco Canyon).  When life seems to get in the way of pursuing my dreams, I pull out my vision book and it motivates me to get back to work.

How do you motivate yourself?

Find your balance

Minimalism is a highly individualized process. When starting out it's really easy to compare oneself to someone else. That is a really, really bad idea. Trying to keep up with the minimalist Jones family is only going to lead to feeling discouraged and losing sight of your own personal goals. This is not the Kentucky Derby.

Recently I changed to only owning two forks, two knives, and two spoons. That's a level that works for me for now (and keeps me on top of the dishes). That may or may not be an idea that will even work in your life, or one that helps you obtain your goals. Please take any ideas I share, or anyone else shares, and critically examine them. Be you, because you is pretty awesome.

What is your balance? Am I crazy for getting rid of my flatware? What about dinner guests?

I want more

Minimalism is not always about less. Sometimes it's about wanting more and creating the space for that to manifest. Here's my list of five things I want more of:

1. Art, music, and creativity
2. Charity
3. Experiences (but only those that enrich or empower my existence)
4. Friendship (for me, as for many other millennials, the line between friendship and family is blurry. I love having an expansive and eclectic family)
5. Contentment

What do you want more of? How are you working to make that a reality?

How to become a minimalist

People ask me this all the time. On the surface it's easy, get rid of stuff. Realistically however, it's a bit more complicated. Here are ten tips that worked for me. What works for you will likely be different than what worked for me. Perhaps it can give you an idea of where to start.

1. Know where you are. For me, a big motivation was financial. I didn't want to hold onto a job I hated just to keep the bills paid. So the very first thing I did was come up with as accurate a picture as possible of what my financial situation was in terms of whom I owed what, etc.

2. Know where you want to be. Closely related to tip one. What are you passionate about? What is your goal? I set a short, medium, and long term goal (which I've spoken at length about elsewhere). 

3.  Make an action plan. A detailed action plan helps keep me motivated to work towards my goals. For me that included sticking with the hated job for a while.

4. Look at your possessions. The things we own. Do we own them or do they own us? I look at each possession and determine do I need it? Do I love it? Anything that meets one or both goes back in the drawer. Anything that doesn't goes in the get rid of pile.

5.  Sort your possessions. I made three piles. One for high resale value, another for yard sale (some value but not high, remainders will be donated), and trash/recycling. A very few possessions were held out to give to people for whom they hold sentimental value.

6.  Sell your stuff. I started with the pile with high resale value. I haven't had a yard sale yet, but will this summer. I'm using the money to fund my goals.

7. Look at your inner clutter. I held a lot of limiting beliefs, internalized labels, and defining experiences that didn't contribute to my well being When I removed the outer clutter, I created a space where I could unpack the internal clutter and release those things which didn't contribute to my happiness. (What, you thought minimalism was about stuff? )

8.  Look at your interpersonal relationships. Everyone has people that come into our lives, as friends or partners or family members, that journey with us for a while. Sometimes that's a lifetime, sometimes it's a shorter period. It's not socially acceptable but we need to learn to let those people go. They are on a journey of their own and need to fulfill it. You also need to fulfill your journey. Loving someone requires not wanting to hold them back. Sometimes your paths reconverge, and that is an amazing experience.

9. Don't compare yourself to other people. Other minimalists have their own levels of comfort with things, their own goals, and ultimately their own journey. This is not a race. There is no scoreboard. The Jones don't care if you are keeping up with them.

10. Remember this is a process not a destination. Rinse and repeat. I go back through steps 1-9 on a regular basis. Goals change, as do comfort levels. That's part of being human.

Again, this is what I have used in my own process. What are your steps? Please comment.

The C Word

Contentment. What is it? How does one achieve it?

A friend and I were discussing this the other day. These are some of my favorite topics as they really delve into the philosophical (and frankly spiritual) aspects of life.

