Simply Walking

Vacation plans can be anything but simple.  When your traveling to someplace new that you don't normally go to it can be very exciting to try to cram as much sight seeing and activities into the trip as possible.  Then when things don't go as planned (when do they?) it can be disappointing and frustrating that you weren't able to do as much as you wanted.  That's because expectations are set too high.  Then you get home exhausted and frustrated and probably wondered why you went in the first place.

Another approach is to try simply walking.  Get to the destination where you really want to go.  If it's to relax, don't plan anything.  Get there, enjoy the hotel or condo for a short time, then just go outside and walk.  You'll could be surprised by where your feet take you.  You'll have time to stop and smell the roses, or other local indigenous plant life.  You could find great out of the way places to eat, local cultural hot spots, or quiet places to rest before taking up your walking again.  You could meet some interesting local people on the way.  And when you're done with your stroll, you won't have the level of stress you otherwise may have brought home with you if you planned every minute.

I used to plan my trips, but my most recent very short vacation with my family, I found we were more mindful and present without all the stress of planning every minute of our day.  We went in general locations and did what we had time to do.  If we spent longer in one place, that was OK, we were in the moment and enjoyed it. If we didn't do everything that was available to do there that was OK too, because we didn't have it specifically planned.  Without the stress and frustration, we got home smiling and have better memories because of it.

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes, often really, the best pleasures are the simplest.  Take coffee cake.  I used to think I needed that box you bought from the store, that had the little fake tin pan that held the wafer thin coffee cake like thing, yuck (I've heard not to yuck someone else's yum, but exception here, sorry).  I recently got 'adventurous' and decided to make my own.  I can't say it couldn't have been simpler, because if someone else made it, that would have been simpler.  So instead I'll say it was far easier than I thought.  There were maybe a couple of more ingredients (7 for the cake and 4 for the topping) than the store bought box and may have taken an extra two minutes, but the trade off in size, texture, taste, quality (real ingredients vs. the preservatives in the box that you can't even pronounce) and pride in knowing I made it from scratch, was a far better tradeoff than the extra couple of minutes measuring out the few extra ingredients.  Scones is another example.  I used to think I needed to go to the expensive coffee stores to have a good scone, that's been sitting out for a long time gathering dust unless you get there early enough.  Once I made some from scratch, I realized that it was easy.  It was better than the dusty scones at the stores and softer and fresher as well.  The kind I made were chocolate chip scones, maybe not the healthiest, but definitely a simple pleasure.

That's one example.  Taking a walk at sunset, roller skating at the park, reading, hiking, kayaking, those are all simple things to do and are very pleasurable if you let your mind take a break from the cell phone, laptop, television or tablet for a while.  Playing Yahtzee with your kids or friends, playing cards, talking about books you read or are reading, all simple and pleasurable activities that don't break the bank or require you to go into debt.  Even meditating, mindful or otherwise, is a pleasurable experience once you get into the practice, I found myself craving it.  When I first started mindful meditation, I was clueless, and a bit bored.  I had to stretch my back because I wasn't used to it, I kept thinking of something else and often got restless, but I kept trying.  Once I got into a groove I started noticing the positive effects, all I needed was a place to sit, it doesn't get much simpler than that.  

Hobbies

Minimalism really helped to free up time in my life for hobbies.  Before we adopted Minimalism, we were busy.  Young kids, birthday parties not only for our kids but our friends’ kids as well, doctor’s appointments, sporting events, school events, work, shopping for things for our house that we felt we needed, spring yard sales, you know typical family schedules.  I found myself saying that I really needed a hobby, not as a way to get away from anything, but really for balance.  I just didn’t have the time to even think of what my interests were for hobbies.

Then I started balancing my New Year’s Resolutions.  During the first year of this I started reading among other things.  Then once we started Minimalism I found other things that struck my interest.  I started baking more, coupled with reading, some woodworking projects, and I started a blog that I’ve talked about for a few years.  There’s definitely more room in our lives for trying new hobbies both as individuals and as a family.  We look forward to learning new things with the increased time and focus we’ve found since leading a more simplified life.

Minimalist Reading

You could get some great inspiration from reading, and really when you least expect it.  It’s only recently occurred to me that when we first started thinking about traveling down the road of Minimalism, I was reading Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe.  Robinson Crusoe wasn’t a Minimalist, at least not by choice.  When you live on a deserted island, you don’t tend to have material possessions, at least ones which are not useful or detract from what’s important (survival), which kind of makes him a Minimalist.

After I finished reading Robinson Crusoe.  I started reading “The Swiss Family Robinson” by Johann David Wyss a year ago.  By the time I finished that book we were already devising a plan to homeschool our kids and lead a more simple life, like the Robinson's did on their island.  So really without knowing it, two simple books read in near succession of each other, helped us to embrace the concept of Minimalism.  There was no correlation between the two in my mind at the time, and only now that I’m reading “The Swiss Family Robinson” again, to my children this time, do I see that there is a correlation.  I’ve read each of these books before when I was in high school, but I was not in the same place in my life to embrace the simple lifestyle the characters in these two classic works were forced to endure.  But I am now finding myself ready to grow the vegetables in my yard, and use manual tools for my projects and hobbies.  I strongly recommend these books to anyone who is starting on this road of Minimalism, even to those who are already aspiring Minimalists.  I would recommend other works as well such as “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau or even “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway.

