SLT015: Creating Your Morning Routine, and Living Without a Printer

Wouldn’t you love to simplify your morning routine? What? You don’t have one? Well, in this episode Vanessa shares some tips to help you create your morning routine so you can start of each morning on the right path.

Morning Routine

But even if you start out on the right path, sometimes little things can become big irritants, can’t they? One thing that can be really frustrating is printer problems. Do you think you could digitize your life to the point where you don’t even need a printer? Well, Dan shares his thoughts on that very subject! Read more… 

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SLT 013: Escaping My Shawshank Cubicle, and First Steps on the Road to Simplicity

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Escaping My Shawshank Cubicle, and First Steps on the Road to Simplicity

Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show!  Thanks!

Main Topics  

Dan’s Topic: Escaping My Shawshank Cubicle

“Indoor” jobs have never been a good match for my personality. I did well at them…the tasks, anyways, but I felt like that “staff work” was slowly sucking the life out of me…stealing my soul. Plus, I’ve always been a pretty fast worker and some would say I’m a great time manager, and that’s how it may look. But the truth is, I just have an ability to get crazy focused and knock out some really quality stuff really really quickly. Some people think that’s a gift…but I always said it was a curse.

So, the reason I say it’s a curse is because I vividly remember…so many times…sitting at my desk, looking at the clock, it’s 2:30 pm, I’m not only caught up on my work but I’m way ahead. Yet there is no way I can leave. That’s just not how it worked. I’m essentially a prisoner….to a cubicle cell, and my master is $7 clock. A really, really slow clock that I swear sometimes ticked backwards, just to spite me.

It was in those times that the seed was planted that someday I would build a future for myself, us, and our family,where our lives were designed purposefully around what we love. And I’ll get to that in a bit.

But I’m just guessing that as you simplify your life, shaping how you work is important to you, too. You probably dream about creating a simpler life that includes a lifestyle business…you know, not a business that you work at 24/7 for a few years hoping someone buys you out…I’m talking a situation where you do something that helps other people, that you love doing, and that affords you the chance to live life on your terms. So, I wanted to share a couple of adages that will give you something to ponder this week as you listen to podcasts in your car or cubicle. Maybe they’ll prod you just enough to take some action.

The Frog in a Pot of Water:

The adage goes that if you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to jump right out. But if you place it gently in a pot of warm water and turn the heat on low, it will float there quite placidly. As the water gradually heats up, the frog will sink into a tranquil stupor, exactly like one of us in a hot bath, and before long, with a smile on its face, it will unresistingly allow itself to be boiled to death. Crazy huh? Now don’t run out and try this. Be nice to frogs or they’ll keep you up all night when you’re camping. Seriously though, haven’t you felt like this at work some times?  I know I did. You get to the point where you’ll put up with anything because you’re comfortable with the “security”, “predictability”, whatever. But is that as good as it’s supposed to get?

Crabs in a Bucket:

So the story goes that if you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket, most of the crabs will just clamor around at the bottom of the bucket making a fuss. But what happens when one of the crabs tries to climb out of the bucket? Do all the other crabs join in to help him escape? Nope. They pull him back down into the bucket. Now, I’m not going to draw any direct conclusions to your life, but how many times have you wanted to do something new, different or adventurous and all those around you who supposedly “care” about you say “that’s crazy”, or “no” or try to talk you out of it, or tell you how bad things could get. Now it’s certainly not because the they don’t want you to succeed. I think it’s because they DO care and just don’t want to see you fail. But sometimes, just like the crabs, they don’t know that if they just give you a lift then you might actually make it! That’s the crab mentality. Sure, there are some who might think “Well if I can’t have it then no one can.” But, I tend to trust in humanity, and I’d bet most cases are just people who care about you but are too scared to take action themselves, so they think they’re giving you good advice.

How I Wanted to Define My Work Life:

I decided that when I left my first career and started my next life, it would be by my rules. And I defined what I wanted this way:

  • Do work where I was paid for performance over presence
  • When possible, work on a project basis versus a time basis (the only clock I want to work on is nature’s clock)
  • Wear what I wanted, when I wanted
  • Innovate without permission
  • Gather my own toolset that best serves my craft
  • Don’t limit myself to vacation days or how long I can work
  • Choose who I want to work with and why

How It All Played Out:

  • Vanessa was doing the stay at home Mom thing at the time, but it was getting to that point that she was ready to go back to work.
  • Well when it comes to a Simple Life Together, it sure is a lot better when you can have the together part! So we tweaked the plans a bit to plan out what Vanessa really wanted to do with her career, too.
  • Vanessa decided that being a Professional Organizer was her calling
  • Before she even started doing hands-on organizing we set up a website for her to start blogging about organization and simplicity.
  • We focused on her making the transition to self employment first, with me supporting her efforts and then following along with my goals later.

Starting Our First Website. Ugh!!!!

I gotta tell you, setting up that first website was a bear! I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and everything I read got me more confused. But I kept plugging away at it and in the years since I can’t tell you how many sites I’ve set up for us and for clients. But I vividly remember feeling absolutely lost and almost helpless! It would take me hours to figure out some of the simplest tasks or collect the info to make an informed decision. And that website was so important to us.

  • It was a proving ground for me to get it set up and learn about things like hosting, WordPress, plugins, and a tiny little bit of code.
  • It was a proving ground for Vanessa to begin writing about her new found passion for organizing.
  • It was like this huge opportunity and major stumbling block rolled all into one.
  • But we did it! We were on our way to starting a lifestyle business, a “side gig” as many call it.

I Got Some Great Advice!

I’d certainly recommend that that’s how you start your lifestyle business, too. Some of the best advice I got was from Dan Miller, author of the best selling book 48 Days to the Work You Love.

  • I listened to his podcasts and studied what he had to say.
  • Often, he’d advise people to “start doing something on the side” and grow that side business…that “side gig”…until it can support you.
  • Along with that goes another piece of advice, and that is to “bootstrap” your business, meaning start with your own money and start without going into loads of debt.
  • I know that if this is one of your goals you’re probably so motivated to start that you want jump right in. But, just like consumerism…and we talk about this all the time here…sometimes patience helps you realize what you really need to get started versus what you want to get started.

Some Caveats…Please Take These Seriously

Just know before you start that it takes a LOT of work to work for yourself. And I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s really hard to make a business simple…but if it’s something you’ve absolutely decided to do then that’s great! Go for it!

