the
Living
Simpler Life
8 Essentials To Practice Everyday
by Sam
Spurlin
Dedicated to All the readers of The Simpler Life. Your support is what encourages me to simplify my life everyday. I get to spend my time doing what I love because of you. Thank you so much.
Design by Upcycled Love z
What You’re About to Read Where I’m Coming From (Introduction)
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Essentials:
1 Accurate Self-Knowledge
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2 Purging the Unnecessary
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3 The Willingness to Say “No”
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4 A Focus on Conscious Consumption
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5 Cultivating Patience
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6 Mindfulness
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7 A Desire for Less
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8 An Attitude of Gratitude
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Simplicity a Journey, Not an Event
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Resources
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Credits and Thank You’s
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WHERE I’M COMING FROM In a world of infinite information and constant stimulation, it can be easy to float through life instead of piloting it in the direction I want. Cutting through the discord and evaluating what really matters will create a simpler life – a life that lets me decide where my time and attention will be spent without shutting myself away from the world.
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We live in fast and exciting times. Modern technology makes possible that which couldn't have even been dreamed twenty years ago. Living a simpler life doesn’t mean that I have to give up the amenities of the 21st century. I don’t have to become a monk (although I can). I don’t have to throw away my T.V. and turn off the internet (but some choose to do so). Living a simpler life can be done in many ways but the basic principles, the essentials, remain the same. A beautiful aspect of the simpler life is that it means something different to each person. For some, it may be similar to Thoreau’s experience at Walden Pond – limited technology and surrounded by nature. However, for most of us it's unreasonable to strive for that level of asceticism when our lives, jobs, and families are all demanding our attention. Instead, I can strive to simplify my life to focus on what I truly value. For Thoreau, that meant living with sparse possessions in a cabin he built for himself. For the busy professional it may mean figuring out a way to finish the day’s work early so she can spend time with her family. Or write the next great novel. Or read a book. The key is that living the simpler life is different for every person.
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Through my own experience and the observation of those around me, I have devised the following list of 8 simplicity essentials. 1 2 3 4 5
Accurate Self-Knowledge Purging the Unnecessary The Willingness to Say “No� A Focus on Conscious Consumption Cultivating Patience
6 7 8
Mindfulness A Desire For Less An Attitude of Gratitude
I hope that my description, advice, and personal experiences within each of these chapters will help you develop the same concepts in your own life. I wrote this ebook from the position of a student who wishes to continue learning. I am no expert and I don't lead a perfectly simple life. Writing this ebook has taught me that there is no final destination, only a movement toward progress. Clarifying my thoughts on simplicity through writing has been a huge form of progress for me and I hope reading it will help you proceed in the same direction.
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Essential One:
Accurate Self-Knowledge
The decision to live a simpler life can be difficult at first. Many of the messages we're bombarded with everyday oppose the simplicity movement. We're told that physical possessions are a manifestation of our personal success: that bigger is better and that we are entitled to more. Eschewing this for a simpler life can be the beginning of a very personal and lonely road. Knowing yourself, or self-knowledge, is the simplicity essential that will guide you through this journey. It helps you develop your reasons for simplifying, the methods you utilize, and guides you on your unique voyage toward a simpler life. 8
What I am calling self-knowledge can be defined in many different ways. For my purposes I consider it in-depth knowledge and understanding of yourself. This includes knowing what does and doesn't motivate you, what you are and aren't good at, and what your passions are. Each of these categories is extremely personal and unique. What motivates me may not motivate you and I guarantee my passions are very different from yours. Our different approaches to the same problems are what colors our simplicity experiences very differently and makes writing simplicity advice a potentially risky endeavor (I'm willing to try though!). Self-knowledge is one of the essentials of simplicity
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau
because it drives the underlying reason for simplifying. My reason for simplifying is to allow me to focus on living my life aligned with my values. I require the self-knowledge of knowing what my values are before I can do anything that will supposedly simplify my life. It is the most basic and fundamental step. Secondly, accurate self-knowledge allows you to choose actions and projects that truly benefit you. My simpler life will not look like your simpler life, and vice-versa. Joshua Becker, author of Simplify, calls this "rational minimalism."
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You have to decide what actions will truly simplify your life and not worry about what others are doing. For me, getting rid of my car would drastically NOT simplify my life; I do not live in an area where it's feasible for me to do so. However, for Tammy Strobel, author of Simply Car Free, getting rid of her car is a key component toward her simpler life. Anything you do to remove distraction and refocus your attention and energy on your values will lead to a simpler life. Self-knowledge is the vital skill that will help you do that.
