Category Archives: Lifestyle

Posts or podcast episodes where we discuss lifestyle issues such as foods, drinks, juicing, fitness, wheat belly diets, or commentary.

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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Pie

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No Bake... Chocolate Peanut Butter Yofu PieOh…My…Goodness!  Is this a simple yet great tasting pie! And it is by far one of the easiest pies I’ve ever made. Just put all the ingredients in a blender…mix…pour into a pre-made graham cracker crust…and chill for 2 hours. That’s it! It doesn’t taste super sweet (at least not to me) and that’s probably because the only sugar is from the 10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips and the peanut butter (if you choose one with lots of sugar in it).  I guess it’s kinda like a super-thick/firm mousse. Anyhoos…I like the simple taste and the simple prep!

RECIPE (adapted from Vegetarian Times Magazine):

Ingredients:

10 oz semisweet or milk chocolate chips

12 oz firm tofu, sliced into 6-8 slabs and dabbed dry with paper towels

1 cup creamy peanut butter (all natural will probably cut down on the sweetness just a tad)

1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate soymilk (I used unsweetened chocolate soymilk)

1 tsp agave nectar or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1  9-inch prepared graham cracker pie crust

Instructions:

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals for a total of 45 seconds max. After each 15 seconds, scrape the chocolate chips from the sides of the bowl then heat again for another 15 seconds. Repeat till chocolate is completely melted.

Combine melted chocolate, tofu slices, peanut butter, soymilk, honey and vanilla in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Stop and scrape sides if necessary to make sure it’s all blended.

Pour into pie crust and chill for 2 hours.  Serve with chocolate syrup or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

GS Sig 210 x 106

 

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SLT 006: Going “Paperless” and Making the Most of a Small Living Space

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Going Paperless & Making the Most of a Small Living Space

Main Topics:  

Going Paperless: Guest Interview with Brooks Duncan from DocumentSnap

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

We had a fantastic interview with Brooks.  There’s no doubt he’s way out front as a lead expert in the field of going paperless.  Here is a list of questions we asked Brooks (you definitely should listen to the podcast because he gave some great answers and advice!):

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

Is it really possible to go paperless? What about…

    • Tax paperwork (Brooks sent IRS guidance, too.  Links below.)
    • Receipts
    • Contracts
    • Other docs that people have been “married to” forever?

How do you recommend people get started with going paperless?

What does the workflow look like, or are there lots of different workflows?

Your article “We Are Our Own Worst Enemy When Going Paperless” is fantastic! Can you describe some of the challenges people face when going paperless?

What equipment do you recommend and why?

    • Mac
    • PC
    • Scanners
    • Mobile device/apps
    • Etc…

Your Paperless Document Organization Guide and it’s an amazing value…do you have other courses?

How can people sign up for your newsletter?

What is the best way for people to reach you?

Website: documentsnap.com
Twitter: @BrooksDuncan and @DocumentSnap
Facebook: facebook.com/documentsnap

Dan and Vanessa Discuss Tips for Small Home Living

  • Planning Our “Dream Home”…five years of planning
  • Taking Action…designing, saving, paying it off and then…
  • Oooops! Rethinking Our “Dream Home”…reasons for our change of plans: affordable green living, time to travel and visit family, not wanting to be slaves to possessions

Intro to Cece Reinhardt + Brenda Daugherty from the blog “On the Green Road”

    • Downsized their lives
    • Totally eco-refurb’d an Airstream remodel and lived full-time in their RV
    • Now they’re transitioning to a 500 sf house and planning a complete eco-refurb of that, too!
    • They blog about health, travel, self-sufficiency and as they say, “anything else that blows our skirts up.”

Guest Post on On The Green Road from Katie White from the blog DIY Mother: “DIY Tricks to Make the Most of a Small Living Space” (Note: We added some tips, too! Our additions to this are Italicized)

The main theme was:

  • 
Reducing your footprint doesn’t have to be uncomfortable

She also pointed out some of the advantages of living in a Small home. They are :

  • Use less land and raw materials
  • Cost less to heat and cool
  • You’ll be less tempted to fill them with things you don’t need.  Ties right into the spin off of Parkinson’s Law we talked about back in Episode 004…“Storage requirements will increase to meet storage capacity”

Kitchen Keypoints:

  • Small kitchens can be noisy, crowded little pressure-cookers, breeding hot tempers and short fuses.
  • Paint your kitchen in light, cool shades to help everyone relax, and if possible, coordinate the entire kitchen in two or three colors to avoid a busy, disorganized vibe.
  • Another simple trick to increase the visual space in your kitchen is to try open shelving instead of cupboards.
  • We have raised Euro-style cabinets off the floor so you can see under them…it adds visual depth. Also, a mix of solid frosted glass cabinet doors help, too.
  • Tall upper cabinets really max out your vertical storage space.
  • Pull-out lower drawers, versus standard cabinets are a lifesaver.
  • Forego “uni-tasker” appliances and opt for multitasking appliances.