  • To be clear, it took us a long time working in “normal” careers to support us getting started on our own.
  • If anyone or any website tries to sell you a lifestyle line and promises it to be easy…RUN! It’s not easy.
  • You can be as passionate as you want about something but if you’re not making money at it then it’s just a hobby!
  • That’s why it’s best to start out with a side gig to test the waters.

The Light At the End of the Tunnel

But if you’re ready to start on the path to shaping your life a bit more then there’s one thing I’d like to give you to help you get started. Something I wish I had…a guide to setting up your website. Like I said, for us getting that web presence going was one of the most intimidating things because we had no background in it whatsoever. Now we can do it pretty simply and I’ve copied all the background info down for you in Seven Modules, including what you need to know about…

  • Module 1: Creating a Website for Your Lifestyle Business
  • Module 2: Choosing a Domain Name
  • Module 3: Choosing a Hosting Provider
  • Module 4: Which Website Platform to Use
  • Module 5: Giving Your Site More Functionality
  • Module 6: Getting Creative with Your Brand (logos, headers, print materials, promotional merchandise, etc)
  • Module 7: Tapping the Power of Social Media

There are even links to videos to show you exactly how to get started on your site.

So, What’s the Catch?

No “catch”, it’s absolutely and completely free and it will be available next week or sooner.

  • It’s over 30 pages long and is packed with great tips to help you get that lifestyle business going on the side.
  • If you like the guide, and we think you will…especially for the low, low price of…FREE...we just ask that you consider using the affiliate links inside the guide to sign up for the web hosting you’ll need for your site.
  • You’ll get a fantastic rate, a free domain with top-notch hosting that all told will cost you around a hundred bucks for the the whole year.
  • Out of this, we get a small commission from the host that costs you nothing extra, and knowledge that we helped you get your lifestyle business started to support your Simple Life Together.
  • Everybody wins!  If starting up a website is new to you, I’ll guarantee you that if you follow the tips in the guide it will save you countless hours of research trying to figure the process out. Geez, I wish I had this a few years ago!

So that’s it…a bit about how we started on this path toward simplicity and how we’d like to help you too if you’re looking to start a lifestyle business of your own. You can sign up to download the guide here:  Yes…I want the Simple Life Guide to Building Your Website and as soon as it’s available I’ll send you a link! Simple as that!

Edit & Forget It Update!

Well, the Facebook Edit & Forget It page is alive and well so if you signed up for Edit & Forget It feel free to join us on FB, too! For the folks that are there…it’s great to be able to see your photos and interact…we have some folks making amazing progress on their challenge! There have been some pretty funny posts over there too so if you haven’t been on the page, you’re missing out.  It’s still 2013 so it’s never too late to join the Challenge, so if you’re ready to edit 2013 things from your life, you can sign up right here! We have people signing up every day and we’d love to have you join us!

Vanessa’s Topic: First Steps on the Road to Simplicity

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and former colleague of ours sent me a direct message on Facebook commenting on how much he liked our podcast and our messages about living a life of simplicity.  He said that he realizes these are great lessons not just for adults but for our kids as well, but was wondering how parents instill these ideas in their kids? Though I’m not an expert, I have learned through my experiences as a parent, teacher, daughter and student (of parenting and organizing) that there are some strategies that can help make that learning process…those first steps on the Road To Simplicity…a little bit easier for your kids (or even adults).  So, in no particular order (except for the first thing I mention below), here are some thoughts and strategies:

  •  Start with your values: When it comes to organizing and not buying into consumerism I recommend starting by looking at the values you want to instill in your children. Do you value spending time with and nurturing your family, exercising your faith, practicing financial responsibility, promoting a healthy lifestyle and personal fitness? Or exploring your creativity via hobbies, experiencing cultures via travel, practicing a good work ethic and earning your keep or giving back to others and practicing selflessness? What do you value most in life and what do you want to instill in your children? I recommend evaluating that first before getting into the “how tos” of it all because that will affect the way you act…the way you make decisions…and the way you parent.
  • Practice leadership by example: For instance…Stop working at a reasonable hour so that you can get home and spend time with your family. Curb your own spending. Pick up after yourself. Edit your own belongings. Read the bible and pray with your family. Let them see you exercise and eat healthy food. Sit down at the dinner table together when possible. Show them how to donate things and help the needy. By walking the walk they’ll see what’s important to you and in turn hopefully they’ll internalize that themselves.
  •  Get into instructor/teacher mode: If you want to teach your children new habits or a new way of thinking, try using some of the Laws of Learning: In particular: the Law of Repetition (repeating an action over and over again) and Law of Recency (the more recent or frequent an action is practiced the faster it’s learned). Of course the Law of Primacy sometimes gets in the way (this is trying to break bad habits if they were the first ones learned). The idea is to instruct them:  tell them what you want and expect…explain why it’s important…show them how (if applicable)…practice…repeat… and then hold them accountable.
  • Speaking of accountability…have a system of rewards and consequences. This is along the lines of teaching your kids to be organized.  Reward them if they do good….but exercise the consequences if they’re bad. The key is to back up those consequences to prove you are serious.
  • Take advantage of teachable moments: They want to buy that big, expensive toy or the one with a million pieces? Ok. They have to save up and pay for it with their own money….or lug it around the store while you shop…or carry it around the amusement park all day long….or clean all the play doh up themselves…or pick up all those millions of pieces before they can play or do anything else.
  • Praise when they make good choices: Shower your kids with affection when they don’t beg for toys, voluntarily put artwork in the recycle bin, clean up after themselves or donate a toy willingly. Your children want to make you proud! You’ve gotta show them that you are!
  • Less television is always a good thing! I took that quote directly from Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist during our interview a couple of podcasts ago.  This is one I’m personally working on because honestly…the television was giving me a break!   But I realized it’s more important I spend time with my child rather than tune her out (pun intended).  I started to limit the amount of television she watches so now we do a lot of other activities together. We try to opt for recorded shows without commercials…NickJR…Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, etc. to limit her exposure to commercials and advertisements…bonus!
  • Have a genuine conversation with your kids: Ask why they want things. Ask them how it will make their life better. Ask them if it will make them feel better about themselves and how. Let them explore their own feelings without putting words in their mouths. Let them come to the conclusions on why something is or isn’t important. It shows that you are not babying them and that you respect their thoughts.
  • Compliment your kids often and build their self-confidence: It will help curb the need to be like everyone else. Your children’s clothes and things don’t define them…it’s their beautiful spirits and caring personalities that do!