I find now after working towards a more simple life, that the quality of my life is improving.  I’m reading and learning more, spending more quality time with my family, I’ve even joined a book club/bible study.  It’s hard to imagine that I didn’t feel like I had time in my life for any of these things before making some of these changes.  It turned out reading opened up a new world, at a time in my life that I was ready to hear the message that was being shared by the authors.  

Minimalist Fitness

How can I find a fitness program or machine to help me get in shape?  I’ve asked that question several times, have joined Health Clubs, bought elliptical (which made a great coat rack) and other training machines, weights and weight bench and even extreme style fitness DVD’s.  They all work for a time, then I go back to my old habits.  So what program or machine will help me long term?  I’ve come to realize it’s my own mind.  It’s not the programs, or weights, or machines or health clubs that make me go back to my old habits, it’s my motivation, or lack of it.  I have to take steps to change my behavior and habits.  To continue making the effort as many days during the week as I can, to take the simple step outside to go for a walk, or work out at home for 30 minutes in the morning before going to work, or even walking at lunch while at work.  I have to find my motivation to make these habits stick.

I have to keep the concept of fitness in my mind every day, to not let a full week go by without working out somehow.  And if a week does go by, not to let that stop me from working out today, now.  I have to start making daily resolutions to exercise and eat right.  I’ll put it on my planner, I’ll write it on a sticky note on my desk or computer at work where I can see it.  

The method I’ll use to get in shape will be Minimalist Fitness.  I don’t have to buy an expensive piece of equipment or device, or even another extreme DVD fitness program.  I’ll start by putting on my sneakers and get outside.  If it’s raining I’ll do pushups or sit-ups.  Or maybe I’ll put in that extreme fitness DVD and workout for half of the one hour DVD.  Whatever it takes I’ll do it with the resources I have and not feel I need to buy something else to get me motivated.  We shouldn’t go out and buy motivation, that never lasts as its external.  We have to find the motivation from within and simply start.

Simply Play

What do you do with the spare time you have after becoming Minimalist?  What can you do when you’re not at the store buying the next big gadget that comes out that everyone has to have?  What do you do when you don’t have the crazy schedule anymore, running around from place to place trying to do it all, when you don’t really like all the things you're doing anyway?  The answer I’m finding is, simply play.  When the (now) few ‘must do’ tasks are complete, find a hobby, play guitar, play a sport at a local gym, play with your kids, build a model, learn woodworking, learn how to bake or cook, simply play.

I found a couple of years ago I felt things were hectic, and I was looking for a hobby.  I didn’t as much need a hobby as I needed a break from the hectic pace of life.  Since I’ve simplified my life, I feel like I have more hobbies now than I’ve ever had.  I bake, started building a model with my son, started doing some wood working projects, I read frequently, I write a blog, and that’s in the winter, once spring hits I have a few others I’ll pick up.

There are so many hobbies to choose from, you just have to find what interests you by just trying some of them.  Many hobbies don’t require purchasing items or spending money through memberships.  The possibilities are endless.  I started with reading.  When I started looking into the Minimalist journey I learned a lot about it through reading.  I didn’t clutter my house up with physical books, I found low cost or free e-books from the Kindle Store.  I started with the Minimalist research and continued by purchasing low cost or free classics such as Treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson.  I then started baking because I didn’t want pastries from the store any more.  I wanted to find some simple recipes that I can make from home and found I enjoy baking, and watching my family devour what I’ve created.  I started blogging almost as soon as we started Minimalism, that so far was the longest lasting hobby I’ve ever had so I’ve done something right.  I found I enjoy camping so we’ll be making some trips this spring/summer to the local campsites as well.  So what I have done since becoming a Minimalist more than I’ve done in a long time, is simply play.

Stay on Task - A Minimalist Approach

Our reasoning for Minimalism was simple, reduce material clutter as well as time clutter to make room for what’s important in life.  With four kids, life can still be hectic as they are all unique individuals with their own important things in life, which makes them our important things in life.  It can be difficult at times staying on task even after simplifying.  I’ve taken up meditating when I find the time which helps me to remain present when I am doing the important things, but I still need some help making sure the important things to me and my family come first and foremost.

Fortunately I found a tool on my computer that I’ve found very helpful.  I use a Mac and found Evernote app to be simple to use.  I don’t have to click save and put it in a location, just type the notes (to do lists) and close it.  They are always there as soon as I open the app.  I don’t use a smartphone, but they have it for smartphones as well.  At work I use a PC, so I’ve found a Microsoft Program that functions the same way, it’s called One Note.  It’s a Microsoft Office program and while it’s not as simple since it has more notebook and page functions, it doesn’t require you to look for it in a location or file name.  Just open the program and it’s as you left it the last time you typed in your notes.  I find both programs great ways to stay on task and both are available for Mac, PC as well as iPhone and Android phones.