Living Room Lessons: The easiest way to open up your living room is to get things off the floor.

  • Instead of a clunky bookshelf, try wall-mounted shelves.
  • Small house plants and lighting can also be placed on the walls or ceiling (Hanging plants are especially good for small living rooms).
  • Just like in the kitchen and bedroom, light penetration is everything.
  • Remove sofa skirts, try a translucent coffee table, and hang a nice mirror or two to really expand the visual range.
  • If you need new furniture, steer clear of round, rolled arm and back pieces—they fill up a room like nothing else.
  • Again, use multitasking furniture that doubles as storage like coffee tables and ottomans.
  • Try wall-mounted televisions and hanging lamps instead of floor or table lamps that take up a lot of room.

Bedroom Basics: The simplest visual trick to open up your bedroom is to make your baseboards visible.

  • Stilted furniture, wall-mounted shelves and light fixtures, and a skirtless bed frame can all increase the visual range in your bedroom and make it feel larger.
  • Colors such as a single accent wall painted in a bold, darker color can “stretch” your bedroom visually, especially if it’s the smaller wall.
  • Paint the other three walls in light, airy colors that complement the accent wall. The room will feel more open, and it also adds a personal, expressive touch.
  • Again, use hanging lamps or wall mounted end table lamps to free up space. We also have a platform bed that makes the room look larger.

Bottom Line in the Bathroom: Plumbing makes bathroom renovation a tricky proposition, but you can swap out a bulky vanity for a pedestal sink without too much damage to the delicate habitat of your sink fixtures.

  • Make up for the loss of your drawers with an extra set of wall shelves, or a deeper medicine cabinet.
  • To increase the light-penetration in your bathroom, swap out your shower curtain for a clear glass door (or a frosted privacy screen) to create wall-to-wall visibility. We agree with the the light penetration, but we’re advocates of no shower doors or curtains.  The water is so hard here and creates lime deposits on glass…but if your water is ok, then glass works great!
  • Textured wallpaper in a light color can also create illusory depth that makes a bathroom feel bigger; and finally,
  • To avoid a sense of clutter, limit your bathroom décor to “singles”—one piece of art, one rug, one towel per person, etc. 

Storage Suggestions: The key to using your storage space efficiently is to think in three dimensions

  • Get rid of the junk drawer, use a shoe organizer
    • Put a link to vanessa video on http://getsimplifized.com about shoe organizers.
    • Use on your pantry door for odds and ends. It’ll keep your drawers and counters clear while leaving scissors, batteries, and pens accessible. We use an over the door shoe organizer in our hallway closet.  Vanessa even did a video on it!
  • Consider a tankless gas water heater
    • Much more energy efficient, saving you money and energy.
    • Makes room for storages space for tools, home repair supplies—anything that you’d otherwise store in a shed or garage.
  • Keys to storage:
    • Only store things you really need.
    • Look for ways to exploit unused areas and vertical space.
      • We’ve found dozens of square feet of space by building cubbies in wall cavities. Consider this if you’re handy. Link to http://getsimplifized.com cubby post.
      • Use containers to max out small areas. Link to http://getsimplifized.com container post.

Thanks again to Cece + Brenda of On the Green Road for their inspiration…and to Katie White for her guest post at there, as well. Katie is a writer and handywoman from DIY Mother @ diymother.wordpress.com where she blogs with 4 other gals about DIY projects around the home.  I checked it out and it’s a great resource!  Each post is laid out in steps to follow…”easy…breezy, lemon squeezy,” as our little girl Jordan would say!

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: discussed a section from Enough, by Will Davis. Basically…we have waaaaay more than enough!  Need to appreciate what we have.

Dan:  Discussed his “Facebook Fast” and the new Google+ Communities

Listener Feedback:

  • Gilbert: He loves the show and gave us great feedback! He even gave us an idea for a future podcast.  Thanks!
  • Augusto: He’s all about the idea of simplifying and having “enough.” He also sent us some free tips (link listed below) that are worth checking out.

