In today’s world of non-stop stimulation and productivity, it’s no wonder that many of us are dreaming of a simple life. The simple living movement is a response to an environment that’s gotten a bit out of control – information overload, overconsumption of cheap products and food, jobs that can reach you at any time of day, jam-packed activity schedules for kids, and constant reminders of a million things you “should” be doing. In order to truly create a simple life, you may at some point want to overhaul your career, living situation, habits, and so on. But you don’t have to do it all at once. I wrote previously about easy steps you can take today to simplify your life. To build on that, I…
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If you found this blog, you’re probably on board with the idea of simple living. You might aspire to totally transform your life. To move to a cottage, quit your 9-5, and raise chickens. All that is probably great, honestly. But it’s not actually necessary in order to drastically improve your life. A while back, I shared 10 ways to simplify your life today. I wanted to prove that you can take action immediately to start simple living. You don’t have to dream about “someday.” And I want to share these tiny simple living habits that changed my life for the same reason. These are extremely simple changes I’ve made that have majorly upgraded my life. Sure, there were some bigger life changes I gradually implemented over time that really made…
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It seems like microplastics are all over the news right now. We knew single-use plastic wasn’t great for the environment. But in recent years we’ve learned it also has serious effects on our health. Not only from microplastics entering human tissues, but also from endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like BPA and phthalates that are emitted from the plastics in our environment. But the question of how to avoid microplastics in our plastic world is not an easy one. To me, starting at home – where I have control over the environment – was the first step. I recently started a project to reduce the amount of plastic exposure my family was getting at home. There are many excellent sources of information on microplastics and EDCs in common household products. But I…
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Intentional living can be powerful for an INTP. It simplifies and streamlines your life. And it demands you answer the why behind everything you do. If you’re an INTP, all that probably sounds pretty appealing. If you’re unfamiliar, intentional living refers to focusing on meaning and purpose in your everyday life. Philosophies like minimalism and essentialism – which I also write about often – support intentional living. The idea behind all of these is to actively choose your life – the things you do, people you interact with, and things you pay attention to. Instead of passively letting life “happen,” you actively consider the value of everything you give your time, attention, and resources. Often, this involves cutting away low-value pursuits in favor of those most meaningful to you. As I explained in my Enneagram series, I see personality typology…
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So many of us drift through life for years wondering in the back of our minds when we’ll “find purpose.” The challenge to this task is that everything in modern society is designed to distract us from our purpose. Every advancement in technology and shift in media formats is geared toward grabbing our attention. Given this environment, it’s no wonder we can’t focus long enough to figure out what’s meaningful to us personally. So, how can we start to find purpose? One of the best frameworks I’ve found for shifting my perspective and focusing on what matters is intentional living. Essentially, intentional living means “living on purpose.” Knowing what matters to you – and what doesn’t. And making daily decisions based on that. Sounds simple enough, right? But it can be quite…