So…that was probably way more than my friend expected to get from his question… but I’m so glad he asked it because I think it something a lot of parents wonder about and don’t mind getting some ideas and suggestions on how they can teach their own children on how to appreciate what they have. I hope this was beneficial for all of you listening out there.

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: A Shopping Trip With My Daughter And Her Grasping The Idea Of Less

A few days ago I decided to take my daughter to the store to buy a volleyball and football so we could play catch in the backyard.  As we were walking through the store to go pay, I told her: ”Ok Junior…remember what we do when we get something new?  We have to give away something old, right?”  She said, “Oh yeah I remember mommy.  Yes, I can give away something I don’t play with anymore. That would be a good idea, right mommy?” And as we were having this conversation I passed a woman (who appeared to be there with her family of six kids) and I think she overheard me talking to Junior because she did a double take.  I don’t know if she heard or was interested in what I said but I don’t mind at all if she overheard my message! I was just so extraordinarily proud of my little girl….SHE GETS IT! And you know what…she got rid of 25 items in place of those 3 new ones!  Not bad for a 5 year old!

Dan:  A Private Podcasting Community on Google+ 

My thing this week is this group of fellow podcasters that I belong to. We meet on Google+ every couple of weeks and talk about podcasting, technology, what’s going on with our shows, you name it. It’s great. It’s so important to have a group you can bounce ideas off of, learn from, gauge your reality against, and know they’ll tell you their true opinion. That’s one thing I miss from my military days was having that peer group I can go to where everyone contributes. I’ve often thought of starting a mastermind group online to have that for the business side of things or the simplicity side of things. If you’ve never heard of a mastermind group it was made popular by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich and the concept basically references the synergies created when several minds unite to work towards a common specific goal, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Basically, your own little think tank for ideas.  And so, hopefully you’re blessed to have people in your life to share and evaluate things with, too. If not…maybe you should take a look around. Start close to home with friends but maybe Google+ communities are a place to look, or Meetup.com…the key is to find a few people, with shared interests, and talk.  So, that’s my thing…

Closing Thoughts:

We’re blessed to be able to share some ideas and some of our experiences as we journey toward a simpler life in the modern world and we’d like to hear some of your experiences, too.

It sure would help if you you took just 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes. The more positive reviews we get, the higher the show is in the listings and that’s how people find us.

If you like the show, please subscribe and consider giving us a good review in iTunesIt takes less than 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes and that’s the best way for people to find us.

  • In iTunes just search for Simple Life Together
  • Click on the green “Simple Life Together” picture…
  • Scroll down to Customer Reviews where you’ll see “Write a Review”
  • Click on”Write a Review”
  • Write your review…
  • Click “Submit”! It’s as easy as that and it really helps to get the word out about the the show.  Thanks for doing that.  

If you know someone else who might enjoy the journey too, send them a link to SimpleLifeTogether.com

Connect with us on Twitter, Dan is @DanielHayes and Vanessa is @GetSimplifized. You can find links to our Twitter and Google Plus profiles on the left side of the home page.

Be sure to leave comments below, send us a voicemail from the little microphone icon on the right side of the page, or you can go “old school” and email us!  Comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…they’re all welcome and we’d love to hear from you!

So, here are the links we mentioned in the show:

Simple Life Guide to Building Your Website

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

48 Days To The Work You Love by Dan Miller

SLT 012: Sun Tzu & the Art of Inbox Warfare, and How To Organize Any Space

Play

The Art of Inbox Warfare, and How To Organize Any Space

Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show!  Thanks!

Main Topics  

Dan’s Topic: Sun Tzu & the Art of Inbox Warfare

We’ve had a few other listeners out there who have been struggling with their email inboxes lately, so I thought I’d take some time to give you some tips on how you can declare war on Inbox clutter and reclaim the calm to this part of your digital life.

The key to email management is the same as it is to physical things in your simple life: limit what you allow into your life. If your inbox is full of messages that don’t add value to your life, eliminate them now and put systems into place to eliminate them permanently.

Why do we get so much junk?
Sometimes it’s just that your email was on a subscriber list that was sold to marketers. But it’s also affected by what type of things you sign up for. So, if you really want to cut down on junk email:

  • Be a bit more careful who you give your email address to
  • Signing up for every little contest or offering that comes along is like saying, “Please spam me!”
  • Get over what’s called FOMO or the fear of missing out.
  • There’s good info and junk info…bringing more junk info into your life doesn’t make your life better or more simple. It makes it cluttered and hectic. Trust me, you’re not missing out.

So, here are some steps you can take to shape a more simple email experience:

– Unsubscribe from newsletters, feeds, updates, lists and other streams that don’t enrich your life.  If there’s no link to unsubscribe, you shouldn’t be at all uncomfortable about marking the message as spam. Gmail has a built in function that marks the message as spam and automatically attempts to unsubscribe you from the sender’s list but you can also do it yourself by clicking the  little stop sign-shaped icon with an exclamation point inside in your Inbox panel.

– Another way to deal with unwanted emails is by using filters. Most email programs allow you to set filters to weed out messages based on your inputs.  You can easily set filters in the settings area of your Gmail account, or if you have an email message open in Gmail, just click the “More” button and choose “Filter Messages Like These”.  Then just follow the prompts.

 So that covers stopping the deluge of inbound emails. What about the “Occupy Inbox” movement that’s already camped on in your email? Here’s how to handle what you have right now in 3 Steps:

1-Pick the dozen or so emails in your inbox that must be handled now to avoid an emergency, overcharges, severe embarrassment, or a close relationship and deal with them now. That alone will leave you feeling better.

2- Make the rest of the not so urgent emails (and yes, for many people that numbers in the THOUSANDS) and put them in a temporary folder or Label (Gmail). You’ll deal with them later. This does 2 things… First, it gets what appears to be a major obstacle, stumbling block, and barrier to progress out of the way. Second, it allows you to set up new habits and systems.

3- Tackle that Temporary folder or Label full of old emails. If you have so many that you can’t tackle it in one sitting, pick a time, set a timer for 15 minutes, and go to battle. Make time in your schedule for the next session, and keep at it until you’ve dealt with all of them. BUT…big but here…NOT at the cost of your inbox. You’ve got to commit to staying on top of your inbox.

So, now that you’ve kindly asked the spammy squatters to move on and you have your Inbox back...let’s move on to those habits and skills. Here are some things to master for a solid email routine:

– Don’t Over-Do the Folders or Labels:  Keep it simple by trusting the search function in your email system. So, set up a few folders (called “Labels” in Gmail) that match the major areas of your life such as work, family, home, your passions, taxes, etc…and then just use the Archive function for the rest.