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:

Brooks Duncan from DocumentSnap

IRS Bulletins from Brooks; Guidelines for Businesses and Guidelines for Individuals

Cece Reinhardt + Brenda Daugherty from On The Green Road

Katie White from DIY Mother Blog (BTW…love your tag line, “Not afraid to use power tools in a dress”)

Free Tips From Augusto Pinaud

Organizing  book by Peter Walsh “It’s All Too Much”

Get Simplifized! Links:

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

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SLT 005: The One Secret To Accomplishing Anything and the Laws of Simplicity

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The One Secret To Accomplishing Anything & the Laws of Simplicity

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

Feedback:

  • We got some terrific voicemail feedback from John Bukenas from  LetsReverseObesity.com. John’s podcast Let’s Reverse Obesity is fantastic! John is doing great things chronicling his weight loss and is helping so many others along the way.
    • Thanks, John, for listening, subscribing, and taking the time to send us some feedback.
  • We also got a very, very nice comment here on Episode 004 from Marshall Ponzi. Thank you Marshall for your kind words and you’re so right…it IS amazing what we can do without. And, I think we’d agree that doing without all the extra allows us to truly appreciate what we do have all the more.
    • Marshall also has a terrific podcast over at InboundInFocus.com that gives great inbound marketing tips for business owners. If you’re a business owner you’d be well served to check out Marshalls podcast, Inbound In Focus, as well.

Main Topics:  

Vanessa’s Topic: The One Secret To Accomplishing Anything

 “I’m often asked what my secret is to being organized and how I get my clients to become more organized.”

The single most important component to becoming organized is commitment.

So why is commitment to change so difficult?

1. It’s not a priority….at least not yet.

2. Change is hard…even when you know it’s good for you.

3. It takes a lot of work…and that can be daunting and discouraging.

4. Unfortunately, often times people have to reach some sort of “breaking point.”

Vanessa highlights some of her efforts to change:

Finances

  • $24K in debt
    • Electricity and phone cut off
    • Creditors hounding her for payments.

Fitness

  • 40 lbs heavier than her current weight

Combined, the struggles led to:

  • Low self esteem
  • Depression
  • Low energy

Keys to her commitment to change:

  • Stopped playing the victim
  • Committed to a lifestyle change vs “quick fix”

Results?

  • Paid off debt in 2 years
  •  Rebuilt credit score
  • Kept the weight off
  • Better level of fitness than in high school (20 years ago! Wow! She’s OLD!)

Vanessa’s Truths:

  • Truly believes “If I can do it, so can you!”
  • One key is to be realistic about the change you want to make…and understand that it’s a process…not a quick fix.
  • Be patient, systematic and strategic…otherwise you might do something you’ll regret or resent.
  • One positive example is a blog she subscribes to, “Becoming Minimalist” by Joshua Becker.  I like the word…Becoming…because it implies that it’s a process.

So, here are some points to ponder if you are thinking about making a change in your life:

1. Change your mindset…it’s a lifestyle change not a quick fix. Just like my progress with weight loss and fitness.

2. Change doesn’t happen overnight.

3. Realize that you may get discouraged at the task ahead.  But don’t sell yourself short.  You can do it! Again, think of it as a process and break it down into bite-sized chunks. (organize one space at a time…pay off one bill at a time…try one eating lifestyle or fitness plan at a time)

4. Realize that you may “fall of the wagon” and that maintaining your lifestyle may be difficult.  Pick yourself back up, and hop back on the wagon!

5. Once you get in the groove, you’re probably going to get addicted! Ask Dan…I can be a real grouch if I’ve missed a few workouts and if my house gets too cluttered.  That’s because I’ve gotten addicted to the results and love how they make me feel.  Feeling comfortable in my clothing and in my home are incredibly elating.  You’ll feel the same once you get in the groove. These are healthy addictions in my opinion.

6. You’ll start to build confidence!  And reduce stress.  You won’t have those negative thoughts lingering around in your mind.  Instead you’ll be thinking about taking the next step…decreasing your debt further….trying a new fitness routine…shedding some more clutter…etc.

7. You’ll love the results! And the freedom you’ll experience. Creating goals and setting out to achieve them is one thing…accomplishing them is nothing short of AWESOME!