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Make Progress Now! Take an online personality test: I'm leery Hopefully I have convinced you by now that developing your self-knowledge is a worthwhile endeavor. Luckily, this is not an ability that you are or aren't born with; it must be developed. The following is a brief list of ideas that have
of online personality tests but I do think
helped develop my self-knowledge or are things that I am currently doing to clarify my understanding of myself.
the test toward a particular outcome, I
they can be useful. If you answer the questions truthfully and don't try to guide
think interesting insights can be made. At the very least, it might open your eyes to where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
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Reflecting on passions
Your passions are going to be derived from your values. Taking the time to sit down and figure out what it is that you really and truly care about at the most basic level will go a long way toward developing your self-knowledge. What do you spend most of your time on? During what activities do you find yourself getting "lost"? If money was not a concern, what would you spend most of your time doing? These questions will help shed light on your passions. If you are honest with yourself you might be surprised with what you discover. I am a teacher by training, but once I allowed myself to define my passion as "helping people" and not "being a school teacher," I became aware of a multitude of different ways to fulfill it, including this ebook.
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2
Assessing your weaknesses/strengths and minimizing/maximizing their impact
There are two schools of thought when it comes to strengths and weaknesses. Some people say that you should focus your self-improvement efforts on your weaknesses in order to become more "well-rounded." The other approach is to accept your weaknesses for what they are to minimize their impact while focusing on improving strengths instead. I am more inclined to take the latter approach. I believe in improving weaknesses enough that they do not completely handicap you and concentrating the majority of attention and focus on making your strengths truly world class. Focusing on weaknesses will make you mediocre at best. Focusing on strengths will make you stand out and be noticed.
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Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will make everything you do much more effective. Do you have a group project that requires a leader? Do you know that is a role you enjoy and in which you thrive? Step up and be that leader! Are you in the same situation but know that you are a much more effective worker if you don't have to be the leader? Take that role and dominate in it! Putting more effort into situations where you are more likely to have success is the logical thing to do. Your self-knowledge will make those situations obvious.
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Asking others
If you aren't sure about your strengths and weaknesses, try asking other people. Starting with the people closest to you, ask them to help you figure out what you are and aren't good at. If you interact with them on a regular basis I'm sure they have plenty of feedback. It won't be hard to get them to talk about your strengths, however, the greatest possibility for true improvement in self-knowledge is by discussing weaknesses. Identifying but not necessarily focusing on improving your weaknesses is a great way to tap into your self-knowledge. It's your responsibility to approach the conversation in such a way as to make your conversation partner comfortable enough to share what they think your weaknesses are. How can you send your strengths into overdrive while minimizing the impact of your weaknesses? Developing self-knowledge is a never ending process. You never stop growing so why would the quest to know yourself end? I firmly believe that learning about yourself is
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one of the most important processes to living a simpler life. This will always happen to a certain extent regardless of your intentions. However, once you make up your mind to actively improve self-knowledge, the rate you start learning about yourself grows exponentially.
Make Progress Now! Delegate something: I'm sure you have plenty of items that are on your to-do list that you aren't particularly good at. Chances are, it might even be something that has been festering on your list for a while because you are resistant to doing it. I'm a terrible editor so whenever I get a chance I try to delegate that to somebody else. My girlfriend is usually up to the challenge. Your job is to ďŹ nd one item on your to-do list that you aren't very good at doing and delegate it to somebody else. There is a dierence between delegating and avoiding the work you're supposed to be doing, however. Work that distracts you from your passion or doesn't align with your values is what you should be looking to delegate. Not only will you be focusing on your strengths by removing a task you are not well-suited for, hopefully you will be helping somebody focus on their own strengths through the work you give them.
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I want to leave you with the idea that the development of self-knowledge and the process toward living a simpler life are inseparable. As you improve self-knowledge it becomes easier to take action toward a simpler life. As your life becomes simpler and you spend more of your time and attention focused on your passions and values, your selfknowledge will grow at an even faster rate. The key is to open your mind to the possibility of understanding itself better and then taking steps to make it happen. A simpler life is passion and values laid bare. Tapping into your selfknowledge will help you figure out what you will be sharing with the world. It is the crucial first step on your journey.
