do it yourself FREEDOM

Impacts: Mind, Health, Community

“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast.” – Thomas Jefferson

I bet some smart mathematician could calculate the number of pounds America has gained as a result of the invention of the remote control. Many of us live sedentary lives. We drive everywhere, we sit on sofas, we sit at desks, we lay in bed. We can have just about everything we want delivered to our homes. Even trips to the mall are becoming passe with the ease and simplicity of shopping online. I’m not complaining, I make good money building my little part of the Internet from my desk, but finding reasons to move more seems to be an even increasing challenge.

The idea is simple, get off your butt and do something, anything. I can be as simple as a daily walk with the dig or a family walk after dinner, but whatever it is make it a routine. Build a habit by making a point to do it everyday. Walk to lunch. Walk to a friend’s house. Find fun nearby places to go. Buy a bike. Pick up a sport. You could even join a club but most people seem to never go anyway so you might be better off just walking the dog.

The more you move the more your health will improve. Our bodies need exercise and most of us seem to be having trouble finding time to move more. By creating creative ways of getting off our butts we will begin to see improvements in our health. After a while you’ll even notice you like it. You’ll also notice initially that its really hard to make it a habit because you’ll be looking for that instant gratification like weight loss. Try not to put that pressure on yourself, just keep going and enjoy it. Remember watched pots do boil they just seem like they take forever to get there. Stop watching your pot, keep it moving.

Take Action

• Walk more. Find good reasons to go for a walk like walking the dog, walking with the kids, walking to nearby stores, parks, schools.
• Make moving a habit. Choose a time everyday that makes sense to get out of the house.
• Bicycles cover more distance faster. If your frequent destinations, stores, parks, school, are too far to walk to, try riding a bike there.

Impacts:  Money, Community

“Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless.” – Thomas Alva Edison

Normally when someone says something like conserve energy you’ll assume that the primary motivation is about the environment or something equally as green. Green reasons  are excellent reasons but conserving energy will also have immediate positive impacts on your bank account. Don’t get me wrong do it for the environment first but don’t forget the great win-win, especially with energy costs are so high.

As more and more people conserve energy the need to generate more power will be reduced which will in turn reduce pollution and the need for foreign energy sources. Every time we remove a reason to deploy our military our nation saves money and increases our national security. In fact you might even want to think of conserving energy as a patriotic act.

Using more energy simply takes money from our pockets and sends it offshore. It’s a service most people need but by using less you make big immediate impacts and contribute to a much bigger impact.

Take Action

• Drive less.
• Carpool more.
• Buy a greener car.
• Use public transportation more.
• Be sure your home is as air tight as possible.
• Investigate other home improvements and look for tax and energy incentives.
• Downsize your home. The less you have to heat and cool the less you pay.
• Move to a place with a moderate climate.

Impacts: Mind, Health, Home, Work, Community

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” – Buddha

Appreciate what you have and what other people offer. Staying focused on the positive keeps your mind focused on moving forward and helps you to avoid dwelling on things that you either can’t influence or affect.

Appreciating more also helps you slow down and live in the present. This will give your mind a break from the day to day stress it otherwise would be mulling over. So in effect appreciating instantly gives you time to let positive thoughts linger longer making it easier for your to live strategically and stay focused.

Take Action

• Look at the space around you. Spend at least two minutes taking in the things you see. Focus on breathing deep and try not to let your mind wander. Try to notice small details without judgment or purpose. Simply take in the space around you.
• On the next cloudless night go outside after dark and find a safe place to sit. Ideally bring a friend and go someplace dark enough to see the stars. Look up. Try to spend as much time as you can. Even a few minutes of relaxing with a friend under the stars can help you take big steps toward feeling more free.

Impacts: Mind, Money, Community, Time

“It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness” – Thomas Jefferson

This is different from want less. Consume less is more about changing your actual behavior and I’m going to take a slightly different angle on this topic from the majority that suggest that consumerism is a bad idea.

Most people tend to focus on the environmental, economical, and human impacts as the the primary reasons that consuming less makes more sense. In fact I personally agree with those strong arguments but I think there might be stronger argument that could help more people adopt an anti-consumerism point of view.