– Trust the Search Function: Gmail is especially great at this.

– Delete When You’re Done: if you’ve finished reading an email and have no reason to keep it, then delete it right away.

– Limit your Access: This one takes a lot of getting used to. Especially if you have a reputation for always being available…digitally, of course. Set your own terms on checking email. Tim Ferriss recommends in his book The Four Hour Workweek, not to check your e-mail the first thing in the morning, and only check it periodically throughout the day.

– Set Expectations for those you correspond with, especially if they’re used to your instant responses. Set an auto responder that you’re only checking emails twice a day and give options for emergencies such as “If this is an emergency, please call my cell.”  No need to give out your cell number as those close to you already likely have it.

– Send fewer emails yourself and write your emails to elicit complete responses versus volleys of emails (like the effective communication mentioned in Episode 10). For instance, when setting up an appointment, instead of asking “When are you available?” State in your email, “I can meet Monday morning between 9:00 and 11:00 or Tuesday between 2:00 and 4:15.  If neither of those times work for you, please send me 3 options for Wednesday through Friday in the morning after 9:00, but before 4:15.”

– Keep your messages simple. Short sentences and 3-4 sentences at most, if possible. If this is a “just catching up” email…consider whether a phone call, Skype call, or Facetime wouldn’t be more productive.

-Your Inbox shouldn’t be your To-Do List . Process everything that comes in to your inbox with the goal of touching it once. If it’s a to do, use the Task List in Gmail along with Google Calendar, Evernote, the Reminders function on your Mac, or some other task management system.

-Avoid sending e-mails if you can. If you’re having problems with too many e-mails, why continue to add to it?  Find ways to cut down on the e-mails you send and help others avoid the clutter in their inbox, too.

Managing your inbox is a continuous battle. So, I’ll recap this in combat terms using the Principles of War compiled from the likes of Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and other smart dead guys. So, in no particular order, here we go!

  • Objective – Objective is defined as: Directing every operation toward a clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective.  A simple military example is “Take that hill and hold it!”.  For your email, your objective isn’t really “Inbox Zero” as some systems claim. That’s just a likely result. Your Objective is effective communication and your Inbox is one tool for that. Don’t beat yourself up if you have a couple untouched emails in your Inbox until you’re ready to deal with them. Focus on the “effective communication” aspect.
  • Offensive – Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. “Attack!”  Just like in sports, defense is great, but you have to take action to win. Seize control of your Inbox, folders, and email system, and capitalize on your momentum to maintain the offensive.
  • Mass – In military ops, commanders strive to Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time. Commanders have many different weapons systems at their disposal. They bring air, land, and sea assets together at decisive places and times to defeat the enemy. That’s Mass. For your email system, this means “batch your tasks.” We talk about batching tasks a lot because it works. Interruptions kill momentum gained in the offensive and waste your time.
  • Economy of Force – Employ all combat power available in the most effective way possible; allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. In war, like in life, assets are finite. You can’t use all the tools in your toolkit all at once or when a lesser tool can accomplish the task. Your personal effort is your combat power when dealing with your Inbox. Maximize the use of automated systems such as the filters we talked about to minimize your personal effort, while maximizing the effectiveness of your system.
  • Maneuver – Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power. Essentially, lining up to “take the shot.” Again, filters can go a long way with maneuver, but think of your Folders or Labels in Gmail as a way to compartmentalize your info, and focus your attention where it needs to be.
  • Unity of Command – For every objective, seek unity of command and unity of effort. We’ve all been in situations where we wonder “who’s in charge here?” Who do I listen to? Unity of Command and Effort are great concepts to use when you share email for tasks or have an assistant that helps you with your emails. For instance, in a family setting, whoever does the bills should get the emails regarding the bills. In a work setting, your secretary or assistant should have clear guidelines for acting on your behalf or highlighting messages for your personal attention. The Four Hour Work Week has great examples for this.
  • Security – Never permit the enemy to acquire unexpected advantage. Of course there’s physical security, but one area that’s stressed in military circles is OPSEC or operational security. In sports, a boxer tries not to telegraph their punches, and poker players keep have a poker face to hide their intentions. At the same time, they try to read their opponents and look for their “tell”…a sign that gives away the opponent’s intentions. The enemy in our case is unnecessary information or digital clutter. Of course, be sure to apply all pertinent security methods for your email by using strong passwords, etc, but also think of this as securing your email address from those who might try to exploit it, and you, with spam, phishing attempts, and malware.
  • Simplicity – The most effective military plans are simple. The goal with this principle is to prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.  There’s an adage called “Napoleon’s Corporal” that describes how Napoleon would have a corporal sit in during battle plan briefings to see if he understood the plan. If the Corporal understood, Napoleon figured, then commanders would understand. This best applies to your Folder or Labels system. Once again, if you’re using a product like Gmail, trust your email program’s search function.

and finally, we have..

  • Surprise – Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which he is unprepared. OK, this one might be a bit of a stretch, but wait until you see the surprise on the asker’s face when you decline to give your email address to someone who is trying to collect it. It’s precious! If you’re uncomfortable saying NO at first, have a decoy email address you can give. Look, you’re just protecting yourself, so no harm-no foul there. But eventually, it’s best to just take a stand and say, “I don’t give that out. I’m sure you understand.”

So that’s it. A little Inbox Boot Camp so you can liberate your email from the enemy.

Edit & Forget It Update!

The spreadsheets were sent out to everyone who signed up for the Challenge at SimpleLifeTogether.com, so if you signed up and haven’t received them, drop us an email.

We’ll be setting up a private Facebook group for those doing the Edit & Forget It Challenge. You can share your successes, struggles, post pictures, etc.

  • Only members of the group will be able to see who’s in the group and what members post.
  • I’ll send out a message to those who have signed up for the Challenge already through SimpleLifeTogether.com telling them where to go on Facebook and request to join the Group.
  • If the email you signed up for the Challenge was different from your Facebook name, I may send you a direct email confirming it’s you.
  • This Group will be for Edit & Forget It members only. People who sign up after 24 January 2013 will automatically get an invite to the private Facebook page after they sign up.
  • There’s certainly no requirement to join the Facebook group, it’s just another way to be involved in the Challenge. If Facebook isn’t your thing…no worries at all.
  • It’s not too late to join the Challenge, so if you’re ready to edit 2013 things from your life, sign up on the website. We have people signing up every day and we’d love to have you join us!

