Simplicity

I have been on a simplifying trip lately. This is linked to my recent decision to quit watching televised sports. I have a lot of thoughts on this topic, and they won't be in any particular order.

I think spending money on sports equipment, boats, exercise equipment, etc. to engage in activities you don't actually do is a waste of money and time. The best example of this would be my brother who works all the time to pay off a boat he doesn't have time to use because he is working all the time to pay for stuff like that damn boat. (He will probably read this and kick my ass. But considering he doesn't work out with the deluxe weight set he owns, I think I can take him.)

I'm no different than my brother except I don't actually spend money on stuff like this. Most of my bullshit stops with just good intentions because I am broke. Ironically, I don't have a lot of stuff to deal with, and this results in a much simpler lifestyle.

I think people should spend money on big TV's, DVD players, laptop computers, videogames, and iPods. The reason is because those things will actually get used as opposed to that clothing rack people call the Bowflex. Gyms and infomercials prey on your good intentions, but the secret to getting in shape is that it costs very little. We just don't like doing it and buying expensive shit is an action that makes us feel good momentarily. But we are still going to spend the bulk of our leisure time with appliances with screens on them.

The same is true of outdoor activities. At various times, I have been interested in sea kayaking, bowhunting, hiking, surfing, and snowboarding. But all these things take money, and I know I will only do them a couple of times before I drop them. Why waste the time and money on this shit? But I had no problem dropping $300 for my new iPod Touch.

The rule on this shit is simple. Only buy shit you will actually use. I can also tell you that all those fun outdoorsy activities are overrated. This is why all those outdoorsy people bring their iPods and other gadgets with them. That shit is boring.

I don't believe in getting rid of everything in your life and living like some Buddhist monk. I do believe in getting rid of the extraneous and keeping the essential. Think of it as editing your life. Also, don't inflict upon yourself the buyer's remorse that comes from considering all the options you could have taken with your time and money. They really are limitless, but few are better than the ones you chose. Some dead BASE jumpers probably wished they had stayed home and surfed the internet the moment before they became one with the planet.

In other areas of my life, I am trying to tame my email which overflows constantly. I realize I am never going to read all of that shit. I have also overhauled the blog here (again) with an easier to read typeface and eliminating the YouTube videos from the blog that is under second party control. I hate clicking on dead vids, and they are filler anyway.

Simplicity is a way of life, and I am learning from the example of Steve Jobs in his design philosophy and Tim Ferris when it comes to lifestyle. You just want to scrape off the shit and leave the good stuff. This is simplicity.

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