Simplifying Your Life

My iGoogle portal page displays a different WikiHow every day and I was recently impressed by the advice offered in Simplify Your Life.

Here's my own version using their outline.

1.1 Starting out

In my 20's I believed success was measured by the the amount of stuff you owned, the size of your house, the style of your car etc. Luckily by the age of 25 I realized these were all superficial and began a life long process of living simply - owning the minimum of clothing, electronics, real estate etc.

My daughter has embraced these values and at 17 she does not own any designer clothing or trendy "must have" consumer goods. By her own design, her bedroom is a minimalist tatami room with a futon, kotatsu (a low wooden table), and clothes storage.

1.2 Home and family life

When I was in my 20's and had a larger home, I spent all weekend maintaining the home and garden. My belongings owned me, I did not own them. Complexity and quantity bring maintenance burdens, so I did not have free time to just enjoy the world around me and live an examined life.

Today, my only maintenance tasks are keeping indoor plants watered, supporting our seasonal traditions of planting fruits and vegetables, and the basics of keeping a house in good condition.

Our family life is simple. I married the first woman I dated. We've been together for 30 years. We have one child. We gather for dinner together every night (wife, daughter, father in law, me). We visit the Sierra in August. We spend Columbus Day weekend near Mt. Monadnock. On occasion we travel to Japan together. We do not have nor want a vacation home, a boat, an RV, or yearly events that require a significant planning burden.

My business clothing is all black. My outdoor clothing is red and black. Everything I wear is made by just a few manufacturers - Arcteryx, Vegetarian Shoes, and Injinji. On average, my clothes last 5 years.

Our foods are all simple vegetables - no meat, no eggs, no dairy. We rarely eat out.

1.3 Finances

We live in small home without a mortgage. We avoid consumer debt. We save as much as we can.

1.4 Work

In each of my jobs, I have strong direct reports with very little turnover. We all work hard to put governance processes in place that minimize conflict and simplify resource allocation.

I try to minimize travel. 2009-2010 required a day or two per month in Washington to support ARRA/HITECH efforts, but in general I try to avoid airports.

My workday routine is a morning walk with my wife, followed by a BIDMC/Harvard time from 8am-6p, followed by a family dinner, followed by writing in the evening - it's generally very predictable.

1.5 Technology and Communications

I own a Blackberry Bold 9700 and a MacBook Air - no other technologies or gadgets to maintain and support.

1.6 Personal health and well being

As a vegan for 10 years, I've been able to keep my body mass index at 20. My seasonal activities - hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing, and climbing keep me exercising outdoors. Avoiding caffeine keeps my mood even.

1.7 Time spent with others

Morning walks with my wife, winter hiking with my friends, and multiple visits to my parents in California ensure I'm always sharing my thoughts, feelings, and fears with others.

Having lived many lifestyles as an adult - from Silicon valley entrepreneur to winemaker to doctor, I can say that the journey is truly more important than the destination. Living simply along the journey enables you to savor the details of existence along the way.

Of course, I would never criticize anyone for wanting to try a complex, high burn rate lifestyle. However, once you've experienced all the options, I suspect that you too will decide that less is more.