Life Archives - Page 14 of 14

July 1, 2019August 6, 2019

Examine the Routine: The Mindset

The mind, and therefore our outlook on life, is instrumental in forming our habits. The modern world often forces us in to a routine, some of which are important — say, brushing our teeth. But in a world where technology and automation free up increasingly more hours of the day, our down-time routines make or break our potential for learning and growth.

Let’s imagine two different potential routines. Each routine represents the post-work activities of a young professional.

June 10, 2019April 3, 2020

Digital Minimalism: Give Me Back My Brain

We’ve all seen the dramatic shift to mobile technology in the last decade. This explosion of digital information is making us freaks and zombies. I’ve just finished reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. The message here to get back our brain is so important that I started writing this post before I even finished the book. And I’ll be the first say: I struggle to optimize my digital life. So, I come to you humble and broken from my own digital beat-down.

June 3, 2019August 6, 2019

Ego and Mastery: Looking Good vs Being Good

From the way we dress, the content we put on social media, to even the routes we climb, our ego often runs the show. To pursue mastery of any sort, a high level of discomfort is required, usually in spite of the ego’s desire for pedestal-worthy achievement. I’ve had a slow and steady awakening over the past few years, allowing me to begin to see just how much my ego is in control. (Cliff Notes: a lot).

Let’s start with a climbing example, but hang in there non-climbers (PUN)!

May 28, 2019August 6, 2019

But I Don’t Want to Be Frugal

You’ve read a bit about financial independence, and perhaps your interest is piqued. But the more you read, the more you see a potential life of deprivation. People are saving 50-70% of their income, but they won’t buy a coffee! You know damn well that Sally enjoys eating out, but now she just stays at home with her spreadsheets and swears she’s happy. That doesn’t seem like much of a life, huh? Well, I agree. Let’s investigate whether being frugal is overhyped.

May 13, 2019May 13, 2019

The Entrepreneur: The Head of the Chicken

A well-known phrase in East Asia goes something like this: “it’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox.” In my brief and cursory research for this post, I noticed several variations, including my personal favorite: “it’s better to be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse.” Either way, the phrase celebrates the entrepreneur, recognizing those who go out on their own.

The idea is profound, especially in modern times, where greater power in the employment market is being centralized with fewer and fewer individuals. Sure, a corporate job might feel safe, but in this post, we examine the human toll on being “the tail.”

May 6, 2019June 21, 2019

Rest: We Need It and We Don’t Get Enough

It’s no secret by now that I’m a full-on obsessed rock climber. Long ago the ship sailed on climbing only for “fun,” and my time devoted to this sport has been replaced with performance ambitions. I’ve spent most of the last decade planning, goal-setting, training, and chipping away at pre-defined objectives. But in climbing and in life, you can only go full throttle for so long. Of everything we do to be a better climber — or even a better human — sometimes it’s what we don’t do that really matters. Rest might be the most important element.

March 25, 2019July 29, 2019

Know Thyself: A Guide To Individuality

The concept of conformity involves changing one’s behavior to “fit in” or otherwise not stand out. It’s human nature; there’s a lot of comfort in being part of the herd and going with the flow. But when it comes to many of life’s endeavors, aligning ourselves with the “average person” may be detrimental to our future. Below we outline ways to find your sense of individuality and to know thyself…

February 18, 2019May 6, 2020

Regrets: Any Day Could Be Your Last

I’ve been sitting on this concept for a while, but I lacked the inspiration until it hit me like a sack of bricks early last week. I stumbled upon a must-read news article with an unbeatable title: Colorado trail runner attacked by mountain lion choked cat to death with hands, arms and feet. Yes, that is the actual title. Regardless of your religious or agnostic leanings, we have one shot at this life. I know nothing about this man — clearly the stuff of legends — but a peaceful run in the mountains very nearly came down to his final moments. It begs the question: if your life ended today, would you have any regrets?

January 28, 2019May 4, 2019

Dogs and Your Money: An Ode to Man’s Best Friend

The pursuit of financial independence is a pursuit of happiness. Money is not the goal. Money is the vehicle that allows for a life centered around happiness. We write here about a philosophy centered around simple living and simple investing, but at the end of the day the entire goal is to provide more time to acquire true and meaningful fulfillment in our lives. Writing about this stuff often makes me feel like a bit of a used car salesman — convincing people to invest in stocks and open up credit cards — so I’m happy to take this opportunity to write more freely about, well, life. And dogs.

It’s very exciting to get wrapped up in all the ways to optimize, all the short-cuts and refinements, but I’m sometimes reminded of how quickly all the joys in life can be suddenly upended.

December 24, 2018May 4, 2019

Happy Holidays and Thanks for Your Support!

Yes, we’re a day early. I was nearing completion on a post completely unrelated to the holidays when I realized the timing. Instead, I just want to simply take the time to thank you all for being “here”.

I know “here” likely means hunched over a smartphone in a bathroom stall (wash your hands!). Or perhaps it means a new tab on your web browser when you hit a tiny snag at work. Either way, we’re grateful that you’ve chosen to be unproductive with us.

Consider this our digital ____________ (fill in holiday of choice) card.