 Dan’s Topic: The Laws of Simplicity

Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda

  • John Maeda is the president of the Rhode Island School of Design, where his bio says he’s dedicated to linking design and technology.
  • Entertaining TED talk on YouTube (link below)
  • While the book covers more, Dan discussed just the ones below
  • Actually “rules” more than “laws”
  • There are some really terrific take aways

Some of the “Laws”

REDUCE – The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction

ORGANIZE – Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.

TIME – Savings in time feel like simplicity.

LEARN – Knowledge makes everything simpler.

DIFFERENCES – Simplicity and complexity need each other.

You can only appreciate “highs” if you’ve experienced “lows.”

CONTEXT – What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.

 Think of this like “margin” … room in your schedule to breathe, margins on a sheet of paper that highlight what’s within the margin, etc… Simplicity is highlighted by margin.

FAILURE – Some things can never be made simple.

Yep! Unfortunately, this one is true and we just have to accept it.

THE ONE – Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

Much like Dan’s quotation in Episode 001 from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Dan’s Musing’s About More Simplicity “Laws”

  •  Sometimes complicated leads to simple. (Example: Apps and computer programs are very complex in the programming/designing process; yet hopefully simple for the user).
  • However, sometimes complicated leads to more complicated, as there is always a human element and relationships can easily be very complicated
  • Positivity tends to lead to simplicity. Negativity tends to lead toward complication. Much like Sir Walter Scott’s line: “Oh what tangled webs we weave, when first we practise to deceive”
  • Simple does not equate to easy.
  • Over-planning for contingencies causes complexity. Considering Murphy’s Law (“If anything can go wrong, it will”), but don’t let it stifle simplicity.

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: Vanessa’s “THING”:  Vanessa discussed a client’s successes since implementing some strategies that Vanessa suggested during an organizing session. The client relayed how much more effective and easy organizing had become, how the Action File Vanessa recommended had drastically reduced their paper clutter, and how Evernote (after some “getting used to it” time) has become part of her workflow.

Dan:  Being a “tech guy,” Dan talked about how much he loves RSS feeds. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and “pushes” out updates on blogs and podcasts so you don’t have to go searching for new episodes and “pull” them into your reader or audio device.

Dan’s RSS uses:

    • He uses Google Reader to collect content from his RSS feeds.
    • He links his Google Reader account to apps like Flipboard on the iPad
    • Going through his feeds is part of his morning routine…like reading the paper used to be back in the day

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:

John Bukenas’ Let’s Reverse Obesity Blog and Podcast

Marshal Ponzi’s Inbound in Focus Blog and Podcast

Get Simplifized.com: Vanessa’s article, How to Create and Use an Action File.

Vanessa’s article The One Secret To Achieving Anything

Joshua Becker’s Becoming Minimalist BlogJohn Maeda’s Blog: lawsofsimplicity.com

John Maeda’s TED Talk:  John Maeda on The Simple Life

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

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SLT 004: Benefits of Organizing & Having Less, and Some Weird Sounding Simplicity Tools That Might Just Help You Out

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Benefits of Organizing & Having Less, and Some Weird Sounding Simplicity Tools That Might Just Help You Out

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

In Episode 4, we discuss Benefits of Organizing & Having Less, and Some Weird Sounding Simplicity Tools That Might Just Help You Out.

Main Topics:  

Vanessa’s Topic: Benefits to Organizing and Having Less

You’ll save money, have less debt and be better able to handle tough financial times.

  • It’s pretty simple: less stuff  =  less money you’ll have to spend…especially on off-site storage rentals!
  • You’ll cut down on buying duplicates when you’re organized and know what you have.
  • You’ll save on late fees and interest rates if you have a good system of tracking and managing your bills.

You’ll have more usable space.

  • You’ll be able to properly utilize desktops, countertops and your dinner table. And maybe your garage too!
  • Less stuff means you can use the spaces in your homes for their intended purposes and not just for storage.

You’ll help avoid “analysis paralysis.”

  • We talked about this in Episode 3. When you have too much stuff it’s difficult to make decisions.
  • With less choices, there’s less time wasted.

There’s less to clean and maintain!

  • Average home 3 bedroom home has over 350,ooo items in it!
  • Knick knacks and all those other things require lots of dusting, laundering, storage, cleaning and maintenance…and lots of money!

You can invite guests over without hesitation.

  • Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have them over without feeling embarrassed or in a rush to clean it up?
  • Having simple routines and “a place for everything and everything in its place” makes for easy clean up.