Vanessa’s Topic: How To Organize Any Space

Since I’ve already talked about How Clutter Affects Your Life (Episode 10), The Benefits of Organizing and Having Less (Episode 4) and Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Clutter (Epidsode 3), I figured it was time share with you some tips on how to organize any space!

I won’t have time to go into a lot of detail but if you want a more in-depth explanation of the process you can check out my Organize Any Space Series at SimpleLifeTogether.com/organizeanything. I have 6 posts in the series that discusses each step in the process with a finale post where I organize a kitchen using the step-by-step process on how to organize it.

I’m just going to quickly outline the process on how you can organize any space but before you start I recommend:

– Start small.  Pick a small area like a small junk drawer, nightstand, or one section of your closet.  Whatever the project…pick just a small one.

– Mark your calendar. Yes…set a date for your organizing project. You’re more likely to get it done if you set a date.

– Give yourself adequate time to organize your space.  Since I recommend starting small give yourself at least 2 – 3 hours. It may not take that long, but you’ll be surprised how long some projects take.

– Limit interruptions. Try not to answer your phone, voicemails, emails, etc.  And if you can do it while the kids are out….that would be awesome!

There are several different organizers that have their own terminology on how to organize, but the basic steps and  process are all pretty much the same.  So being the uber simple gal that I am…I just have a 4 step process: N…A…P…O (ironically it’s the same acronym as the National Association of Professional Organizers…dorky I know):

1. Determine your NEEDS

2. ASSESS your space

3. PURGE or PARE DOWN your space

4. ORGANIZE your space

STEP 1 – DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS: (Please don’t skip over this step)  

– You really need to have a clear understanding of what your needs are, otherwise your efforts will be in vain. 

– Be sure to get the family and other household members involved.   

– Envision the space.  What is your end state?  How do you want it to look?  How do you want it to function?  How do you want to feel?

STEP 2 – ASSESS YOUR SPACE: (Don’t skip this step either)

– Identify what’s working for you. 

– Identify what’s not working for you.

– You’ll also want to evaluate your habits and natural tendencies. 

– Determine what’s in the space that shouldn’t be there. 

– Determine what is essential to you. 

– Map out your space by taking measurements and identifying limitations.

– Take “before” pictures of the space.

STEP 3 – PURGE/or PARE DOWN: This is the hands on editing phase of organizing your space…the part that’s the most difficult and frustrating but if you follow these steps it’ll make it a lot easier:

– Gather your supplies (paper, post it notes, markers, trash bags, 4-8 bins  for sorting ,  a folding table to give you a flat surface to work on,  and maybe even gloves for messier work like in the garage).

– Set up your sorting bins, bags and/or piles. 

KEEP: anything you love, use and need.  (Note:  this may require several additional  piles because you’re going to break your “keep items” down into general “like” categories like: office supplies, paperwork, kitchen utensils, electronics, toys, etc. Don’t get too specific…keep the piles general for now…you can fine tune later).

TRASH: items that are broken, soiled, ripped or beyond repair (use a trash bag)

RECYCLE: self explanatory but check with your local recycling center to see what they’ll take (use trash bag)

DONATE: don’t donate anything that is in poor condition. You know, things that you wouldn’t give  to friends or family (use trash bag or box).

DON’T KNOW: stuff you’re having a hard time of letting go of or figuring out what to do with.  Don’t spend too much time on these right now…you can decide later what to do with them.

ELSEWHERE / RETURN: belong in another room, belong to someone else, or need to be returned.

– Start sorting…pull everything out of the space one item at a time and decide which bin to put it in.

– Start with flat surfaces first to free up your tables and counter space then tackle the cabinets and drawers and so on.

– Move from one side of the room to the other. You’ll have a better idea of how much you’ve gotten done as you go.

– Once you’ve finished sorting, go back to your DON’T KNOW PILE: If you don’t love it, need it or use it you can probably let it go.  But if you’re still having trouble, I recommend going to Episode 3’s shownotes for other helpful questions to guide your decision.

– Remove all your bins and bags except for your “KEEP” items from the area immediately! Don’t give yourself the opportunity to change your mind.

 STEP 4 – ORGANIZE: This is where you start to put things back in the space. Here are some things to keep in mind as you organize:

Sort like items together:  Remember that KEEP Pile? You can break those general categories of things down even further. For example your kitchen pile can now be broken down into glasses, bakeware, pots and pans, utensils, dinnerware, food, bowls, etc.  You can do the same for your clothes, toys and office supplies.

Create zones in your space and place your items accordingly. For example the kitchen; you can establish a cooking zone near the stove, a baking zone near the oven, a coffee/beverage zone near the sink or fridge and a serving zone/dinnerware near the dishwasher.

In your zones, place frequently used items within arms reach.  Everyday items should be easy to grab.

Seldom used items up high, down low or in back of your frequently used items.

Think safety for yourself and the kids. Delicates, cleaning supplies, medications and heavy items should be put in areas that are safe).

– Don’t forget about vertical storage.  You can install racks on walls, behind door, or inside cabinets. You can use the side of a refrigerator or metal filing cabinet to hang magnetic jars and baskets.

– Use containers and containers within containers.  I always recommend shopping from your own home and using what you have first (you may have actually freed up some containers after you edited).  But if you want to update your space with newer, nicer, or more efficient products by all means go ahead, just make sure you measure twice…and purchase once!

– Now you should label everything you can! I highly recommend getting yourself a good label maker like the Brother P-Touch…it makes such a difference.  You can label shelves, containers, lazy susans, drawers, etc. It helps to learn where things go…and where to return them!!!!

– Maintain your space by establishing rules and routines. Refer to Episode 2.

So that’s how you organize any space: Determine your Needs, Assess your space, Purge your space and Organize it…then  Repeat because organizing is usually cyclical ;o)

 The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: Never Too Old To Learn

My Thing this week was being inspired by my one of my clients to never stop learning. I have a 68 year old client who in the past 3-4 years has completed her Bachelors in Nursing as well has her Master’s Degree…and is now working on her PhD. Dang!  She inspired me to pursue an Interior Decorating certification as well as my certification as a Certified Professional Organizer .  Yay!