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Ninety percent of the world’s woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves. SYDNEY J. HARRIS
Essential Two:
Purging
the
U n n e c e ssa r y
Simplification is the process of expelling everything that isn't central to your values in favor of what is. Depending on the amount of stuff you own and the state of your mind, this step could vary in difficulty and in time to
Your physical environment is probably the area that could most obviously benefit from a good purge. It finally seems after decades of conspicuous consumption (at least in America), some people are beginning to see
achieve. When I first started thinking about living a simpler life, I had a ridiculous amount of things to purge. I had to reduce my wardrobe from its absurd state. I had to get rid of the absolute mess that had become my book collection. Nothing was safe from my probing eyes. I
the benefit of having less. However, years of Westernized lifestyle has probably left your living space a cluttered mess. Physical decluttering, or purging, is the act of identifying the clutter in your life and removing it. This is simple in theory and usually much less so in practice.
also had to declutter my mind because it was filled with partially completed projects, worries, regrets, and other annoyances. This can be a tough principle to adapt on both levels but removing the superfluous from your surroundings and your mind has an amazing, energizing
Before tackling this project you must be sure that your motivation is sound. It will do you no good to spend time decluttering your house if the mindset that led to its current state is not addressed. Why do you want to remove the
affect on the rest of your life
clutter from your life? When I first began this process I 20
realized that the tranquility and serenity of a decluttered room was a wonderful feeling. I loved walking into a room that had been decluttered so I decided to try to create that feeling throughout my entire life. It can be difficult to appreciate just how much stress and subconscious thought your mess is causing until it's gone. For others, motivation may be financial. Decluttering your home will result in all sorts of items you can sell on eBay, Craigslist or at a garage sale. Your motivation can be almost anything as long as it excites you for the task ahead. If you're interested in purging an area of your home I recommend following this rough guide:
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1
Determine what you’re going to do
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with the clutter.
Identify one area. Don't try to tackle everything at once. Your entire apartment may need attention, but you are only setting yourself up for failure if you try to do it all at the same time. Instead, pick one room (or even one
Get empty garbage bags, boxes and labeling supplies ready. Do the necessary research to figure out where you can take your clutter once you've identified it. Where is the closest thrift store that will
part of a room) to declutter at a time. As you conquer these smaller projects your momentum will build and embarking on something larger and more difficult (like your garage or attic!) will be easier.
accept clothing donations? Where is the closest recycling center that will take your old electronics equipment? Often, the biggest impediment to getting started on a decluttering project is identifying what you will do with the junk afterward. I recommend getting an empty garbage bag and three boxes. The purpose of the bag is obvious, but each of the boxes has a very important role. Label one "Donate," one "Sell," and the last one "I'm Not Sure." Having these boxes on hand and ready to go will make the actual purging process much easier. If you take care of the legwork beforehand, the rest of the process will go much smoother.
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Remove everything. Take everything out. Dump that drawer, empty the closet, or take all the books off the bookshelf. It's going to be a mess, but it gets better, I promise.
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Replace items while asking tough questions. Handle each item once and only once. Quickly deci de whether this is something you are going to keep or get rid of. You already have your boxes labeled and ready to go, so deciding to get rid of something means all you have to do is drop it in the proper box. If you can't decide whether you should keep something or not, ask yourself some questions. Do you use this regularly? Do you love it? Does bring beauty into your home? Does it work? Err on the side of overpurging. Very rarely will you get rid of something that is truly irreplaceable. What may seem like an impossibly austere space quickly becomes normal and you may surprised yourself with how little you truly
Make Progress Now! Research the places you can donate old clothes: Hop on the internet and do some quick research as to where you can take old clothes. Or, if you don't need to purge your closet, do some research about where you can take your other clutter. Some electronics stores will recycle old computer components and many cities have locations to drop o hazardous material like old paint.
need (or come to want!).
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Get the clutter out immediately! Don't let the stuff you've designated as clutter sit around. Don't give yourself time to change your mind. You went with your gut and decided you were going to sell it, donate it, or throw it away -so get it out of your house as soon as possible! Take some pictures and throw your stuff up on Craigslist or eBay. Do whatever you have to do to get rid of it quickly.
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Maintain Now that you have a beautifully decluttered area, the key is to keep it that way. Luckily, I've discovered that once you have spent the time to purge an area it becomes much easier to keep it that way. Before, when random things were laying on the floor and your bookshelf was overflowing, what did it matter if you added "one more thing" to the pile? Now, if something is out of place it will stick out. You will feel compelled to take care of it immediately and prevent yourself from ever having to go through this ordeal again.
