Simple Manifesto: Break Free from the Tyranny of the Clock

“But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.” - Benjamin Disraeli

For tens of thousands of years, human beings didn’t have clocks. They lived, amazingly, by the sun and the moon and seasons and the needs and rhythms of their bodies.

The clock is a very very recent invention, and even more recent is our modern society’s slavish adherence to the dictatorship of the clock. Read more »

The Simple Life

• Quiet mornings.
• Sing-a-long songs with my toddlers in the car.
• Sunset and a beer with my wife.
• Runner’s high on a long run.
• Cuddling up and watching a DVD with the wife and kids.
• Walking outside with my son after it rains.
• My “life” talks with my eldest daughter in the car.
• Writing a post for 50,000 people, in my pajamas.
• Feeling sick and lying in bed all day without having to call my boss. Read more »

  The Simple Life

  • Quiet mornings.
  • Sing-a-long songs with my toddlers in the car.
  • Sunset and a beer with my wife.
  • Runner’s high on a long run.
  • Cuddling up and watching a DVD with the wife and kids.
  • Walking outside with my son after it rains.
  • My “life” talks with my eldest daughter in the car.
  • Writing a post for 50,000 people, in my pajamas.
  • Feeling sick and lying in bed all day without having to call my boss.

  • Posted on 15 April 2008 in Simplicity  |  
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18 Five-Minute Decluttering Tips to Start Conquering Your Mess

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein

I’ve written a lot about simplicity and decluttering (I can’t help it — I’m passionate about it!) and I’ve noticed that a lot of readers share my ideal of having an uncluttered home or workplace, but don’t know where to start.

When your home is filled with clutter, trying to tackle a mountain of stuff can be quite overwhelming. Read more »

The Incredible Power of Contentment

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” - Cicero

While many readers have noted my efforts and articles on self-improvement, what I haven’t stressed as much is the beauty of becoming content with what you have and who you already are.

I’m definitely a goal-oriented person — I always have my eye on a goal, whether that’s writing a book, running a marathon, improving my blog, waking early, losing weight, or one of a dozen other goals I’ve had (and usually achieved) in the last couple of years. And once I’ve achieved a goal, I begin looking for another: now that I finished my second marathon, I’m already looking for a third. Read more »

Notes on Life: Mantras, Small Things, Lists, and Such

As I’m cranking out the chapters this week, my post-writing time has been limited. Still, I’m addicted to writing stuff for you guys, so I thought it would be fun to share some random thoughts I’ve been having that probably don’t merit full-length posts.

Thanks again for your patience as I focus on my book writing — I’ve written nearly six chapters this week! I have all of you to thank for it — your encouragement and understanding has been unlimited and surpassed only by your stunning attractiveness. Read more »