Dan:  Focusing a Little Harder on the Fitness Pillar

Well, if you listened to Episode 1 or looked around our site, you know we focus our lives on our five pillars of Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness and Future. Well, with the holidays, my Vegas trip, too much sitting at a desk, the weather and (insert incredibly lame excuse here)…I think I’ve been too lax lately and my body is sending me signals to make some changes.  So I’m going to re-focus on my fitness and health by  doing more juicing, walking and biking.  So, that’s my thing…

Feedback: We’ve been getting flooded with great feedback and here’s just a sample:

Chef Toni from DinnerMadeSimple.com. wrote:”Just what I was looking for! A little direction on how live life more simply. Love Dan and Vanessa’s take on all this. From technology to finances to organizing…they’ve got it all covered and I can’t wait for more episodes! ”

Emily from TheCrunchyCoach.com wrote: “Every once in a while, I run into a new podcast that I wish was an old one so I could keep on listening to archived episodes every day for the next couple of months. Yours is one! Hurry up and get the next one out, lol! ” Turns out Emily started the Edit and Forget It Challenge before we even started it!  She’s gotten rid of a ton of stuff!

Vanessa was listening to the Mommy’s Cocktail Hour podcast and low and behold they mentioned SimpleLifeTogether as one of their Fabulous Finds for the week! How cool! So, thanks to all the ladies over at MommysCocktailHour.com!

And Nick from SPNT.tv left a terrific comment on iTunes for us. Nick is looking to simplify his life this year, too, and started listening to us on Episode 1 and he’s on his way! Well, thanks, Nick, and we’re certainly glad to be able to help out along the way!

Closing Thoughts:

We’re blessed to be able to share some ideas and some of our experiences as we journey toward a simpler life in the modern world and we’d like to hear some of your experiences, too.

It sure would help if you you took just 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes. The more positive reviews we get, the higher the show is in the listings and that’s how people find us.

If you like the show, please subscribe and consider giving us a good review in iTunesIt takes less than 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes and that’s the best way for people to find us.

  • In iTunes just search for Simple Life Together
  • Click on the green “Simple Life Together” picture…
  • Scroll down to Customer Reviews where you’ll see “Write a Review”
  • Click on”Write a Review”
  • Write your review…
  • Click “Submit”! It’s as easy as that and it really helps to get the word out about the the show.  Thanks for doing that.  

If you know someone else who might enjoy the journey too, send them a link to SimpleLifeTogether.com

Connect with us on Twitter, Dan is @DanielHayes and Vanessa is @GetSimplifized. You can find links to our Twitter and Google Plus profiles on the left side of the home page.

Be sure to leave comments below, send us a voicemail from the little microphone icon on the right side of the page, or you can go “old school” and email us!  Comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…they’re all welcome and we’d love to hear from you!

So, here are the links we mentioned in the show:

The 4 Hour Workweek

Brother P-Touch Label Maker

Mommy’s Cocktail Hour

SPNT.tv

DinnerMadeSimple.com

SLT Podcast Episode 1

SLT Podcast Episode 2

SLT Podcast Episode 3

 SLT Podcast Episode 4

 

SLT Podcast Episode 10

SLT 011: Becoming Minimalist With Joshua Becker and “But Wait, There’s More!”

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Becoming Minimalist With Joshua Becker and “But Wait, There’s More!”

Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show!  Thanks!

Main Topics  

Interview with Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com

We had an amazing interview with, Joshua. He shared so much information with us!  He is truely an inspiration and has fantastic advice on how to simplify and get more out of your life by living with less.  Here is a list of questions we asked Joshua (believe us…you definitely want to listen to the podcast!):

1. So, Joshua…who are you and how do you make people’s lives simpler?

2. Could you tell us about the “catalyst” that helped you decide to become minimalist and if there were any other factors or events leading up to your decisions?

3. Tell us about how you approached your wife about your idea to pursue minimalism…her reaction…and your collective decision to move forward. Was there any “pushback?”

4. Can you describe how long it took you to get to a point where you called yourself a ‘minimalist’? Can you explain the process?

5. How do you define or explain minimalism?  What does it physically look like to you…how does it feel?

6. Does minimalism for you also include letting go of mental and digital clutter? Bad relationships, overcommitment? Do you have any recommendations for doing that?

7. In your book Inside-Out Simplicity you talk about healthy relationships. I know from personal and professional experience that it’s usually easier when couples are on the same sheet of music, but what advice would you give if couples have different ideas of what simplifying is?

8. In Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness (Simply for Students) you tell a story about your son and his birthday money. I think every parent has experienced that at some point. Could you describe that experience and give some advice to those of us with kids about how to deal with the constant consumer pitch of “more, more, more” and “bigger is better” from every aspect of the media?

9. In your book Simplify, you say that living simply is “the real secret to financial freedom.” How have you found that to be true in your journey and do you have any financial pointers for us?

10. If someone asked what the benefits are to a lifestyle like yours, what would you tell them?

11. How can people learn more about you?

12. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Dan’s Topic: “But Wait, There’s More!” The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show

Alright, so this past week I was in Las Vegas for the 2013 New Media Expo and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and I thought I’d  discuss some of my experiences there. So, I’ll let the irony of that sink in for a moment…a guy trying desperately to fight consumerism and simplify his life…at the CONSUMER electronics show…the LARGEST Consumer Electronics Show in history with over 100K people in attendance.  Yeah…trust me…the irony wasn’t lost on me either! I was actually there on business because I help my clients with tech for their businesses and even some individuals who just want tech coaching.

So, first off, I walked the show with a couple of friends from morning until dinner time and let me just say that the show was pretty amazing!  It would be impossible to cover everything but I thought I would summarize my experience including the good, the ridiculous and some thoughts I had on the whole experience:

– We walked 9 miles, and still didn’t see it all. If I had to guess, I’d say we saw maybe half, if that. Other folks tracked in over 15miles!  That’s a lot of consumer products!

– Companies from every country on the globe were there selling their wares. All the new lines of gadgets and even super hi-tech robots.

– Joshua eluded to the fact that we are bombarded with about 5000 advertisements a day.  Well…think of the CES as that on steroids…like full blast, no holds barred, in your face, just a crazy consumerism extravaganza….”But wait there’s more!” kind of  world!

– I couldn’t help but evaluate it all as I was going through the show, and what struck me was the word lure. You know, like a fishing lure.  I came to the conclusion that the intent of most advertising is simply to lure us in with flashy attention getters, that lack any real substance.

– Lures were everywhere!  From swag bags to” booth babes” and none of which had anything to do with the products.

– And after all that walking around, not much at the show really impressed me as new, innovative or “must have”.

– Products I did like were the new ScanSnap scanner and some very nice Harmon Kardon headphones (they fit perfectly, had amazing sound and can be used corded or cordless…and you know I can’t stand cords).