You see being an active consumer costs a lot of money and for money to be spent it must be earned or borrowed. Earning and borrowing money usually means that more of your time must be spent making money which in turn limits your choices. Compounded on top of that is the simple fact that many people tend to spend up to and beyond their income, no matter their income level. So while keeping up with the Joneses might be status quo and virtually second nature to many of us these days it’s a behavior that also tends to land us in trouble.

For example, imagine yourself right now with absolutely no debt and a small but livable steady source of income that requires little or no effort or time. How would that make you feel? Would you keep your day job? Lets say you decide that you’d rather quit your day job and enjoy your new found free time. What would you do? Would you start a little business? Would you travel? Would you write a book? What would you do?

Now let me ask you a harder question. If you knew for a fact that you could have that life in the next few years, what would it be worth to you? What is that kind of freedom worth to you?

I’ve been asking myself that question for over a year now. I’ve realized that there are literally thousands of ways of generating alternative income streams that don’t involve get rich schemes. They all take time to develop and not all of them work out but with persistance it is absolutely an achievable goal.

If I tried to replace my current income that would be very difficult and take a long time. But If I worked it from both ends by adding a little side income and reducing my spending I’d get their quicker. The more I add and the more I take away the faster I move toward my goal.

Choosing to consume less, like choosing to make more money, is simply a choice and hard work. The hardest thing to overcome is the baggage in our own heads. When many of us were young and didn’t have things we assumed that things would make me happy. As we get older we begin to realize that it’s not the things we aquire but people and time we make for ourselves that makes us truly rich.

Take Action

• Watch The Story of Stuff.
• Buy what you need.
• Buy more value.
• Avoid buying things that don’t help you achieve your goals.
• Look for free stuff online first; you’ll be amazed what people give away. See craigslist.org and freecycle.org.
• Pay with cash or debit and avoid using credit cards.
• As you carry things you’ve bought into your home consider their physical weight. When you take out the trash consider the weight again. Ask yourself if you’re just throwing away the things you buy?
• Avoid packaging. Reward companies that use reusable packaging or  little packaging by buying their products. Recyclable packaging is better than non-recyclable but it’s still added to the cost of the product and you paid for it.

Impacts: Mind, Health, Home, Work, Money, Community, Time

“The money you have gives you freedom; the money you pursue enslaves you.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau

“The Lord commonly gives riches to foolish people, to whom he gives nothing else.” – Martin Luther

“Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments.” – Samuel Johnson

This one is really hard to achieve because we learn to consume at a very early age. Need and want are sometimes inseparable in our minds when it comes to how things make us feel about ourselves. Sometimes the desire for something is so overwhelming we become obsessed by it and we often don’t stop to discover why, we just work blindly to achieve it.

When I was a kid my family went for a day hike one weekend. When we got back my brothers and I noticed a little blue sports car parked next to our van that had not been there before. I asked my older brother what it was and he said it was a Porsche. From that day on I wanted one so bad it hurt. I know that sounds stupid but I had got bitten early by the sports car bug.

As I grew up an obsession grew and on a regular basis I’d browse the car classifieds in the newspaper and in time online, constantly imagining the car I’d buy someday. A few times I scraped together enough money to buy a used Porsche but talked myself into waiting for a better car. Over the years I spent a lot of time thinking and dreaming about the day I’d drive it home.

Finally when I was 38 I bought one. It was used but seemed to be in very good condition. But the day I drove it home it broke down. The dealer paid for the tow and repair so there was little financial damage but the experience sent a powerful wake up call into my head. Sitting on the side of the highway in a dead Porsche waiting for a tow truck helped a bit too. After a few months I sold it.

Looking back I realize that I learned an important lesson and the money I lost almost seemed worth it. Inside me there must have been some unmet need I was certain this car would fulfill. One thing is for sure, my crazy obsession had taken on a life of its own and most definitely distracted me from making progress in other areas. On the bright side at least I learned this important lesson before turning 40. This has given me few more useful years to refocus on the things that really matter. It’s also opened me up to looking at all my consumer desires with a different set of eyes.