Contentment has been saught by human beings since the dawn of society. All religions are predicated on it, as are our patterns of consumption. Advertisements try to sell it to us (remember the priceless campaign? ).  Politicians promise to deliver it. Artists attempt to manifest it. The lack of it is seen as the root of conflict (contentious). After all these thousands of years spent obsessing over it, I think it's safe to say that we have a very clear idea of what it is.

So what is it? We haven't a clue. A Google search for the definition leads to hundreds of competing definitions. Some are religious in nature, others are psychological.  Urban Dictionary has a definition that really resonates with me. "A state of satisfaction with who we are, who we have, and what we have."  "One who has contentment is at peace with the world."

As a minimalist, this definition I feel best represents my experience. Although a note about the second part. I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of having people. I do not have people. There are people whose life journeys intersect mine, and occasionally we journey together. Eventually though, our paths diverge, in ways small and large, and they must go off to pursue their true selves. Sometimes they intersect again (we are all connected). That's ok.

How do we achieve contentment? I cannot tell you that. I'm not a guru, or an enlightened being. I don't know the answers. I can share what has worked for me, and maybe it will inform your quest.

Personally, removing physical clutter from my life has allowed me to have the internal space to unpack. I have been able to let go of personal experiences that don't increase my joy. I've also been able to let go of relationships that don't contribute to my emotional wellbeing (this is not being selfish, if they are not contributing to your wellbeing chances are you aren't contributing to theirs either, at least at this point in time).  Additionally I now have the space to be open to new experiences and relationships that do enhance my emotional and spiritual wellbeing. That internal process is what has enabled me to reach the point I am at. News flash though friends, I have not yet achieved contentment although I feel more content and at peace now than in the past. As with most things in life, I've discovered that in this case the journey matters far more than the destination.

What are your reflections on contentment? Please comment below.

Goals

A dear friend on Facebook asked me to write this post. It's a subject I commit to paper regularly, but not one I generally share publicly. Here goes.

My personal goals change periodically. Historically my goal has been to lead as self sufficient a life as possible. A life really rooted in natural experience with permaculture and homesteading, all designed at lowering my effect on the environment. That goal no longer resonates with me.

Over the past several months my long term goal has evolved into seeking a life of increased connectivity~to people and to the universe. I want to travel, and to learn. For the time being I envision this life manifesting through a nomadic existence (more than likely via an RV or similar setup).

That is my long-term goal. In the shorter term my goal is to pay off all my consumer debts. While I am making progress in that regard, I would prefer to do so much more quickly. Minimalism has greatly enhanced my ability to meet this goal. Lowering my living expenses and my needs allows me to put more towards my dreams. Selling random stuff I have no use for also helps.

In the slightly longer term, I hope to enter semi retirement early. Generally much sooner rather than later. I'm not sure when it will happen, but I have no intention of waiting till I'm 70 to follow my dreams. Largely the achievement of this goal depends on how quickly I can renumerate my consumer debt as well as how quickly I can develop a location independent income. Admittedly, reducing my needs helps achieve this goal more quickly. I'm hoping to achieve all three goals within 10-15 years (although the debt elimination goal I hope to achieve within 3 years). 

What are your goals and how are you achieving them? Do you have any thoughts on my goals? Please comment below.

What Is Minimalism

Minimalism is very hard to define as it looks different for every individual who self identifies as a minimalist.

For some it means post modern furniture with clean, white lines. For some it means minimal debt and living very frugally. For others it means a tiny home. For yet others it means an uncluttered life (to varying degrees). 

For me, it's an amalgamation. I live in a 557 square foot home, which I hope to downsize considerably. I own very few possessions when compared to most people and hope to cut that even further (I'd like to fit everything in my midsize sedan).I have less debt than the average American, but still way too much. I love post modern furniture, but it looks unnatural in my craftsman bungalow.

Minimalism is a process. The one thing that unites all minimalists is the concept of enough. We seek enough to live our preferred lifestyle, but no more. When you own too much, your things start owning you.

How much is enough? Comment below.