– On the ridiculous end were $1000 ear buds…I mean really?…earbuds…$1000? And then the worst was they iPotty. Yes…taking one of Nature’s most basic functions (kids learning how to go to the bathroom) and adding the iPad to it. (You’ve got to listen to my rant on the podcast!  I had Vanessa vapor-locked!).

– So, you know what I’ll remember most? Sitting down to dinner at Beni Hanna’s with friends Cliff Ravenscraft from GSPN.tv and Gordon Firemark from Firemark.com for Gordon’s birthday meal. I cherish the personal experiences I had with friends.

– The same goes for my experience at New Media Expo. The NMX staff did a wonderful job…but as much value came from the natural interaction, mingling…some would call it “networking”… as it did from the speakers and sessions.

– So, once again I think this is an example of paying for experiences and opportunities as opposed to paying for “stuff.”

– I leave you with this:  Ask yourself “If I had twice as much stuff, would I be twice as happy?” What about three times more? What about half?”  I know what the answer is for me, and only you know what the right answer is for you.

– And next time you feel yourself getting reeled in by advertising, try to figure out if they are using bait or just a lure. Choose wisely…watch out for the lures…and maybe help out a few of the other fish in the sea while you’re at it.

Vanessa’s Topic: Edit & Forget Challenge Update

We wanted to give you an update on our Edit and Forget It Challenge.  To date, we’ve gotten rid of 322 items…we actually got rid of 120 things on the first day!  Not bad for just starting, huh?!  We’ve also created a spreadsheet to track all the items and what we’ve done with them…DONATE, TOSS, RECYCLE, SELL, ETC.  Additionally I’ve been taking photos and keeping notes on my observations, discoveries and some funnies along the way.  Here are a few examples:

– When editing my memorabilia box, I started going down memory lane and bored Dan with my stories of the past.  I even read a letter from a former boyfriend.  Who does that?  (Listen to the podcast to see how I redeem myself!)

I also got busted by our 5 year old daughter.  I tried to toss an old hair scrunchie and she busted me red-handed!  She obviously had use for it.

– We also discovered that sometimes items can bring up bad feelings…like the universal remote Dan got years ago that apparently was the bane of his existence at one point in his life.  The only thing it “switched” on was his frustration! (But he hasn’t given up hope!)

– And we also got rid of some rather odd things….like caution tape (huh?)…a feather duster (what the?)… and Christmas golf towels (we don’t golf)!

For those of you who’ve signed up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge…thank you!  We’ll be emailing you very soon with updates. When we had 10 folks sign up we were impressed. Then we got 20 folks to sign up and we were like, “wow!” Now we’ve got even more!  If you haven’t signed up but are interested in the challenge, just click on the Edit and Forget It icon on the left hand side of this page.  Remember, it’s not just about letting go of your things…it’s about renewing your mindset and discovering that less is more!

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: Live Different

Vanessa’s “THING” was about an article titled “Live Different” by Pete Tegeler on a blog called The Unitive.  In the article he talks about living in a place of tension…and the struggle between Escapism (when you feel threatened) and Conformity (the need to be relevant). And he also talks about the struggles of pluralism and materialism. Vanessa relates to this article, especially with how we are intentionally living different lives by living with less.

Dan:  An Invisible Thread…an interview on Huckabee

While in Vegas he had the TV on and saw Governor Huckabee interviewing a lady named Laura Schroff and a man named Maurice Mazyck. They have an incredible story that she shares in her book, An Invisible Thread.  It is the story of the mysterious, unseen connections that exist between people who are destined to meet—and how, if only we open our eyes and our hearts to them, these connections can be the great blessings of our lives (Its a must see!  Link is below).

Closing Thoughts:

We’re blessed to be able to share some ideas and some of our experiences as we journey toward a simpler life in the modern world and we’d like to hear some of your experiences, too.

It sure would help if you you took just 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes. The more positive reviews we get, the higher the show is in the listings and that’s how people find us.

If you like the show, please subscribe and consider giving us a good review in iTunesIt takes less than 2 minutes to review the show in iTunes and that’s the best way for people to find us.

  • In iTunes just search for Simple Life Together
  • Click on the green “Simple Life Together” picture…
  • Scroll down to Customer Reviews where you’ll see “Write a Review”
  • Click on”Write a Review”
  • Write your review…
  • Click “Submit”! It’s as easy as that and it really helps to get the word out about the the show.  Thanks for doing that.  

If you know someone else who might enjoy the journey too, send them a link to SimpleLifeTogether.com

Connect with us on Twitter, Dan is @DanielHayes and Vanessa is @GetSimplifized. You can find links to our Twitter and Google Plus profiles on the left side of the home page.

Be sure to leave comments below, send us a voicemail from the little microphone icon on the right side of the page, or you can go “old school” and email us!  Comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…they’re all welcome and we’d love to hear from you!

So, here are the links we mentioned in the show:

Becoming Minimalist Blog

Simplify by Joshua Becker

Living With Less: An Unexpected Key To Happiness by Joshua Becker

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua Becker

The Unitive Blog

Pete Tegeler’s Article Live Different

An Invisible Thread website and video

Cliff Ravenscraft at GSPN.tv

Gordon Firemark at Firemark.com

 

SLT 003: Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Clutter, Backing Up Your Digital Information, and A Little About Dropbox

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Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Clutter, Backing Up Your Digital Information, & A Little About Dropbox

Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show! Thank you!

In Episode 3 we discuss reasons why some people can’t seem to let go of clutter and some tips that may help you decide what to keep and what to let go.  We also talk about some lessons learned from a catastrophic hard drive crash which sparked the “Your Backup Strategy’ strategy segment, and we wanted to sing a few praises for Dropbox. Dropbox is one way to save documents to the cloud and sync them across all your devices simply.

Main Topics:  

Vanessa’s Topic: Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Clutter

  • We feel the need for abundance. We are a consumer-driven society and conditioned to think more is better…it’s all about quantity over quality.
  • We’ve lived a life “without” and find security with having more. Living through the Depression, growing up in a modest or poor  household, or surviving a rough financial patch can play a huge role in why folk don’t ever want to “live without” again.
  • Forget Justin Bieber…we’re more influenced by Justin Case.  You know, “I might need this someday…just in case.” Some folks want to be ultra-prepared for any scenario. It’s ok to be prepared, but try to be realistic…especially if all that stuff is getting in the way.
  • We feel a sense of obligation. Many feel a sense of obligation to keep every gift. It’s ok to hold on to things but you do have the ability to say no.
  • We fear losing the memory if we get rid of something. Many of us have had wonderful and meaningful experiences throughout our lifetime but we fear that if we get rid of a gift, we’ll forget that person, experience or important time in our life.
  • We want to pay tribute to our past experiences.  Like from our childhood, past careers or travels.  It’s easy to go overboard on collections but try to be mindful of collecting too much.
  • We’ve spent too much money and feel like it’s a waste if we give it away. Let’s face it. We’ve all probably spend a good fortune on things that we never used or never really liked. Boy does that sting! Chalk it up as a lesson learn, be more frugal and research before purchasing another product and find comfort in donating your goods to folks who are less fortunate.
  • We’re holding on to the past. We tend to keep things that remind us of times when we were happy, the most confident, or the most successful.
  • And sometimes we hold on for a deeper reason...like allowing our things to define our self-worth…or define our happiness.  Many folks believe that shopping and having more makes them happier but often times it’s just a temporary fix to “fill the void” of something else that’s missing in their lives.