I suspect that understanding deeply buried desires is probably the hardest thing for any of us to do. Wanting less or at least understanding why we want so much can unburden us in many ways. In my case I wasted a lot of time, energy, and money on a car that in the end proved to be more dream than car. Had I gotten a grip, and gotten over it sooner, I could have made a lot of progress on other more productive things. Although its arguable that until we learn this lesson the hard way we have to continue living the mistakes. That may be true of a lot of things.

In any event, at least for me, wanting less has become one of the most freeing decisions I’ve made. It continues to be a daily challenge but it pays me back dividends in time with my family and time for the things I like doing.

Exercise

• Make a short list of the things you want most. For this exercise limit this list to tangible things.
• Sort the list from most important to least important.
• Next to each item put an approximate number of years you’ve wanted it as a point of reference.
• Start with the least important things and write down why you want it.
• Move your way up the list.
• The goal is simply to open your eyes. Don’t try to talk yourself out of wanting these things, simply try to understand why you really want them.
• Once you begin to uncover your real unmet needs try fulfilling them in ways that don’t include obtaining things.

Impacts: Mind, Work, Money, Community

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” – Henry David Thoreau

I was first introduced to Joseph Campbell in my teens and like many people the whole concept of following your bliss seems like a good idea. As an idealistic teenager these words really took root and I’ve pretty much lived with that concept floating around my brain ever since.

But since I rarely accept anything at face value, even words so wise, I found myself altering the philosophy to fit my needs. I found a follow my nose philosophy seemed to work better for me. Bliss was often a bit elusive and it seemed more logical to simply follow my nose, (curiosity, interest, ideals), and keep my bliss in sight on the horizon as I took steps in that general direction. This approach just seemed more practical and actionable. I also took comfort in that by following my nose I would eventually be lead to my bliss.

The other side effect of following my nose was that it gave me permission to screw up and even get a little lost from time to time. I don’t think that’s a bad thing since we tend to learn the most from our mistakes and that everything we do in life, good and bad, builds the person we are becoming. To regret your mistakes is like regretting who you’ve become and regretting taking the risk to find your bliss. By trusting your nose and accepting your mistakes you immediately empower yourself to continue moving forward no matter how bad things get.

So far this approach has served me well, taking me through several good and bad jobs and situations but at each step my goals have gotten closer. Looking back I can’t honestly say I regret any step or decision because they have all added up to landing me where I am today. I have made mistakes that I’m terribly sorry I made but I also know that I’m a better person today because of them. This knowledge also gives me the strength to let go and continue forward.

The main reason I’m suggesting that this personal philosophy will increase your personal freedom is because it will always move you closer and closer to your goals. You’ll never feel stagnant; you’ll be constantly looking for the next thing, and open to taking calculated risk. The only big disadvantage I’ve run into is that over time I conditioned myself to expect new challenges to present themselves regularly, which can lead to boredom and disinterest in work. Buy you could also look at this as an advantage since it acts as a catalyst to propel you to the next challenge or find new ways to innovate in your current job.

If you adopt following your nose or following your bliss as a personal philosophy you’ll find yourself becoming more proactive in your career and life. You’ll find yourself begin to move forward and put an end to stagnation. You’ll find yourself more optimistic and happier. Just be prepared to stick it out for the long haul because like most real things in life instant gratification doesn’t happen for anything of real value.

Take Action

• Try to calculate risk better. Make pros and cons lists and really think through decisions before making them.
• Watch the PBS special “Power of Myth” with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell.

Exercise

• Goal: Point your nose in the right direction.
• On a piece of paper make a list of things you like doing.
• On a separate sheet of paper brainstorm jobs that let you do that stuff. When brainstorming let yourself be free to write anything down.
• No search for some of these jobs online. Don’t limit your search to your location, you’re just trying to open your eyes to opportunities. Remember you’re looking for a dream job not one you’d be qualified to do today.
• Once you find one look at the qualifications. Start a third list of things these hiring managers are looking for in candidates. Continue to look at more jobs and begin to rank the job qualifications with hash marks. This will give you an idea of the most important things.
• Now look at your list of job qualifications. Point your nose in that direction. This is a list of requirements you can choose to place on yourself. You can also think of them as goals. At the very least they are steps to take on the road toward a job or life you will enjoy.