You’ll be more productive.

  • Start getting organized by having scheduled routines(mentioned in Episode 2): laundry, housecleaning, meal planning, etc.
  • Helps ensure the “must-dos” get done…plus allows more  time to focus on other priorities or those…“want-to-dos.”

You’ll  have better concentration.

  • Piles of papers, heaps of laundry and sinks full of dishes are haunting reminders of stuff you still have to do.
  • It’s hard to concentrate when your home and office are a mess.

You’ll save time.

  • The average person wastes about 55 minutes per day searching for things…keys, files, tools, clothes, etc. That’s a lot of time over the course of a year!
  • Again, having “a place for everything and everything in its place” helps speed up the time it takes to clean up or find things.

You’ll have a sense of control.  Control = Confidence = Nicer You!

  • Knowing where things are and when important tasks will get done creates confidence.
  • Most folks are ashamed of their clutter and therefore ashamed of themselves.

You’ll have less guilt

  • Don’t you feel guilty when you buy something when you know you really didn’t need it.
  • It’s way more empowering when you can say “no” to those buying impulses and not bring in more stuff.

You’ll have more Joy and be more content.

  • Striving for more and waiting for the day that you’ll strike it rich will deplete the joy you could be experiencing every day.
  • You’ll never be content if you’re always comparing, striving for more stuff, collecting, etc.

You’ll have more time and better relationships.

You’ll have a feeling of calm and peace of mind.

Dan’s Topic: Backing Up Your Digital Information: Some Weird Sounding Simplicity Tools That Might Just Help You Out

Occam’s Razor: “Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.”

  • Benedictine monk…William lived in Ockham, England from 1285-1349. William wasn’t the person who came up with the idea behind the razor, but he was widely known for professing it’s benefits, so it soon came to be known for him. The first time the term Occam’s razor was used, was in 1852, over 500 years after Occam’s death.
  • Occam’s Razor Take Away: Try to develop the simplest solutions to problems and challenges. Much like the KISS method, keeping processes, workflows, recipes, you name it, simple, helps you to be able to replicate successes.

Next up is Parkinson’s Law which states: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

  • C. Northcote Parkinson (30 July 1909 – 9 March 1993)
  • Storage requirements will increase to meet storage capacity
  • Data expands to fill the space available for storage.
  • Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
  • Expenditures rise to meet income
  • The amount of time which one has to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete the task.
  • The Stock-Sanford Corollary to Parkinson’s Law reads, “If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute to do.” I call that the “Homework Corollary.”
  • Parkinson’s Law Take Away: Realize that the “status quo” can quickly turn into the status “whoa!”  What that big house because you enjoy the extra space? It’ll fill up. 

Pareto Principle: Often called the 80/20 Rule. 80% of the results likely comes from 20% of the effort.

  • Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population
    • Developed the principle by observing that 20% of the pea pods in his garden contained 80% of the peas. This same 80/20 split kept revealing itself.
    • Led ol’ Villy to determine that, generally, 80% of effects likely come from the 20% of causes.
  • Another way to think about isOrganization: Do you keep the 20% of the things you use almost every day in logical places to maximize your efficiency?
    • Are the other 80% of your belongings getting in the way when you don’t need them? Maybe it’s time to look at how much stuff you really need, identify your vital 20% and pare the other 80% down a bit?
  • Productivity: When it comes to productivity you need to think “systems.”
    • Look at the vital few tasks you do that have the biggest impact.
    • Do you have a system in place for your “to do” list, paying bills, buying groceries, filing important documents, home and vehicle maintenance, etc.
  • More about Pareto’s 80/20 Rule at SimpleLifeTogether.com/Pareto
  • Take Aways from Pareto: Use Pareto’s Principle to determine key actions that have the most results in your life, your most important 20% of effort, habits, possessions, etc, to learn where you can pare down what you do, have and use.

Use these tools individually and together to your advantage to simplify your life.

The “Thing” Segment:

Vanessa: Michael Hyatt Blog Post:  The Gift of Today-Lessons from a Monk.  This post featured a beautiful video that Michael Hyatt forwarded and wrote about .  It’s an absolutely beautiful video that’s narrated by a monk where he encourages us to be grateful.  Here’s one of his excerpts:

“You think this is just another day in your life.  It’s not just another day  It’s the one day that is given to you today…It’s the only gift that you have right now.  And the only appropriate response is gratefulness.”