 Simple Steps to Help You Let Go:

  •  Start with the space that’s causing you the most grief or anxiety. This could be the home office, the kitchen, the laundry room, the bedroom etc.
  • Then start small. Pick a small area to work on like a drawer, a shelf, a cabinet, one spot on the kitchen counter, one filing drawer.  You wouldn’t eat an elephant in one sitting right?  You’d take small bites and eat a little at a time.  (Not sure I like that analogy…the thought of eating an elephant is stomach wrenching but you get the point right!)
  • Then ask yourself these questions when deciding what to keep or not to keep:
    • Do I love it?
    • Do I need it?
    • Do I use it?
    • When was the last time I used it?
    • When do I plan on using it?
    • Can I borrow it?
    • Can I rent it?
    • What’s the worst that will happen if I got rid of it?
  • If you answered “yes” to the first three questions then you should probably keep the item. If you answered “no” then considered letting it go.  If you’re still struggling then ask the other questions and you’ll more than likely find your answer.

Dan’s Topic:  Backing Up Your Digital Information and an Intro to Dropbox

Backing Up Your Digital Information: 

  • As anyone who has experienced an unrecoverable hard drive crash knows, your first thoughts are “oh my gosh…what files did I just lose forever?”
  • The reason I lost some files is boils down to one thing…I failed to make the process simple.

Negative Lessons Learned

  • I took too long to make my decision on which backup system to use for my huge video files
    • Foolish rookie decision making mistake.
    • George S. Patton: “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” (when it’s too late)

Positive Lessons Learned:

  •  My routine of using Dropbox (and Google Drive) for all my important work docs proved a complete success.
  • While all docs, pics, vids, etc, that were hosted in my iMac are gone, every single one I had on the Cloud (whether Dropbox or Drive) are intact and those workflows are seamless.
  • I use Dropbox and Drive as much for convenience as I do as a part of my backup plan. I love to have my docs accessible wherever I am and it’s so convenient to be able to share docs with clients.
  • By having everything in Dropbox intact reinforces a solid backup strategy: again, ensure you have your info backed up to an external drive, and be sure you also have an off site/cloud storage backup, as well.
  • Ensure you test your strategy from time to time.

 Your big takeaways!

  • Follow the 3 S’s…Make your backup Simple, Seamless and Solid.  
    • Simple…so you don’t have to think about it, it just happens in the background. If you do have to think about it, set reminders in your calendar. If you use Google calendars, send text message reminders to yourself.
    • Seamless…if you have regular backups to an external drive, make sure that drive is also backed up off site.  Initial backup to the Cloud can take up to a couple weeks, depending on your connection speed and how much data you have, of course.
    • Solid…evaluate that your system works. Try to download files from your backup system and see if there are bottlenecks or barriers to your system. How easy would it be to do a complete system restore if you lost your hard drive?
      • As I reevaluated my backup strategy, I added immediate (and blazing fast Thunderbolt external backup) that can handle my huge video files, followed by nightly off site backup with DollyDrive.
      • As I mentioned in Episode 002, I chose Dolly Drive because they’re Mac specific and I really couldn’t find any complaints about them anywhere!
      • I can’t endorse DollyDrive yet because I just started using it, but I’ll be sure to give updates.
    • Make sure your backup plan is simple but complete…
      • On site backup to an external drive
      • Cloud backup off site.

A Little Bit About Dropbox

  • Dropbox is probably not your total backup solution. Use Dropbox to supplement a good backup plan by storing docs there.
  • You can earn up to 18 Gb of additional storage through referrals, too.
  • They have paid plans if you use LOTS of storage space (that’s what we use)

How It Works:

  • What dropbox does is simply add another folder on your computer that acts as a virtual drive.
  • You can load Dropbox on your PC, Mac, smartphones, tablets, etc, and have everything synchronized on every device.
    • If you change or edit a document in Dropbox while working on your laptop, it will automatically update everywhere else.
    • Even if you’re on someone else’s device, you can log in to your Dropbox account on the web and access your information there.
  • You can even share documents or folders with others so they can have access, too.  And it’s all done seamlessly…on the Cloud.
  • You can use it for photos and videos, too.
While Dropbox isn’t our backup plan, it supplements our plan since I host most of my everyday documents on it, making them always available on every device and always synced.

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: ANALYSIS PARALYSIS: Too many choices can be overwhelming and frustrating…life is much easier and simpler when choices are few.  This strategy works great with kids too!

Dan:  EVERNOTE!  We both use and LOVE Evernote!  It is what they say, an external brain.  If you’re into David Allen’s Getting Things Done system, or any other productivity system for that matter, then you know how every system touts “ubiquitous capture,” aka “getting everything out of your head or your environment and getting it recorded somewhere (notebook, 3″ x 5” cards…or Evernote). We plan on doing a future podcast(s) dedicated to how we use Evernote, but in the meantime, check out Evernote.com and see if it might just rock your world like it has ours.

Closing Thoughts:

If you like the show, please subscribe and consider giving us a good review in iTunes

If you know someone else who might enjoy the journey too, send them a link to SimpleLifeTogether.com

There are links to our Twitter and Google Plus profiles and other contact info on the left side of the website. We’d love to hear from you !

Be sure to leave comments below, send us a voicemail from the little microphone icon on the right side of the page, or you can go “old school” and email us!  Comments, questions, thoughts, ideas, suggestions…they’re all welcome and we’d love to hear from you!

Links We Mentioned in the Show:

Get Simplifized.com: Vanessa’s article on Letting Go of Your Clutter

Dropbox: You can learn more and download Dropbox at SimpleLifeTogether.com/Dropbox

Evernote: Your “external brain”

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