Impacts: Health, Mind, Community, Money, Time

“An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men.” – Charles Darwin

Most people use some sort of mind altering drug from alcohol to caffeine to cocaine. Some are legal and some are not but they all help get us through the day. They also treat the symptoms and not the causes of our discomfort.

For example coffee in the morning helps us get going. A beer after work helps us wind down. Both are simple chemical methods for changing the way we feel and they make it easier for us to avoid the real issues. Coffee helps us make up for the late night, unbalanced diet, or bad sleep. Alcohol helps us take the edge off stress and helps us forget our troubles temporarily. Both are legal. Both can create long term health problems. Both are addicting.

When we choose to avoid intoxicants two things happen immediately. The first is that we’re faced with dealing with the stuff they helped us avoid. The second is that we’re faced with the physical and mental reality of an addiction. But once these initial hurdles have been overcome and replaced with something better you’ll find that you’re saving money, time, and feel much better.

The bigger the problem the bigger the payback in personal freedom. By the same token every step in a positive direction is a good thing. Don’t get discouraged if cold turkey isn’t your thing either, simply try cutting back. Most addictions are part physical and part in our heads. The stuff in our heads is often harder to overcome so try replacing it with a positive replacement.

Take Action

• Every time you take a sip, drag, snort, puff, poke, chew, whatever, ask yourself one simple question… “do I need this?”
• Get professional help if you’ve got a real problem.
• Try adding a quick walk first thing in the morning instead of coffee and TV.

Impacts: Health, Community

“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gardening has many indirect positive side effects on people that often go unnoticed. It is an activity that provides benefits far beyond the food you grow. Gardening gives you back time to think, it teaches patience, it makes you feel more connected to your surroundings. If you garden with other people in a community garden, it can become an activity that builds community.

People that garden experience less stress and better health. The fresh food a vegetable garden provides certainly contributes to this but it is more likely the mere act of spending time outside, moving, working, thinking, relaxing, that is the real benefit.

Take Action

• Plant one plant, even if it is in a pot.
• Pick plants that are easy to grow.
• Pick plants that produce something you can eat or use.

As I began to write down these ideas I noticed that they fit into a few reoccurring themes: mind, health, home, work, money, community, and time. Each idea in the book impacts one or more of these areas to greater and lesser degrees.

For example, ‘Eat Better’ strongly effects health and money. When you eat better your health tends to improve. Good health removes many physical and mental burdens. When you eat better you tend to save money because you eat at home more and buy fewer empty fast food calories. I found it useful to categorize each idea to better understand how and where the idea impacted life.

Mind

A sharp mind and the ability to think creatively helps us identify and overcome obstacles. More knowledge, skills, and experience gives us the resources we need to make better informed decisions, think outside the box, and recognize opportunities.

Health

Good health reduces physical burdens. We’re able to do more of the things we want without as many physical limitations. Good health also can clearly improve our quality of life.

Home

We tend to divide most of our time between home and work. Both yield us security but home tends to be far more important to our sense of security especially as we increase our equity.

Work

Most people spend a lot of time at work or in activities to earn money to support themselves. Work can also be a rewarding activity that helps build self esteem, skills, and rewards beyond money.

Money

We live in a capitalist world powered by money. Commerce empowers and restricts us depending on how we choose to coexist with it. Money can be a powerful ally or an enemy depending on how we choose to think. It can trap us and provide freedom.

Community

Positive impacts to the people and environment around us always comes back to us and lessens external barriers. This category includes the people, places, and physical things around you including ecological impacts.

Time

Time is our most precious and limited commodity. The only way to create more time is to allocate more or less to the activities we choose. Ultimately it’s how we choose to spend our time that traps us or gives us the freedom we seek.

You might notice that these common themes contain sub-themes, like community can include things like, people, politics, environment, and business. I chose to keep the categories few and high level to help focus on the bigger issues that limit freedom. In other words simple concepts are easier to understand, digest, and use. The short version, although not as descriptive, is usually the better choice.