Start Small

“Be the person with embarrassing goals and impressive results instead of one of the many people with impressive goals and embarrassing results.”
~ Stephen Guise

After stepping on the scales one morning and realizing I had gained 60 pounds, I decided it was time to lose the excess weight “once and for all”. So I set a goal for myself: “I weigh 190 lbs. by December 31, xxxx.” This was definitely a stretch goal for me but I gave myself some time – 9 months – and I calculated I only needed to lose a little over 1 pound per week to reach my goal. So I started strong! Continue reading “Start Small”

Radical Simplicity

“Complexity is the curse of the digital age. It is a type of intellectual pollution that smothers clear thought and which has direct negative benefits on individual productivity . . .” ~ Gary Ryan Blair

I am in love with ideas. Ideas intrigue and fascinate me. I like to learn new things and new ways to do old things. I am constantly searching for new twists on old ideas or concepts. One reason is that I am basically lazy. I want to have and do and be various things — and I want to have and do and be them NOW with the smallest amount of effort. Continue reading “Radical Simplicity”

Eat Food

Food is fuel. Excellent food, excellent fuel. Good food, good fuel. Poor food, poor fuel. What are you fueling your wonderful body with?

Michael Pollan is one of the leading thinkers and writers in the field of food and nutrition. Pollan has stated that his findings after extensive study can be summed up in these 7 words: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Continue reading “Eat Food”

When Is Enough Enough?

“Struggling is an expression of one’s unmet needs.” ~ Thomas Leonard.
What are you struggling with or against? There is a place you need to build a reserve.

Do you have enough?

In the Excelerated Life model, there are 3 principles that may seem to conflict: 1) Excelerated simplicity — freeing yourself from unnecessary complexity; 2) Being clutter-free and well-enough organized — able to find what you need when you need it, and 3) Excelerated reserves — building your reserves in all areas. Excelerated simplicity and being clutter-free go hand in hand, but how do we reconcile these principles with building Excelerated reserves – with accumulating more stuff? Continue reading “When Is Enough Enough?”

A Simpler Life

“Designing a simple life means having fewer distractions in your life, so you can focus on what matters. It’s about saying no to everything that gets in the way, but saying yes to what’s right for you.” ~ Melissa Camara Wilkins

What Is Required For A Simple Life?

“If less is more, then nothing is everything.” [CoachU]

What is required to live a simple life? Does it mean giving up all luxuries? Going “off the grid”? Giving up your job? Cleaning out your possessions?

Actually, it could mean that and does for some people – but it isn’t a requirement. Most of us could lead simpler lives and create more time, energy, and resources for pursuing the things that really matter.

For example, research shows that people who have shorter commutes generally have a higher sense of well-being. [Morin] Yet, the trend is to move further away from our jobs to the suburbs and larger and larger houses. Most of us would be happier living in a smaller house, closer to work, but we have been enculturated to think bigger is better and more is preferable.

Continue reading “A Simpler Life”