Dan: The Decline of Fascination and the Rise in Ennui (on-wee). A blog post by Seth Godin…a fellow Buffalonian and some consider him a modern day philosopher.  Here’s a quick excerpt from his post:

“The real opportunity, I think, is in trying to build longer arcs. Now that the cycle of new is eating itself in a race to ever-faster, there’s a bigger chance to make long term change by consistently focusing on what works (and what’s important), not what’s new and merely shiny. What’s important, what’s always important, is useful change.”

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 Benefits to Organizing and Having Less.

Very good article on Occam’s Razor over at You’re Making Me

More about Pareto’s 80/20 Rule at SimpleLifeTogether.com/Pareto

Michael Hyatt Blog Post:  The Gift of Today-Lessons from a Monk.You can find more of Seth Godin’s work at http://sethgodin.typepad.com

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

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Simplify Life Using Pareto’s 80/20 Rule

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All things being equal…well, they’re not! You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. But when was the last time you really took “inventory” of the things most important to you? Not just the “physical” things, but relationships, careers, time…all the intangibles that are the real treasures of life. OK, and your “stuff”, too. Have you lost a little bit of focus on what’s truly important in your life? Maybe it’s time to sit down and do some evaluation. But where do you start? What you need is a sharp Italian guy!

No, it’s not what you think! I’m talking about Vilfredo Pareto. You’ve likely heard of his work even if his name doesn’t ring a bell. The Pareto Principle, often called the 80/20 Rule, states that the 80% of effects likely come from the 20% of causes (see Figure below). Pareto noticed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He also noticed while walking through his garden that 20% of the pea pods produced 80% of the peas. So where is this going…am I asking you to count peas? No, honestly I can’t stand peas, but I am recommending that you evaluate the things that have the biggest impact on your life. As you do, think about Pareto’s 80/20 Rule to see where it meshes with what you find.

So, using some questions and suggestions, let’s just scratch the surface and look at how Pareto’s 80/20 Rule impacts three areas of your life; Organization, Productivity, Personal Technology:

Organization- You certainly don’t use all your “stuff” every day. Hopefully you’ve organized the things that you do use daily so they’re where you need them, when you need them. It’s no surprise that all the controls needed to fly an airplane are in the cockpit where the pilot needs them, right? Do you keep the 20% of the things you use almost every day in logical places to maximize your efficiency? Are the other 80% of your belongings getting in the way when you don’t need them? Maybe it’s time to look at how much stuff you really need, identify your vital 20% and pare the other 80% down a bit? I know someone who can help!

Productivity- When it comes to productivity you need to think “systems.” Look at the vital few tasks you do that have the biggest impact. Do you have a system in place for your “to do” list, paying bills, buying groceries, filing important documents, home and vehicle maintenance, etc. Take a hard look at your routines and see if they are really systems. If not, work on developing some Standard Operating Systems (SOPs) so you can have a greater impact with less effort, like in the figure above. For example, if you were asked to produce your Birth Certificate would you know exactly where to go to get it? Would it take you less than 2 minutes? If not, you likely don’t have a true system, you have a routine. Here’s another huge tip: batch tasks! Checking email 30 times a day is counterproductive, especially if you take action on every email as it comes in! Batch checking your email (and probably Facebook, too) down to twice a day. The bottom line is to strive to have the vital 20% of your tasks systematized.

Personal Technology- Technology promises to make things simpler…but does it? Are you really using it to your advantage or has it become part of the 20% of things that cause 80% of your frustrations? Sometimes we tend to “over do” it, even with the best of intentions. If you’re a smartphone or tablet user, what are the 20% of apps that you use 80% of the time? Are they on your home screen? Do you actually use all your apps? You can find the top apps from my home screen and why I use them here. My iPhone has replaced my GPS, the clock on my nightstand, my watch, my little book of passwords/logins, my answering machine, home phone, notebook, pen, calendar, still camera, video camera…and that’s just with the apps on my home screen! What part of the 80% of your “stuff” that gets in the way can you cut by maximizing your vital 20% with technology?

The key takeaway here is that it’s often a small percentage of things that have the most impact on your life. It may not be exactly 80/20, but it is likely skewed in that direction. Have you done all you can to become more organized, productive, and use technology to your advantage? What are the things that really matter and bring the most happiness to your life? Your challenge is to figure those things out and focus on the fabulous. And our old friend Pareto’s 80/20 Principle is there to help!