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This is the series of steps I took to purge my closet several years ago. I located the nearest Salvation Army and verified that they accepted clothing donations. I got several empty boxes, garbage bags, and a permanent marker. After I had collected all my supplies, I took everything out of my closet and laid it on my bed. After cleaning the closet shelf and vacuuming the floor, I took each article of clothing one at a time and asked myself some questions "Do I love this and wear it regularly?" If I answered in the affirmative, then it went back into the closet. If I answered in the negative, I either put it in the garbage bag to throw away, the Donate box, the Sell box, or the I Don't Know box. The key component to this system was the I Don't Know box. Items that I knew I should get rid of but couldn't bring myself to for some reason went in this box. It would then get put away somewhere out of sight and mind. If I found myself really wishing I had something in that box, I allowed myself the liberty to retrieve it. However, a year after the
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box went into storage, I donated it without ever opening it again. Since I lived a year without something, particularly an article of clothing, I really didn't need it. I then also promptly took the items in the Donate and Sell boxes to
While physical purging is the most visibly obvious step you can take, mental purging is just as important. Mental clutter is an ambiguous term that is not easily defined. Think about everything that is currently weighing on your mind. I'm
their respective places. I didn't want to give myself any time to change my mind about any of the decisions I made. Going through this process represented a significant initial time and effort investment. However, I've been able to keep my closet neat, minimal, and organized ever since
willing to bet that a lot of your mental clutter is thoughts of, "I should do this," or, "Don't forget this!" or, "Remember to fix this." An untold number of tolerations and annoyances compete for your attention and brainpower every second of every day. Getting them out of your head is like purging
with little effort. These steps can also be applied to nearly anywhere else in your home.
your closet: everything fits much easier, you can find what you're looking for, and you are less stressed. My experience with David Allen's "Getting Things Done" system was the starting point for purging my projects and getting my life 26
under control. It doesn't matter if you use a system like GTD or something of your own devising, the principle is the same. You need to sit down and write down every single thing that is on your mind. A complete mind dump. Once you have everything out and on paper, you can start clarifying your commitments, tossing out irrelevant projects, and planning. The act of putting every worry and every project on paper is very refreshing; purging the stuff that doesn't matter is even more so. My favorite ways to mentally purge are:
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1
Do a mental ‘RAM’ dump:
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Close “open loops”: Open loops are the small projects (often
Sit down with a piece of paper and write down
recurring) that aren't necessarily difficult. These
everything that's on your mind. All those
tend to build up over time until you suddenly
ongoing projects, everything you should do,
have a whole gaggle of open loops staring you in
everything you want to do, everything,
the face and weighing down your mind. I've
everything, everything. Now is not the time to
discovered that taking a couple of hours and
filter what you are thinking, just get it all down
knocking out a few open loops is a great way to
on paper. Try using this checklist for inspiration.
build momentum to work on my larger and more important projects.
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Make a list of all the tolerances in your life: A tolerance is something you notice from time to time but never do anything about. Maybe it's a
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Spend some time with your “someday/maybe” list: Your someday/maybe list is where all your crazy ideas and dreams live. If it goes on your list it
broken lightbulb in the bathroom or a door that
doesn't necessarily mean you have to do it;
squeaks every time it opens. These little
putting it on your list just means that you have it
tolerances add up to a significant amount of brainpower and stress over time. Make a list of these and start knocking them out.
written down and aren't going to forget it. When you are looking for a new project or hobby, take a gander at this list and you find all the things you want to do and haven't yet. Most importantly, this means that your subconscious knows that any good idea you have will not be forgotten. It's not up to you to remember it forever if it's written down.
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The last idea I would like to address in this section is purging your emotional and spiritual problems. Guilt, outdated traditions, and addictions are all aspects of your life that you could consider applying the principles of purging. Advice in this area is especially personal so I will keep it short. There are many negative emotions that you can attempt to purge from your psyche. For instance, feelings of anger or past injustice can be purged just like an overflowing closet or a scattered mind. Letting go of past hurts and forgiving those who have hurt you can have an incredibly powerful effect on your own well-being. It is much simpler to forgive and forget than it is to carry anger with you. It's up to you to determine what is truly essential. Once you've done that, everything else is just extra weight
Make Progress Now! Set up an eBay or Craigslist (or both!) account: It's simple and only takes a matter of minutes. Once you have an account you can very easily start posting your clutter to make some easy cash.
holding you down.
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Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything…whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true self comes out. Tina Turner